Sergeant Musgraves Dance

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Sergeant Musgraves Dance are a mixed Northwest Morris side based in Nottingham and Derby. We meet to practice at the scout hut on Hanley avenue in Bramcote. I was foreman (dance teacher and choreographer) for many years until recently moving away from the area. I hope to still be able to join the side to dance occasionally.

As well as teaching the various traditional dances in the repertoire, I have also introduced a number of dances to the side of my own composition. The most successful being High Sharpley which I originally wrote for the women of Anstey Royale Chalfont, but which is much better suited to the dancing style of Musgraves.

Phil Calling the figures for Sergeant Musgraves Dance

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I have written a number of dances for ceilidhs and barn dances. I have also put together a number of morris dances.

The dance, High Sharpley was written around about the turn of the Century (in either 1999 or 2000) and at the time I was dancing with Anstey Royale Chalfont. They are a womens side, but I learned their dances so that I could help them out if they were ever short of a dancer. I was inspired to write a dance with lots of polka steps after seeing various mens Northwest sides dancing at Saddleworth at the Rushcart weekend. I had also been practicing some Playford tunes to play with The Bang On The Wall Band and it suddenly occurred to me on the way home from Saddleworth that you could do a polka step to the tune, Gathering Peascods that I happened to be playing a lot at the time. I also liked the idea of making different shapes with the set, and this idea probably came from seeing Sergeant Musgraves Dance, in particular the diamond figure I had seen in one of their dances (most likely Portland Hill). Anstey Royale Chalfont danced High Sharpley out in 2001. When I joined Sergeant Musgrave Dance, it was suggested that I teach them the dance, and it is now a firm fixture in the repertoire.

I have written a number of dances for ceilidhs and barn dances. I have also put together a number of morris dances.

The dance, High Sharpley was written around about the turn of the Century (in either 1999 or 2000) and at the time I was dancing with Anstey Royale Chalfont. They are a womens side, but I learned their dances so that I could help them out if they were ever short of a dancer. I was inspired to write a dance with lots of polka steps after seeing various mens Northwest sides dancing at Saddleworth at the Rushcart weekend. I had also been practicing some Playford tunes to play with The Bang On The Wall Band and it suddenly occurred to me on the way home from Saddleworth that you could do a polka step to the tune, Gathering Peascods that I happened to be playing a lot at the time. I also liked the idea of making different shapes with the set, and this idea probably came from seeing Sergeant Musgraves Dance, in particular the diamond figure I had seen in one of their dances (most likely Portland Hill). Anstey Royale Chalfont danced High Sharpley out in 2001. When I joined Sergeant Musgrave Dance, it was suggested that I teach them the dance, and it is now a firm fixture in the repertoire.

This dance was composed whilst I was on holiday in the village of Low Row in Swaledale, North Yorkshire. The dance is designed to be danced by six rather than the normal eight person set. It is performed regularly by Sergeant Musgraves Dance. I also taught this dance to The Bunnies From Hell and we did dance it out a few times, but Bunnies are really a Cotswold side, and not everyone was really bothered about doing it.

Everards Brewery Anstey Morrismen meet for practice on a Wednesday evening every week from October until around the end of April (except over Christmas) at The Church Rooms in Anstey. 8-10pm then afterwards entire to The Old Hare and Hounds. Over the summer we dance out at a different pub every Wednesday, and also visit the occasional dance weekend, festivals and other events.

Hinckley Plough Bullockers

The first Morris side I danced with was The Hinckley Plough Bullockers. The side only dances out once a year on the Saturday nearest to Plough Monday. The style of dancing has been described as 'Leicestershire Molly' as much of the style has been taken from the traditional Molly dances of East Anglia.