A mad, stampede of a dance where you and your partner gallop round one way round a big circle, jumping to safety just before the other couple start galloping the other way.
You need a willing
partner⬀ and
find your way onto the dancefloor. You then need to find another couple and join into a big circle.
Listen for
Couple facing Couple in a Sicilian Circle.
You may also hear the caller announcing a
Circassian Circle.
This is a distinct dance.
It's a couple facing couple dance, one couple faces clockwise round the room, the other faces anticlockwise.
This formation is called a
Sicilian Circle⬀.
There will be instructions for the Ones⬀ and instructions for the Twos⬀. The ones are the couple facing anticlockwise round the room. They are the couple with the "man" on the inside
The ones and twos take a quick look at each other so they can remember who they are dancing with.
The ones take their partner in a ballroom hold and gallop anticlockwise round the circle for eight steps and back again. This will have all the characteristics of a stampede: people will be heading at high speed in all directions. The twos will have taken a prudent step back to get out the way.
As the ones gallop back they locate their twos and cast⬀ quickly round them. As they cast the twos will be heading into a ballroom hold ready for their gallop clockwise. It's the ones turn to make sure they stay out the way...
The twos take their partner in a ballroom hold and gallop clockwise round the circle for eight and back.
As they head back they locate their ones, pass them and stick their right hands out hoping to join up into a Right Hand Star...
Right Hand Star⬀ and back with the Left...
Hold inside hands⬀ with your partner and walk forward to meet the opposite couple, stamp, nod or otherwise acknowledge that you are thankful for being undamaged and drop back again. Walk forward a second time, the ones make an arch and the twos duck through it. Both move on and meet a new couple.
The twos remember what's coming and take a step out the way, the ones get into a ballroom hold ready for their gallop.
Written by Roger Watson as Quarndon Hill, a 48 bar dance.
Collected by Dave Hunt as a 32 bar dance, originally with the name New Victory Gallop and then, as called by Dave at Old Swan Band gigs, the Old Swan Gallop