venta

Well, it seems I've reached the time of my life when people sidle up to me in goth clubs and mutter "So, what exactly is this rapper dancing, then?".

So, for

chrisvenus,

edling and anyone else confused...

It's a form of folk dancing, originating from the north east, which does not (repeat not) involve hankies or bells. Ever. That's morris dancing.

A "rapper" (often called a sword, though it isn't) is a strip of sprung steel, about an inch wide and about 20 inches long. It has a handle on each end, and is flexible enough to be bent right round in a circle.

Take five of these, take five people. Arrange your people so that everyone has a handle in each hand, and they and the swords form a circle. Now, find some music, keep hold of the swords and off you go...

The dancers weave the swords into patterns, jump, spin, somersault over them, and hopefully come out triumphant with the swords arranged in a pentagram. Of course, to ensure you're being properly traditional about all this, it's very important to ensure that you combine dancing with a pub crawl. Half an hour per pub gives you just enough time to do a three minute dance, finish your pint, and head off for the next...

I belong to two teams, Mabel Gubbins, based just outside of Oxford, and Boojum, which consists of people scattered all over the country who meet up occasionally.

Yes, I do this for fun and because I enjoy it.
Yes, there are many people of a normal outward appearance who do this kind of thing.
Yes, it can be dangerous.

At the time of going to press, only one person on livejournal lists rapper as an interest, and I think she means the talking words kind. I know this entry would be better with photos, but I'm failing to find any which in any way convey what it's like...

Guess I'll link to this when I mention it, in future :)