Logo Wheatley - Rigs Of Mallow

(Yes, Mallow - it's a town in Ireland.)

Wheatley sticks should be about 2/3rds the length of normal morris sticks (you'll get into all sorts of trouble with your insurance if you ignore this simple fact), so hold them in the right hand, about 1/3 of the way up. The idea is that you should grasp the implement in this way at the outset and not let go (if you dance it properly, you shouldn't need to).

During the (rather less than) once-to-yourself, the sticks are held dangling loosely and, just before the half-length foot-up is due to start, are shouldered. The right hand should be held quite close to the shoulder, so that the stick does not bounce around too much while you're dancing. The left hand should be held loosely at your side and should not be waved about.

Chorus
The chorus is danced facing across the set and stepping continues throughout. In the first phase, the evens, having tilted their stick towards their left hand and grasped the top, present the stick horizontally at shoulder level, while the odds bring the stick down from the shoulder on the third beat of the bar, striking the proferred odd stick.

Evens then return their stick to the shoulder, ready to bring it down on to the odd stick on the third beat of the next bar and so forth.

After four bars of this kind of recreation, the sticking speed doubles up and is now required on the first and third beats of the bar, finishing after another four bars.

Finish
The dance finishes at the end of the chorus after the double hey. The single-speed half is danced as normal, at the end of which the No1 calls 'out'. The second half of this final chorus has no sticking. 1 & 2 shoulder arms, turn out at right angles and dance slowly outwards in a straight line. 3 & 4 dance up the set shoulder to shoulder, reach the top and turn out at right angles, following 1 & 2. The middles do the same, but as soon as they reach the top and the music finishes, all the others face up in line abreast and raise their sticks above their heads with two stamps on the last two notes.

The dance has become something of a morris-off and what happens after the line-up varies depending on the prevailing circumstances.

The Cast
On occasions (pavements, usually), the side has to dance sideways-on to the audience. In these circumstances, the face-up finish loses a good deal of its impact and so a 'cast' ending has developed, where, depending on the orientation of set and audience (ie. the way they're facing: pay attention), either the odds or the evens turn and cast down the set, while the other side continues up the set and the dance finishes with a single line facing the audience.
The Dragon and other Animals
Since the return of the dragon, it has become normal practise for the totemic reptile to lead the dancers off having shouldered its way into the middle of the line-up. This is usually achieved through what we call a 'bow-string' finish, where the music starts up again and the dragon dances backwards, drawing the dancers back from the line in a V shape, before shooting forwards and pulling them along in a line. The dragon should know where the bar is and proceed there without undue delay.
Figures
  1. Foot Up (short intro, half-length figure)
  2. Hey
  3. Rounds
  4. Double Hey
  5. Caper-Up (or cast) finish, with or without "bowstring"

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© Cardiff Morris 1996