I Can Hew

Back to Border dances

History:

Written by Nat Case. A long stick dance for six.

Music:

To be danced and sung at the same time, to the tune "I Can Hew" by David Dodds. Generally, we have a chorus and drummers at the head of the set, so dancers can lip-sync if they get tired. lyrics

Stepping:

double-step, single (3/4 time), starting with DblS on the first words of the verse, always right footed.

Figures:

Originally introduced as from the village of Running on Gasfumes, we use Adderbury-ish figures:

Walk-around, Foot-up, Chorus, Half Hands, Chorus, Dance-around, Chorus, Process Down-and-up (only 2nd half of each, in one verse).

Chorus:

Deviations from the norms: Walk around starts on right foot, on the word "I", and ends with 6 capers, each dancer in a Circle behind their home place, right foot first on the word "I'm (a collier lad)". Clash on the 6 th. All other figures are moving on the first ds-s, still on the second, back on the third, sort of like figures in Adderbury Shooting. We pause for a full ds-s halfway through the dance-around. In the processionals, first tops and middles process down, with bottoms casting out and moving to be in line with tops (easy turn back at home), then bottoms and middles up, with tops casting. End all up.

Chorus:

(face partner, no stepping except for the capers): Swing sticks on the "pick-up", odds strike evens overhand on the word "Hew", evens strike back on the word "boys". Tap stick buts on ground at 3:00, then and 1:00, then clash across. Swing on the "pick-up", odds strike evens overhand, evens strike back again, and then 3 capers in place, clashing forehand, backhand, forehand. Swing and odds strike evens overhand, evens reply overhand; Tap buts on ground at 3:00, then and 1:00, then clash across, while leaping leftward onto the right foot across in the first of 6 capers around behind your spot, ending facing partner with a clash on the sixth caper. (Note that the odds always strike overhand in the chorus on the word "hew.")