Formation

Five dancers in a square set of four, plus one extra, marked 'X', who stands opposite the musician ('M'). Note that the numbering of the set is inverted from Stags' normal numbering of a four-person set, because of the way in which the dance-on occurs. The "extra" dancer does whatever they want to, as long as they are back in place in time to take part in the next figure, when they are replaced by the next dancer.

Stepping

The step is a single-step, based on a description of a side from the Dilwyn area, who wore short smocks with bells attached to the smock rather than to bell-pads. I'm aiming for a step which looks as if it is a flat-footed stamp and shuffle, rather than a step-hop. The emphasis is on the down-beat, which means that in the costume described, they'd have made a fair bit of noise.

But note that I said looks. If you actually dance that way, landing on the heels, then it's a recipe for wrecking the knees. If you want to do this style of step, land on the ball of the foot, and take as much of the energy in the calf muscle as possible, bringing the heel down as you flex the muscle, and then doing a flat-footed shuffle. I once said in an impulsive moment at a workshop that the style to aim for was "what you could do in heavy boots after ten hours working in the fields and five pints of ale to dull the pain". I see no real reason to reconsider that statement, it's exactly the style I'm looking for.

Chorus

Do not step during the chorus.

Face across the set and tap the ground in the rhythm Clash at knee level, then high, in the same rhythm. Finally, cast out over right shoulders to the next place clockwise in the set (so that number one becomes the extra dancer, and so on. Number one position calls the next figure before moving into the extra position. This is normally called "roll-over" if it is called at all.

Figures

Apart from the dance on and dance off, the figures are performed in the random order in which they are assigned to the dancers. Stags achieve this by distributing a set of badges (or pieces of beer-mat if by any rare mischance the badges have been left behind). Each dancer only knows the figure which they will not be performing.

Dance On

Dance on in a line and circle clockwise, ending in with the extra dancer, who was last in the line, opposite the musician, with the leader of the line to their immediate right as they face the musician (see diagram).

Rounds and Off

Turn out over your right shoulder and dance a large circle clockwise, putting your sticks into the middle with a flourish on the first beat. Dance around several times, then number one leads the rest of the dancers off. This can be in a circuitous route including into the pub, for as long as the audience, if there is one, can sustain the joke.

Cross and Swing

Pass right shoulders across the set and turn over your right shoulder to face back into the set. Approach your partner at the centre-line of the set, transferring your stick into your left hand. At the beginning of the phrase, reach around your partner's waist with your right arm and swing, ending back in place.

Cross and Turn

Pass right shoulders across the set, swerve right and loop left back to your partner's place. Repeat, ending in your original place.

Square Hey

Pass right shoulders across the set, turn out 270 degrees to face someone up or down the set, pass left shoulders up/down the set, turn out 270 degrees to face someone across the set, and repeat.

Stars

Do a right-hand star for half the music, then a left-hand star back. Remember where you started!

Bombast

Start from a square set. Each dancer will move one place counter-clockwise around the square and then turn out over their right shoulder. First corners (the diagonal pair that includes the person closest to the musician's right hand) will go there directly, but second corners first pass right shoulders in the middle of the set and then go to their progressed place. Repeat this a total of four times to get back to your original place.

Sequence

Start by dancing round to come on, finishing with the fool in position. After this, the figures alternate with the chorus until the end of the dance when the dancers form a ring and then dance off. Figures come in the (deliberately random) sequence in which they are called by each dancer in turn.

Music

Red Stags use the tune "Five in a Bed", which I wrote especially for the dance.