The Snow Moose

History

Adapted from the Welsh Nantgarw tradition. Windham learned of the tradition and dance in 2022, and began learning the dance based on Cardiff Morris’s 2014 video. The name of the dance (which sometimes appears with “Caseg”) means “The Snow Mare,” which is apparently a Welsh idiom for a large snowball. The “scooping” figures in the dance are reminiscent of creating a large snowball, and the cross-body hanky showing is reminiscent of hugging oneself in the cold. Windham was motivated to learn Nantgarw in part because of possible connections to to Lichfield, including 8 dancer sets. What we know about all this comes from Cardiff Morris and wikipedia. It is worth noting that, according to Wikipedia, “There are no hard and fast rules as to which Morris sides can perform dances from a tradition, but the original Nantgarw dance, Y Gaseg Eira, is considered to be a dance for the Welsh sides.” Windham adapted the dance to make it easier for us to remember and closer in style to our other dances; these changes led to others, resulting in a quite different version.

Videos

Structure

Step in Line

Chorus (Lichfield capers)

Hey (End with galley)

Chorus (Scissor capers)

Max Rounds (see Max Headroom)

Chorus (Castlering capers)

Chorus:

The chorus has 3 parts, “Scoop Down,” “Scoop Up,” and “Crossings”

Scoop Down:

Instructions for everyone except 1 and 2:

• 1st double step: 3 and 6 cross, 1 and 2 start turning in to face down
  • 2nd double steps: 4 and 5 cross, 1 and 2 continue to turn
  • 3rd double step: 1 and 2 finish turning, 3 moves between 7 and 8, 4 moves between 5 and 6, forming a 6 person sideways set, everyone facing down (see below)
  • 4th double step: in place

   Up
 1    2
6   4   5
7   3   8

• Caper, then galley right

Instructions for 1 and 2:

Do scoops until galley, join in on the galley.

Scoop Up:

• 1st double step: 8 and 6 cross, 1 and 2 cross with each other (across the set, passing by right shoulders).
• 2nd double steps: 5 and 7 cross.
• 3rd double step: 1-2 go down below others (see below for final positions)
• 4th double step: everyone move up in formation

    Up
8   4   7
5   3   6
 2    1

• caper, then galley right
• On capers after galley, form a regular shaped set. Most folks are in the right spot, but 3 and 4 need to slide back to their original positions. 3-6 will be in the right spots, 1-2 and 7-8 will be a long corner across from their original positions.

Corner Crossings:

• Doublesteps 1 and 2: first corners (1 and 8) cross
• 3rd doublestep: middles cross
• 4th doublestep: second corners (2 and 7) cross while middles loop/turn around
• 5th doublestep: middles cross back
• 6th doublestep: form set
• Galley right

Notes:

Last chorus: Only do Scoop Down and Scoop Up (no Corner Crossings). At end of Scoop Up, Do the castlering caper, and then 4 plain capers in place instead of the galley.

Source Dance

This is a description of the original Y Gaseg Eira Welsh dance, from which The Snow Moose was adapted.

See below for descriptions of the steps.

Introduction: Start with once to yourself. At end of play through, a single two footed hop with hankies in a low circle. Everyone is facing up.

Welsh Step in Place 1:

• 2 double steps
• 4 capers turning CW half way to face down.
• 2 double steps
• 4 capers turning CW to face up

Welsh Step in Place 2:

• 8 single steps with cross-body hankies.
• Bottom 6 turn to face partner, top 2 remain facing up
• 16 more single steps with cross-body hankies

Snow Mare Down:

• 4 double steps

  • 1st double step: 3 and 6 cross, 1 and 2 start turning in to face down
  • 2nd double steps: 4 and 5 cross, 1 and 2 continue to turn
  • 3rd double step: 1 and 2 finish turning, 3 moves between 7 and 8, 4 moves between 5 and 6, forming a 6 person sideways set, everyone facing down (see below)
  • 4th double step: in place

   Up
 1    2
6   4   5
7   3   8

• 1 and 2 do 8 scoops
• At same time, 3-8 do 16 single steps with same-side hankies (start with R foot, R show)

Snow Mare Up:

• 4 double steps

  • 1st double step: 8 and 6 cross
  • 2nd double steps: 5 and 7 cross, 1 and 2 start crossing to bottom of set (and switching sides), weaving between 2 lines of 3 coming up
  • 3rd double step: 3-6 come up, 1-2 keep going down (see below for final positions)
  • 4th double step: in place

    Up
8   4   7
5   3   6
 2    1

• 1 and 2 do 8 scoops
• At same time, 3-8 do 12 single steps with same-side hankies (start with R foot, R show)
  • 3-8 do 4 more single steps with same-side hankies, but 4 and 3 slide to form a regular set (with folks out of place). 4 slides between 6 and 7, 3 between 8 and 5. See below for final positions

  Up
8   7
3   4
5   6
2   1

Corner Crossings:

• 6 double steps

  • 1-2: 1 and 8 cross
  • 3-4: 2 and 7 cross (after this people are in original places)
  • 5-6: all face up
• 4 capers turning CW ½ way
• 2 double steps facing down
• 4 capers turning CW ½ way

Top Hey:

• 2 double steps

  • 1st: 1st corners cross
  • 2nd: 2nd corners cross

• 4 capers turning CW to end in positions for hey:

• Hey

  • While top 6 (original positions 1-4, 7-8) do hey, top 2 (original 5&6) stay in place, mostly doing single steps with cross-body hankies, alternating with 4 capers rotating. However, when bottoms are crossing, top 2 double step instead of single step.
  • To start Hey, 2 at top turn out and then thread through the other two. The middles start moving inward and up. Bottoms turn the hard way and go out.

  • Do ½ Hey with 2 double steps, then do 4 capers turning around.

    • Everyone turns out, based on the way they are heading.
  • Repeat for 2nd half of the Hey (reversed: bottom 2 head out, middles head in and down)
• Middles cross, starting with “1st corners” (original 2 and 7), 1 double step for each pair (this is when top 2 double step instead of single step)
• 4 capers (CW)
• Repeat Hey

Bottom Hey:

Repeat Hey (including corener crossings at start), but now top 2 stay in place and bottom 6 do the Hey, oriented the same way (middles head up first). Note: after corner crossings at start of Hey, set should be reversed from original positions (1 and 2 at bottom)

Circle Hey:

• Weave around the circle for 6 double steps

  • 1st corners travel CW, 2nd travel CCW
  • 1st pass is by right shoulders
  • Should end in a circle version of original set.

• On final 4 capers, caper to middle of circle

Basic Steps

• Double Steps (like Windham’s)
• Single Capers, with hankies in a low circle, like in Adderbury

• Single steps

  • Cross-body hankies: arms alternating out (at roughly shoulder height) and across the body (both arms go out, then both arms cross the body)
  • Same-side hankies: arms alternate, showing up and a little out, on same side as landing foot

• Scoops:

  • Arms scoop forward, ending with hands at shoulder height
  • Feet: forward on right, hop, back on left, hop
• All corner crossings by R shoulder

Music