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| The Dances |
The following text was originally published by Cecil Sharp in 1912.
 The Winlaton Sword Dance
The Swalwell Sword Dance
The Earsdon Sword Dance
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The Swalwell Sword Dance
Swalwell is a populous mining village within a few miles of Newcastle, situated on the Durham bank of the Tyne.
The Swalwell sword dancers, or guizards as they are often called, perform annually on Christmas Eve and on the following days. Their performance differs from Earsdon and every other village I investigated, in that it consists of the dance only, without any acting or singing. I have been told, however, that at one time the performance included the usual introductory song by the Captain with its short mummer-like sequel, both of which were very similar to those presently to be described in the Earsdon dance. But this must have been some time ago, for Mr J E Taylor, a resident in the neighbourhood, assures me that the form of the dance has not materially changed within his recollection, and his memory goes back a great many years.
The dancers are five in number, and are accompanied by a Captain and a man dressed in woman's clothes, called the Bessy, Betty, or dirty Bet, who carries a box and collects the money. |
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Above: Swalwell, 1910
Notation
Clash swords and move around in a ring
Fig. 1 One-Turn-Off
Fig. 2 The Nut
Fig. 1 One-Turn-Off
Fig. 3 The Needle
Fig. 2 The Nut
Fig. 1 One-Turn-Off
Fig. 4 Right-and-Left
Fig. 2 The Nut
Fig. 1 One-Turn-Off
Fig. 5 The Rank
Fig. 2 The Nut Form up in line and exhibit Nut |
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