SID KIPPER ON FOLK DANCING 

"Will Kipper's most famous feat (or should it be foat?) was his 'Nine Dayes Wander', when he danced from Trunch to Knapton in nine days.  Some people wonder why it took him so long, since it's only about three miles.  Maybe it was having the one leg that slowed him down.  Then again, maybe it was not having the other one that was more important.

"What people don't know is that the old country dances always used to tell a story.  Dances like the Gimingham Gay Gordons and the Cromer Clap Dance was all about particular things - although in those two cases I'd rather not say what the particular things are.  In fact the first one is about being particular in a particular sort of way, and the second one is about not being particular enough!

"Take the Trimingham Triangular Six.  Or leave it where it is.  Either way, the dance tells the story of the Infernal Triangle, which is where one person wants another person, but the other person wants another other person, while the other other person wants the one person in the first place, who doesn't want them.  This leads to a lot of confusion.  Well, no-one knows whether they're the one person, the other person or the other other person.

"Or take the Peeing Tom Dance.  It tells how Thick Leo of Blakeney taxed the people so much that his wife, Lady Legova, took off all her clothes and rode through the village on a horse, though how that was supposed to help I don't know.  Anyhow, nobody looked, except for Tom, who had nipped out for a pee.  He was pursued by all the villagers - although if it had been me I'd have pursued Lady Legova.

"Or take the Dashing White Privates, which speak for themselves.  Whichever one you take they all tell a story.

"But just knowing how to do these dances isn't enough.  You have to have the right style.  These were proper country dances, so they don't want to be done poncey or namby pamby.  Do them like you're wearing rough clothes and hobnailed boots.

"Most of all, keep these dances alive by doing them.  And if you can find some national folk organisation to take over and dominate to the detriment of all other folk things, all the better."

Kipper's Incomplete Dancing Master was recently reprinted in a limited edition of four.  Copies are still available.