Bacca Pipes

Bacca pipes jigs are our trademark specialism – complex, quite interesting, and occasionally a little bit flashy. They are developed from an obscure Cotswold curiosity, traditionally performed over two crossed, long-stemmed tobacco pipes. We have several bacca-pipes dances, including versions for three or four dancers all performing over one set of pipes, crossing and turning with inches to spare.

The stick dance

It took us 21 years to come up with our first stick dance. And when we did, it was like no stick dance any of us had ever seen before. For much of it, we have the wrong number of sticks. We throw them, then clash them, and then a child gives us another stick, and off we go again.

Morris jigs

In the 19th century, the best morris dancers in the English Cotswold region would create their own one- and two-person jigs, sometimes competitive in spirit. Some would have special steps or features not found in team dances. We have followed their example to create several interesting and energetic Cotswold jigs in the traditional idiom, intended to show off the dancers’ skill. A number of these have won prizes in the jig competition at Sidmouth folk festival – and have then been adapted for three or more dancers. We’ve also merged three jigs (with an interesting trick in the music) to create our coming-on dance, Medley.

Broom Dances

Broom dances are found in several parts of the British Isles. We have created our own unique variants. One is a challenging solo dance with a number of impressive kicks and throws, drawing on early interest in circus skills. The other is a silly piece for two dancers that is currently being rested. Simon has spent five years (and counting) working on a second solo dance with entirely new “tricks”. We also occasionally perform The World’s Shortest Broom Dance – which doesn’t involve a short broom.

Comic dances  

Humour has long been a part of the morris and we’re not afraid of having a spot of traditionally-inspired fun.

Our Knees Up dance involves hand-clapping choruses and a certain amount of physical contact between the dancers. There’s another called Monkeys, and another called Oh Dear. These have evolved into a glorious and absurd entanglement of bodies, Knees Around.

Audience participation

Our simple-yet-clever variant of the traditional Shepherd’s Hey gives people of all ages a chance to dance alongside us and look gleefully ridiculous. Lots of children involved, so no video.

Animal magic 

The horse dances too. After a fashion. And then sits down and crosses its legs. That’s the best thing it does. We also have Our Cow Pat, which we can actually milk (but it’s not necessarily milk that comes out).