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.”
Videos
Cardiff Morris dancing Y Gaseg Eira (2014)
Structure
Step in Line
Chorus (Lichfield capers)
Hey
Chorus (Scissor capers)
Max Rounds
Chorus (Castlering capers)
Chorus:
The chorus has 3 parts, “Scoop Down,” “Scoop Up,” and “Crossings”
Scoop Down:
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
There is some question about what 1 and 2 do during this time. Option 1: do “scoops” the whole time. Option 2: do “scoops” and then join on the caper/galley. Option 3: double step with the rest, then “scoop” when the rest do caper and galley. Option 4: do double steps with the rest, then also do caper and galley with the rest.
Scoop Up:
1st double step: 8 and 6 cross, 1 and 2 move down and past 3-6 as soon as possible after 8 and 6 cross.
2nd double steps: 5 and 7 cross. 1-2 keep moving down
3rd double step: 3-6 come up, 1-2 go across and down (see below for final positions)
4th double step: in place
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.
This part suggests that what 1-2 should do is Option 3: double step on double steps, scoop during caper and galley.
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
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
Notes
We have discussed possible adaptations to “make this our own.” Some examples include starting with a Lichfield step in line, doing single steps more like swaggers (showing on the other side), shortening the dance by cutting out some of the repetition and/or stepping place, replacing the 4 CW single capers with galleys