The Dance

Printer friendly dance instructions.

This is a dance for four dancers.

Intro (A)

Oh the lollipop man has a great big stick
and all that he charges is a penny a lick
and he gets it out whenever he can
he's a dirty old devil is the lollipop man

Chorus (B)

Face across set.

Step continuously throughout the chorus.

Count	Moves
1–2	Exchange places with partner, passing right shoulder and back to back. Do a half-turn anti-clockwise as you pass, so you end up facing your partner again.
3–4	Tap sticks forehand with your partner three times. Count ‘three, and, four’.
5–6	Form into a line along the set. This is done by passing right shoulder with your partner while doing a ¾ turn anti-clockwise.
7–8	Tap sticks forehand with your partner three times. Count ‘seven, and, eight’.
9–10	Exchange places with partner, passing right shoulder and back to back. Do a half-turn anti-clockwise as you pass, so you end up facing your partner again, while still lined up along the set.
11–12	Tap sticks forehand with your partner three times. Count ‘eleven, and, twelve’.
13–14	Pass right shoulder with partner while doing a quarter turn anti-clockwise. Travel round your partner and return to your original place. It will feel a little like a do si do.
15–16	Tap sticks forehand with your partner three times.

Around Partner (A)

Dancers in this figure should step on the spot when not involved.

Count	Moves
1–2	Squire’s side go around their partner and back to place, doing one complete turn in the process; it’s not a back to back.
3–4	Non-squire’s side go around their partner and back to place.

Chorus (B)

See chorus

Chorus (B)

See chorus

Changing Places (A)

Count	Moves
1–2	1 moves into 2’s position.
3–4	2 moves into 3’s position.
5–6	3 moves into 4’s position.
7–8	4 moves into 1’s position.
9–10	4 moves into his own position.
11–12	3 moves into his own position.
13–14	2 moves into his own position.
15–16	1 moves into his own position.

Chorus (B)

See chorus

Wheel (A)

Count	Moves
1–2	Dancers 2 and 3 move into the centre (lining up right shoulders) to make a diagonal line between dancers 1 and 4.
	You will end up in a diagonal line in the order 1,3,2,4 — with 1 and 3 facing one way, and 2 and 4 facing the other way.
3–4	Two steps on the spot while keeping the line straight.
5–12	Rotate the wheel once round.
13–14	Two steps on the spot while keeping the line straight.
15–16	Two steps back to place.

Chorus (B)

See chorus

Toss Sticks (A)

No stepping in this figure.

Count	Moves
1	1 and 3 tap the butt of their sticks on the ground. 2 and 4 toss their sticks to each other.
2	1 and 3 tap the butt of their sticks on the ground. 2 and 4 toss their sticks to each other.
3–16	Keep repeating the two lines above.

Lead Off

Count	Moves
1–4	Dancer turns clockwise away from the set and starts dancing clockwise around the set.
5–8	As 1 goes past 3, three turns clockwise and follows him.
9–12	As they pass number 4, 4 turns clockwise to follow them. Optional bonus spin here as 4 doesn’t really need to turn to join in.
12–16	As they pass number 2, two does a clockwise spin and joins the end of the line.
17–32	Dancer 1 leads the line off wherever he chooses.