Maiden's Schtick

Back to Uptown dances

History:

Our corner challenge dance, it has gone through many changes to reach its current form.

Tune:

Whatever tune is used for the border dance Maiden's Prayer. Music during capers is always at half speed.

Implements:

Hankies

Distinctive Figure:

The chorus is danced three times, once by each pair of corners. Face your corner, sidestep right then left, and single-single-double-step to the center, leaving a couple of feet of room between you and your corner. The dancer from the masters' side does a caper or capers, which the dancer from the apprentice side does in reply, and both dancers walk back four to their original place (except on the last verse). Whichever couple is going to dance next performs the walk-back in place along with the capering couple, and all walk-back after the third couple. First verse is four plain capers each, second verse is two "foray" capers, third verse is one tap (RTF) caper, and last is an upright caper. In the last chorus, the four walk-backs are replaced by four plain capers home (first and third corners turn left, seconds turn right, because it's easier). After the first and second couples do the upright caper challenge, whichever couple is dancing next performs four walk-backs in place; after the last couple does the upright challenge, all others walk back two steps, and then all dancers caper in to end.