Twiglet
[ Back ] [ Next ]

I learnt this from Planet Morris at Mike Salters bash, December 1996. Planet Morris invented it. It is very exciting and many teams have quickly adopted it. It is a well constructed dance.

Click here to see Clerical Error performing it in Germany (8MBytes), or right-click and "Save Target As" to save it to your machine

 

Set : Four dancers in a square (1 - 4). A further dancer in the middle (5). Long Sticks (over shoulders when not in use). Single stepping. Right foot start

Music : Vanittalse (also known as Shave the Monkey) - (A) BA BA BBA

Calls

Everyone steps throughout

      • CHORUS
      • CROSSOVER
      • CHORUS
      • REEL
      • CHORUS
      • WEAVE
      • CHORUS
      • CROSS AND PASS
      • CHORUS
      • SURREAL
      • AARDVARK
Chorus - Music : 1B
Everyone steps throughout. Note : Try and maintain the square.
On the first beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the second beat 1 and 5 clash twice, 3 and 4 clash once, and 2 brandishes the stick.
On the third beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the fourth beat 3 and 5 clash twice, 2 and 4 clash once, and 1 brandishes the stick.
On the fifth beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the sixth beat 4 and 5 clash twice, 1 and 2 clash once, and 3 brandishes the stick.
On the seventh beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the eighth beat 2 and 5 clash twice, 1 and 3 clash once, and 4 brandishes the stick.
 
Crossovers - Music : 1A
5 dances on the spot turning clockwise, with the stick held vertically on his head.
1 to 4 pass right shoulders diagonally across the set. Two steps forward, passing right shoulders. Turning to the left, but maintaining the same direction, two steps backwards. Then, 2 and 3 do this.
Repeat all.
 
Chorus - Music : 1B
Everyone steps throughout. Note : Try and maintain the square.
On the first beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the second beat 1 and 5 clash twice, 3 and 4 clash once, and 2 brandishes the stick.
On the third beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the fourth beat 3 and 5 clash twice, 2 and 4 clash once, and 1 brandishes the stick.
On the fifth beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the sixth beat 4 and 5 clash twice, 1 and 2 clash once, and 3 brandishes the stick.
On the seventh beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the eighth beat 2 and 5 clash twice, 1 and 3 clash once, and 4 brandishes the stick.
 
Reel - Music : 1A
1, 5 and 4 do a reel (hey), 1 and 5 initially passing right-shoulders.
When back in position, 5 flows into the next reel by passing left shoulders with 3's position. Just before this, 3 turns completely round to their left to start the reel.
3, 5 and 2 do a reel (hey), 3 and 5 initially passing right-shoulders.
 
Chorus - Music : 1B
Everyone steps throughout. Note : Try and maintain the square.
On the first beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the second beat 1 and 5 clash twice, 3 and 4 clash once, and 2 brandishes the stick.
On the third beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the fourth beat 3 and 5 clash twice, 2 and 4 clash once, and 1 brandishes the stick.
On the fifth beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the sixth beat 4 and 5 clash twice, 1 and 2 clash once, and 3 brandishes the stick.
On the seventh beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the eighth beat 2 and 5 clash twice, 1 and 3 clash once, and 4 brandishes the stick.
 
Weave - Music : 2A
This is a weave for three people, a variation on a Sheepskin Hey. 2 and 3 dance on the spot as end posts, and do not engage in this figure. However, when an end dancer passes them, they turn, tracking them, as though they are the last dancers, but not leaving the spot.
The middle post is first 1, then 4, then 5
1 leads 5 and 4 around back of 2, and stops in middle. 5 continues by leading 4 past 1 around the back of 3, passing 1. 1 joins behind 4.
5 leads 4 and 1 around back of 2, and stops in middle. 4 continues by leading 1 past 5 around the back of 3, passing 5. 5 joins behind 1.
4 leads 1 and 5 around back of 2, and stops in middle. 1 continues by leading 5 past 4 around the back of 3, passing 4. 4 joins behind 5.
1 leads 5 and 4 around back of 2, and 5 stops in middle. 1 and 4 dance back to place.
 
Chorus - Music : 1B
Everyone steps throughout. Note : Try and maintain the square.
On the first beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the second beat 1 and 5 clash twice, 3 and 4 clash once, and 2 brandishes the stick.
On the third beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the fourth beat 3 and 5 clash twice, 2 and 4 clash once, and 1 brandishes the stick.
On the fifth beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the sixth beat 4 and 5 clash twice, 1 and 2 clash once, and 3 brandishes the stick.
On the seventh beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the eighth beat 2 and 5 clash twice, 1 and 3 clash once, and 4 brandishes the stick.
 
Cross and Pass - Music : 2A
5 rotates in centre of set
1, 2, 3, and 4 crossover diagonally, passing 5 with the right shoulder turning away from him/her and backing into the diagonally opposite position, in 4 steps.
1 & 3, and 2 & 4 pass down the side of the set turning away from their partner and backing into the logitudinally opposite position, in 4 steps.
Repeat back to position
 
Chorus - Music : 1B
Everyone steps throughout. Note : Try and maintain the square.
On the first beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the second beat 1 and 5 clash twice, 3 and 4 clash once, and 2 brandishes the stick.
On the third beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the fourth beat 3 and 5 clash twice, 2 and 4 clash once, and 1 brandishes the stick.
On the fifth beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the sixth beat 4 and 5 clash twice, 1 and 2 clash once, and 3 brandishes the stick.
On the seventh beat everyone strikes the floor with their stick.
On the eighth beat 2 and 5 clash twice, 1 and 3 clash once, and 4 brandishes the stick.
 
Surreal (Linked Hey) - Music : 1A
This is a reel for 3, except that the end dancers are couples.
1 &2, and 3 & 4 link waists facing in, in two steps, 5 faces 1 & 2. 3 & 4 turn completely around on spot to left, to start hey. 1 passes right shoulders with 1 & 2's position. 1 & 2 pass left shoulder with 3 & 4's position.
At end of hey, form a line of 1, 2 , 5, 4 and 3.
 
Aardvark - Music : 2B
2 faces 5. 4 faces 3. 1 dances to bottom of set, whilst others clash six times plus 3 naps. All except 2 turn anticlockwise to face new partner.
5 faces 4. 3 faces 1. 2 dances to bottom of set, whilst others clash six times plus 3 naps. All except 5 turn anticlockwise to face new partner.
4 faces 3. 1 faces 2. 5 dances to bottom of set, whilst others clash six times plus 3 naps. All except 4 turn anticlockwise to face new partner.
3 faces 1. 2 faces 5. 4 dances to bottom of set, whilst others clash six times plus 3 naps. All except 3 turn anticlockwise to face new partner.
Music switches to A's. All face up, and 1 leads into large rounds and leads off.