Frank asked "A rant? Is there actually a dance called that??? (Reminds me of what Shakespeare says about the branle, btw...)..."
And what did Shakespeare say about the branle? (I know that one meaning of the French verb "branler" is not polite to mention here). A rant is danced in syncopated 3 time like a polka is the rhythm goes 1 - 2 - 3 - - - 1 - 2 - 3 - - - the steps vary, here's a sample. 1 step onto your right toe to the left of your left toe (legs crossed) 2 step onto your left foot (start uncrossing) 3 step on right foot back in normal position (4) hop on right foot before ... 1 step onto your left toe to the right of your left toe (legs crossed other way) 2 step onto your right foot (start uncrossing) 3 step on left foot back in normal position (4) hop on left foot before repeating the whole thing. I recall a dance a Sidmouth where the first movement of the dance was a 3 person hey, so you had to move in a figure of 8 and you had 16 bars to do it in. Of course when you are ranting you tend to go very slowly (you *can* move quickly but it's tricky with the leg crossing). At the last moment, just before the music started, the caller said "Oh, and it's a rant!". Most of the dancers began ranting. Those who didn't know finished the move in about 6 bars (12 steps will do it) and then wondered what on earth everyone else was doing! It can be done to a waltz (in fact a group of dancers that I play for do this occasionally) by taking the hop out. Some other variants: 1. Touch right toe on ground either to left of left or in front 2. touch right toe on ground out to the right 3. right foot to normal position (4) hop on right or just wait then same again, opposite feet. Back-rant: essentially the same as any of the above, but reversed front-to-back. I'm not sure whether the term "ranting and raging" meaning very angry refers to the dance or vice versa, but the ranting dance definitely involves much hopping about! A couple of well known rant tunes are "Soldier's Joy", "Morpeth rant". They all have places where the tune definitely goes BUMP BUMP BUMP. Laurie Griffiths (Fiddler for "Southern Lights" dance team). To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
