BACKGROUND INFORMATION Informant
Mr Hedley Martin, Morval Nr Looe, June 1980 Mr Hedley Martin was born in Camelford and brought up on a farm near Bude. He said that this dance was known all over North Cornwall and danced at family parties, usually in a kitchen on the slate slabs. Young people would travel from farm to farm during festive seasons such as Christmas drink cider, socialise and perform such dances as this by way of entertainment. He could remember the dance being done in fairly heavy clogs with iron scoots, like horseshoes, on the bottom. These were later transferred to hobnail boots which he described as having a plate on the toe end of the sole and a 'U' shape piece over the heel. Ladies buckled shoes were given much the same treatment, all of which was intended to make them last longer but served admirably to increase the noise of step dancing. Hedley Martin had no name for this dance except to say that it was a three hand reel, thus the name of the dance was attributed to him. DANCE NOTATIONS Formation
Dancers (men or women, usually a small number but not necessarily three) stand in a tight circle with hands resting on shoulders of dancers on either side. Step
Raise right foot, kick the floor level with left toes with ball of right foot; step on right foot about a pace to the right, bring left foot up beside right. Repeat replacing left with right when travelling left. Bars
1 4
Step is repeated seven times to right then stamp on the left foot (i.e. last part of seventh step) and then on right foot. 5 8
Repeat above steps to the left (left foot should have been positioned so that it was free to start this at the end of 1 4 above). 9 10
Moving to right, three steps and two stamps. 11 12
Moving to left repeat 9 10. 13
Two steps to right (no stamp)
14
Two steps to left. 15
Two steps to right. 16
Two steps to left. Repeat as often as wished with the music gradually getting faster. As the music speeds up the stamp step can be used to 'brake' for the change in direction. TUNE/SONG The recommended tune for this dance is Myghtern Sweden, although any 16 bar reel may be used.
