SWORD SPECTACULAR

British groups who attended

Brompton Scorpers: Revived the tradition of sword dancing at their village near Northallerton in 1995 for the annual carnival and were duped into keeping it going. The Scorpers place an emphasis on the enjoyment of the dance and related activities. They wear waistcoats with red and yellow ribbons (Sunday only).

Carlisle Sword: The team has just celebrated its 25th year and is working on the revival of its three longsword dances with new members. They perform the Bampton Weavers, Papa Stour and Cumberland Sword Dances, all in 9/8 time. Kit is all white with a red sash and cummerbund.

Castleford Longsword: Now it its 30th year, Castleford Longsword perform Yorkshire traditional dances with steel and wooden swords. Kit: black hoggers, white shirt, yellow sashes, black shoes. Perform the Boosbeck, Escrick and Riccall dances.

Clydeside Sword & Step: Hailing from Glasgow, Clydeside Sword and Step are the only overseas side attending Whitby this year not to be from overseas. Fired on by deep fried pizzas, Irn Bru and Whisky, they have danced in over 100 pubs in the Glasgow area and are hungry to dance in more. A mixed team, they perform longsword, rapper and step dances wearing black trousers/skirts and tweed waistcoasts.

Coventry Morris: Formed as long ago as 1931, this group was one of the earliest to be formed in the revival of traditional dancing. Coventry perform the longsword dance from Sleights, just three miles upriver of Whitby, together with the rapper dance from High Spen and various Cotswold morris dances.

Flamborough Longsword: One of the few teams which can trace its history back many generations, they perform each Boxing Day around the fishing village of Flamborough. Cecil Sharp recorded their dance in 1907, although it is much older. Unique in carrying their wooden swords the left hand, they dress in white trousers, navy fishermen’s ganseys and flat caps. Thay are rarely seen outside their own village but have been to all three Sword Spectaculars and visited Antwerp in April (Sunday only).

Gift Rapper: Formed in 1991, these ladies from the Sheffield area perform the Beadnell and Winlaton rapper dances as well as three of their own creation, together with longsword dances from Bampton, Kirkburton and Bellerby.

Goathland Plough Stots: The Goathland dancers can trace their history back 200 years. The Plough Stots take their name from the tradition of taking a plough round the village for good luck after first blessing it; “stots” is a dialect word for the bullocks which used to pull it. They still perform this tradition today. Their pink or sky blue tunics are said to represent the political persuasions - Whig or Tory - of the households they were visiting.

Green Velvet Outlaws of Sherwood: This women’s team hailes from the Nottingham area, the Outlaws perform rapper dances wearing a costume of dark green velvet.

Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers: The dancers have been performing their own unique sword dance for over 100 yearsw. The origins of the local tradition are obscure but newspaper cuttings show it was 1887 when it was brought to Handsworth (Sheffield). The team dance with a set of 30-inch stainless steel swords and wear a distinctive “uniform” reiminscent of latter day light dragoons.

Horwich Prize Medal Morris Men: Had enough of sword dancing? Here’s a touch of something different. Renowned for their superb clog morris dances in the North West style, the team originated in the Horwich locomotive works in Lancashire. They will certainly stand out in their burgundy and gold kit and caps - and, if you’re VERY lucky, you might see their sword dance.

Lockwood Primary School, Boosbeck: 9-11 year olds and their teachers at the village school revived Boosbeck’s own traditional longsword dance as part of a local history project in 1999. The dance was originally performed by miners at one of Boosbeck's seven ironstone mines but the tradition died out in the 1960's. Its reintroduction is a fitting celebration of the millennium. The children have since performed it at the school celeidh and at Redcar and we are delighted to welcome them to the Sword Spectacular.

Mabel Gubbins Rapper: A ladies rapper team from Oxfordshire, they wear white shirts, black jeans, coloured sashes and cool coats.

Mr Leslie’s Banbury Rapper: Formed last summer after a chance encounter on the streets of Bampton, Oxforshire, Mr Leslie’s danced for the first time at Banbury and Adderbury on Boxing Day 1999 - 100 years to the day since the traditional dance revival was sparked by Cecil Sharp. Their current three dances contain a mix of figures. Wear white socks and shirts, with black breeches and waistcoats.

Newcastle Kingsmen: The Kingsmen have been dancing rapper non-stop since 1949 and have danced everywhere in the world. Most of all, they enjoy dancing in front of large crowds of tourists. Mmm, mmm, mmm, they just love tourists. In fact, if you are one, then please feel free to join them for a pint in the Golden Lion.

North British Rapper: The bad pennies of the rapper world, North British turn up unexpectedly and know a girl called Bad Penny (although that's another matter). In fact, their appearance here was unexpected even by them! They take rapper to places it was neither expected (nor even particularly wanted) and claim to be a legend at Saddleworth Rushcart. Appearances at the Sword Spectacular will be rare - but, they say, rather lovely (?).

Northgate Rapper: Named after a 19th century brewery in their home town of Bath, Northgate started in 1991. They are now regular performers at local festivals including Glastonbury, the main stage at Sidmouth and as part of John Kirkpatrick’s “Wassail” tour. Their rapper dances are in the Kingsman tradition, plus their own Larkhill Square dance.

Pengwyn Rapper: Fresh from snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at the 2000 Dancing England Rapper Tournament, Pengwyn will return north to their natural habitat of wooden floored pubs. You might expect to see them regurgitating raw fish for their young, or perhaps sliding into the sea on their bellies for money! Or just dancing very well. They don’t have webbed feet - but they do wear black trousers, white shirts and green sashes.

Ryburn Longsword: With their many dancers of mixed ages, sexes and abilities, this thriving groupperforms traditional longsword dances and others of their own making. Based in Ripponden, West Yorkshire, their junior and senior teams wear black velvet costumes with applique velvet details.

Ryknild Rapper: Based in the Lichfield, Staffordshire area, they are mainly famous for their yellow socks(!). Perform their own rapper dance as well as traditional routines from Beadnell and Winlaton. Also perform the Elgin longsword dance from Scotland.

Sallyport Sword Dancers: Formed in 1969, Sallyport are named after a tower on the city walls of their home city of Newcastle upon Tyne. They perform the north-east’s own rapper sword dances from the villages of Beadnell, Murton, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea and Winlaton. Currently Dancing England Rapper Tournament (DERT) champions, they have performed widely in Europe, the USA and at many UK festivals.

Seven Stars Sword & Step Dancers: A group of enthusiasts who practise and perform dances in a traditional style, including longsword, rapper and clog stepping. Based at the infamous Wigan Pier, their members are drawn from Lancashire and Cheshire.

Shaun the Sheep Rapper: This bunch of Lancashire lasses first came together when they came to a rapper workshop at Whitby folk Festival in 1998. Since then, they have performed at two Dancing England Rapper Tournament (DERT) competitions with a rapper dance of their own composition. It’s difficult not to notice them, as each appears to be carrying a sheep on her back!

Short Circuit: Distinguishable by their natty footwork, snazzy sequins and black skirts, the lasses of Short Circuit hail from the North East and perform rapper dances. Twice winners of the DERT open competition.

Snark Rapper: Will you see them, or will you not? The comings-together of this mythical group are rare indeed but chances of encountering them are greatly increased if you buy anyone in red socks, green hoggers and striped schoolgirl ties a drink. (Sunday eve. only)

Southport Sword: Men’s team from Lancashire who specialise in longsword dances from North Skelton in Cleveland and Papa Stour in Scotland, together with Cotswold morris and the occasional rapper. Founded thirty years ago, they wear distinctive red-and-white spotted neckties and white trousers and shirts.

Stevenage Sword: The Stevenage team was formed in 1973 by an exile from the Sallyport team in Newcastle. They are justifiably proud of their distinctive variant of the Newbiggin rapper dance and also perform the Swalwell rapper and Greatham longsword dances. Wear white shirts and socks, black breeches and green sashes.

Stone Monkey: Based in Nottingham, Stone Monkey specialise in the rapper sword dance, with which they have won many prizes and admirers. They have combined the spirit and energy of the traditional rapper dance with their own set of figures to create and exciting dance and now also perform a dance using &lquo;short longswords” and French music that has its origins somewhere between North Yorkshire and a Romanian lost luggage office.

Sullivan’s Sword: Another team from Nottingham, Sullivan’s have dances longsword since their foundation in 1975. This will be their third Sword Spectacular and, in 1999, they made their first European tour to Hamburg and Holland. They wear brown waistcoats and trousers and perform dances from Escrick, Salton and Sleights.

Thrale’s Rapper: Named after the London bar where they practised for their first year, their first rapper trophy was won with the "Lord Clyde" dance, named after the pub where... well, you get the idea. At home in pubs, at festivals, leading workshops, or anwhere there's the opportunity to dance, Thrale’s organised this year’s Dancing England Rapper Tournament, at which 24 rapper teams danced at the Millennium Dome. They are making two visits to Whitby this year, returning for the Folk Week in August.

Wype Doles Longsword: A male dance team from the Whittlesey area of Cambridgeshire, they wear red shirts with black trousers and waistcoats. Their longsword dances are based on figures from Skelton, Bellerby and Helmsley.

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