Tune: Black Joke as in Adderbury. (abc pdf)
Formation: A set of 4 or 6, sticks.
Sequence: Once to Yourself, Up and out, Chorus, F-Gyp, Chorus, E-Gyp, Chorus, Pop-Tarts, Chorus.
Chorus: All face partners. With two hands on the stick, strike
right, left, then backhand/forehand with your partner. When striking left or
right, if there is a person there, clash tips. Otherwise hit the ground.
Half hey. With the stick in the right hand only, clash forehand on the last
beat of the jump.
Four plain capers while clashing with your partner: backhand butts, forehand
tips, backhand butts, forehand tips. Repeat.
Verses: Verses in Lexington on
the Bluegrass normally consist of two ds, two pushbacks, feet together, and
jump, repeat. In Black Joke, between the feet together and the jump,
add four plain capers clashing with your partner (usually) with backhand butts,
forehand tips, backhand butts and forehand tips With the stick in the right
hand only. Continue the verse by turning as appropriate during the jump in the
following foot together, jump.
In F-Gyp, 2 and 3 turn 90 deg right, and 1 and 4 turn 90 deg left to start the
clashing. Only 2 and 3 turn 180 back to resume the F gyp. 1 and 4 are facing in
the correct direction already. In the 6 person version, 1 and 3 clash together,
4 and 6 clash together, and 2 and 5 clash across the set. Turn as needed to
resume the F gyp.
During Up and out, and E-Gyp, turn as appropriate to face your partner for the
clashing and resume by turning as appropriate during the jump.
During Pop-tarts, in the middle of the figure, stay in a circle and instead of
clashing do 4 plain capers turning over the right shoulder (land facing in on
the first caper, forward around the circle on the second, out on the third, and
backward around the circle on the fourth, continuing your motion to face the
middle for the next ds.
Ending: Face up on the last clash.