The Broom Dance

Picture
The Broom Dance was performed both on Plough Monday and at other celebrations throughout the year. Sometimes it was competitive. Gordon has seen it at a traveller wedding where the bridegroom and the the bride's father stepped over the broom until one of the men either dropped the broom or gave up through fatigue. We teach the East Anglian broom dance based on the dance performed by Cyril Papworth.

Dance Figures:

  1. Dance around sweeping
  2. Stepping over the broom, passing it from one had to the other under each leg.
  3. Swinging the broom under one leg and then the other.
  4. Lying the broom flat and freestyle dancing around it followed by treading on the head to elevate the handle.
  5. All participants sweep together before presenting the broom to the audience above their heads shouting OY!