I have now competed my first module and I am now preparing to start module two in the next few weeks.

I have learnt and achieved much over the last few months. I researched the history of the dance, Morpeth Rant, presented my finding at a conference at Cecil Sharp House in March, wrote a conference paper and self reflected. Supervisors support has been excellent with positive encouragement.

This will be be my last post in this section. My next post will reflect my next module, the development of English country dance until 1900. See you there!

It’s been a few weeks since I presented at the Stepping for Success conference and I have bene asked to comment how I feel about it now.

I can say honestly that I enjoyed the day and the event. Listening back [and I find it difficult to listen to my own voice] I think I spoke well, not to fast, understandable and clear.  I had about 30 people in the room, and it was fun to get everybody up to to do on-the-spot polkaing and ranting.

I think the content level was about right, for those who had a general interest and those who had a more interest in traditional, the EFDSS or Northumberland. I shared the hour with Robert Moir, and some may have come to listen to his presentation.

I spoke first in the first breakout session after the Keynote speaker. Much has been written about talking in the graveyard slot (after lunch) and being the last speak of the day. I could’t find very much about being first. Here are a couple of bullet points that occur to me:

• Does the first speaker set the tone and standard for the remainder of the conference
• When I spoke, people appeared to be very alert and appeared to write lots of notes
• The technical aspects of the conference had not been fully tested

I quoted two people who were sitting in the audience: Derek Schofield and Mike Wilson-Jones. I had’t warned them in advance, butI wonder, what does it feel like being quoted? Neither challenge me afterwards, so they must be happy with my comments. What does it feel like being quoted in a presentation?

I have been to a series of presentations since and I have been critical of the presenters approach since. They all add various styles of presenting: one spoke across the display screen (spoke to the slide), another had no notes and just visual slides and another had notes which he referred to infrequently and power point. I ned to refer to my notes less and lower the word count. Less is more.

Although I had some technical issues at my presentation (Robert did not have any slides), I do believe that having slides did add to the continuity of my presentation. Having text based slides is fine, but I think that visuals (photographs, scans of books) are much more useful.

We were well introduced by Kerry Fletcher.

***Coming on 6th April! Sean Goddard’s Consequences of bringing North-West Morris to the South East of England.  The Chanctonbury Ring effect. A free Download of paper presented at  the Histories of the Morris conference held at the EFDSS in June, 2017.  Look out for the web address in a couple of weeks.***

Day after I presented my paper about the dance Morpeth Rat at the Social Dance Conference at Cecil Sharp House.

It went well. Within time, and received well. The practical dancing exercise showing the difference between the polka and rant step went down very well, with some of the audience saying how welcome the dancing was. A tip of the hat to Chloe Middleton Metcalfe for playing the fiddle at this time.

A couple of questions at the end. One about the use of the term polka by the Royton Morris Men, and another indicating that Northumbrian’s in the 1980s still did dance the rant step differently. Two more discussions took place afterwards, one about using the rant step as a travelling step (quite difficult and not much distance covered) and one about the relationship between the polka and the rant step.

Robert Moir presented about Playford and related dances in the following presentation.

I enjoyed the whole conference. A broad range of papers were presented as well as some practical discussions and dancing, I am hoping that there will be a record of the day: perhaps some proceedings?

Getting close to Saturday now and my conference presentation.

Over the weekend I have been making last minute changes to the text to make it read better and easier.  I will read it through once more tomorrow and then send everything of to the EFDSS: they need to powerpoint and other items by 8 March. This is to make sure that everything works at conference end before Saturday.

I am using some visual items taken from the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library archives. I would like to thank the library staff for their help in providing good scans and to give copyright clearance. Much appreciated.

Very much looking forward to Saturday.

I thought I would comment on the process of editing.

As I said in an earlier post, on Thursday I had to present my presentation to my University supervisors and I went well over time. At the Social Dance Conference I have a maximum of 30 minutes to include questions. On Thursday I spoke at a rate of 128 words a minute, so I estimate that I need to get down to approx 2600 words to be well in time: this has allowed for a slightly late start, a shorting of the video to show twice through the dance, using perhaps volunteers for the practical and that my delivery might be slightly faster than at the University.

I have reviewed the video I made last Thursday. That was interesting. I wasn’t aware that I looked at the screen so much. The only reason I think I was doing this was to make sure the slide had changed and agreed with my text. They were always correct so I must stop doing that. Bringing my own clicker would have speeded up a touch: must make sure I have one at Cecil Sharp House!

Although I estimate that I spoke at 128 words a minute, after reviewing the video I think could speak slightly faster and would not be rushed.

The practical took three minutes. This was an enjoyable part and I had Pete Lyons playing the tune. We went along at 88 beats per minute. Reviewing commercial recordings, this would seem slow, but hey, it worked…! As a comparison, the video of the Reading Cloggies that I used went along at 112 beats per minute.

I have been editing away and have got the word could down to about 2900. Is this enough? I don’t know. It is very different practicing at home or in front of friends that in a room full of people. I’m going to do more editing today and then see.

I am beginning to enjoy this editing lark! I find it very difficult to decide what to leave in and take out. I like to give a fuller picture as possible, but this may mean that my presentations are knowledge heavy and dense, but I need to leave out stuff (which of course can be used later). I am finding it difficult to write to a set length/word count. This is a skill that I need to hone as my future modules this will be required.

And another thing. This editing lark and writing concisely takes much much longer than I expected. You need to be a real woodcrafts person to get the balance right: needs words the audience will understand and present them in a way that can be fully understood and not misunderstood. I have a number of new findings and I need to make the most of them.

I am really enjoying this process and have learnt a lot so far and looking forward to the final result in presenting at the conference.

I hope to have the presentation ready to go by the end of February.

Today I presented my conference paper to my supervisors and course leader. Surprisingly I was looking forward to to this morning, and from my perspective it went very well. It is always worth presenting it live, rather than reading through at home on your own. As expected I went quite a way over 20 minuted so some editing will have to take place, but I have a couple of weeks to that.

Comments today included:

• Presentation too long.
• My speaking pace and loudness was fine. Calculated that I spoke at 128 words a minute. That’s good to know.
• Very knowledgable and good content.
• Use more original content
• Use more images in the powerpoint, perhaps with a bit of colour.
• Presentation was fine. Improvements could be made by more engagement with the audience. There are various ways of presenting paper: reading from script at one extreme and the other end no script but reply upon keyword or cards. There is a middle ground, using script for accurate quotes etc.
• More focus. Comments included that I was covering far too much ground and messages/content became lost. Sharpen it up, Sean! Additional signposting would also help. When changing subject direction, tell the audience.
• Include a piece about ethics and authenticity in collecting and publishing.
• Define terminology. There will always be somebody that doesn’t know.
• Clearer introduction. Introduce myself before anything else and speak briefly about the relationship between the presentation and my course.
• Powerpoint. Reduce the number of slides. The number will go down as text must be reduced, but also consider.
• Practical stepping went down a hoot!

How do I feel it went? It went as largely planned. Excellent feedback. I was surprised I only spoke at 128 a minute, I had expected that to me nearer 150, but there were are.

I would like to thank Pete Lyons who came along today to play the fiddle for the stepping practical. thanks, Pete.

Why does the best evidence always come towards the end of research.

During the week I had discussions with Chris Brady who had been a member of the Reading Cloggies and he had given me the heads up where essential research could be found. If you want to see a video of the Reading Cloggies dancing, there is a link from Reflection 8.

Chris reminded me that Chris Metherell had taught steps to the Reading Cloggies and may have some additional information. Contacted Chris M and yes he did have more information, but it is more than that: it is essential evidence.

Chris M was able to describe a new ‘rant’ step. But also much more that dancers at Alnwick in 1985 there were two sets of dancers dancing Morpeth Rant. One set danced the EFDSS style, another the older, more traditional way.

You’ll have to come in March to hear more…!

Last weekend I sent my text to my University supervisors. Within a few days I had positive comments back along with suggestions for some areas that could be improved and developed. Nothing serious, mainly to improve links between slides.

I had assumed that those people attending the Social Dance Conference in London would have an understanding what the dance Morpeth Rant is. My supervisor suggests otherwise and I should try and get a short video. I spoke to a colleague at work and he felt the same. Click Reading to see the Reading Cloggies performing the Morpeth Rant in 1985 (Morpeth Rant starts at 1 minute 30 seconds.)

The Reading Cloggies were a group specialising in traditional step and associated dances in the 1980s. Sadly, Reading Cloggies no longer exist: shame, they were good!

Today I have been reviewing material to write my paper on Morpeth Rant for the Conference proceedings and for assessment purposes at the University.

I have surprised myself in the amount of significant evidence I have found and I don’t know how I am going to fit all this into the University’s word allowance of 3,000 words! Here are some highlights.

• The first description of the dance we know today as Morpeth Rant that I found dates from 1925. Marcia Dixon-Brown from Newcastle corresponded with Maud Karpeles about it.
• Marcia’s description suggested that dances turn out in the stars.
• Maud Karpeles collected three variants of the dance from Northumberland villages in 1928: from Netherton, Netherwitton and Otterburn.
• Morpeth Rant was first published in Twelve Traditional Country Dances. Written by Maud, it contained 5 dances she had collected in Northumberland, 4 from the USA, 2 from Devon and from 1 Cumberland.
• In Twelve Traditional Dances, Maud included the variant she collected in Netherton. This description was broadly the same as she collected (but did not include the turns out).
• There are various ways that Marcia and Maud describe the lead down the centre and back. Marcia describes that men turn the women under their arm in B1 bar 4. While at Whitfield couples galloped down the centre and back! Just fancy doing that today.
• in 1959, the HMV record company (under the auspices of the EFDSS) issued a 45 rpm of Jack Armstrong and his Northumbrian Barnstormers playing Morpeth Rant. The sleeve notes suggest that the rant step be used in the dance. I think this is the first time the EFDSS used the term. Does anyone know different? Email me if you do.
• Nibs Matthews in 1965 taught the dance as Maud described it. By 1972 when writing the sleeves notes to Topic’s Cheviot Ranters Lp, he had changed his mind and suggested the 2nd Couple follow and make arches.
• In 1979 Bradley Foster was the first writer to specifically suggest that the rant step be used throughout the dance. Previously, the term polka, stepping or ‘and 1.2.3.’ had been used.
• Lastly, I have not been able to locate any published description suggesting that ‘Two claps’ be used when turning in the stars. However, Mike Wilson-Jones, David Fleming-Williams  and John Portlock all date its introduction to the late 1960s. Email if you know differently.

I have enjoyed this research. Looking forward to presenting the above highlights and lots more at the Social Dance Conference on March 10 at Cecil Sharp House, London..

PS. Nib Matthews didn’t like the two claps, as he said the dance wasn’t collected with them. Quite surprised at this! In 1972, Nibs taught the dance with the 2nd Couple following the 1st Couple down the centre, it wasn’t collected with that figure either. Innovation Nibs, just innovation.

PPS. I find this stuff really exciting!

I received the comments back from my colleague at work yesterday and he had some good observations and comments. Nothing major which is a relief: mainly to make sure that the terminology in my text agrees with that on the powerpoint. Also some comments about the order. All considered, amended and the text and powerpoint has now been sent off to course supervisors.

He asked the question, how are you going to deliver the paper at the conference? Are you going to read straight from the powerpoint slides and rely upon the powerpoint slides to give you the prompts, or are you going to deliver from the text. He suggested that using powerpoint as a prompt will give a more relaxed presentation but you need to know the subject well and have confidence to present in this form. You can also make good engagement with the audience and that’s important. Using a text is safer, but can give a more staid presentation and providing you follow it, nothing is missed.

When I gave my last conference presentation on North-West Morris dancing at Cecil Sharp House last year I used powerpoint and read the text. That went ok.

I am veering towards reading the text. On 22 February I have to present to my course supervisors and I want them to understand the evolution of the dance Morpeth Rant. This will be my first assessment and want to make a good impression. At the Social Dance Conference in March, the room may well be full of experts, so got to present it well.

Would like to present straight from the powerpoint and deliver without long notes. Think on balance I will need to do the text route. Email me with your comments!