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"Contemporary Dancing" Justification There was a limited tradition. Thee stave with its size, weight and decoration imposes a style on the dance and the dancing that is different from any other English tradition. Teams in the south of England appreciate having dances with a local flavour however remote. The stave requires care in the dancing and the restraint contrasts well with other dance traditions within a dance troupe type of club. The dances work. Sides Known sides are, Bath, Bourne Bumpers, Fleur de Lys and Somerset Maids of the women's clubs, Marlboro and Charlottesville in the USA. and Stalbridge ("Dorset Knobs and Knockers") and Abercorn as mixed sides. Abercorn were the only wholly stave dancing team. A Californian team appeared doing one of the stave dances, using bamboo poles, as background to a Wicker's World TV broadcast. Poles Bath use small brass curtain rail finials. Somerset Maids have bought a set of original Friendly Society brass pole heads. Stalbridge used handmade flat wooden emblem. Fleur de Lys have used a gilt, plastic "pineapple" curtain rail finial but have plaited the ribbons for about a foot down the pole before letting them fly free - very attractive. Charlottesville use a fIat circular piece of decorated metal, which turns out to be a control valve for an indoor stove chimney. Abercorn were going to have used horse brasses mounted in a slot in wooden blob finial. Experience Tunes: different dances even within the Stourton Caundle set have different musical requirements and the best rhythm for the club has to be found by trial and error. Slow hornpipes, although traditional, are not the best for dancing. The tunes used by Abercorn are.
Step: the hornpipe 123hop - not a morris step but the country dance travelling step with the foot brought up behind the other on the second beat. The style is that of Dorset country dancing with little lift of the body or the free foot on the hop. The backstep where used is the back setting step - like a hockle. Shoulders: the stave is carried on the right shoulder. With the long staves the end should just clear the tussocks of grass when dancing. The rest position is with the stave on the ground and leaning on it with both hands. Holding staves like rifles with the butt in the hand is a good way of ensuring ribbons tangling in the dance - and it is embarrassing when the dance gums up. It is best to pass left shoulders when there is a choice to avoid staves and their decorations entwining. Style: the dancing should be lively not sedate. Phrase the movements to make it flow 
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