Phil Hall

pretending you're planting beans and there are other dances that have got an agricultural context but there isn't really any evidence that it's systematically for fertility It was used in the 19th century. It was mainly a rural tradition by then. And some of the men that were involved would have been collecting money from audiences, as we do today, to top up their income.

pretending you're planting beans and there are other dances that have got an agricultural context but there isn't really any evidence that it's systematically for fertility It was used in the 19th century. It was mainly a rural tradition by then. And some of the men that were involved would have been collecting money from audiences, as we do today, to top up their income.

It's not really that reason why we collect. We're more for pay for some of our costs. And we also make donations to charity from time to time as well. And how long have you been involved? I joined East Surrey in 1989 and my first dancing out season was the summer of 1990, so 34 years now.

It's not really that reason why we collect. We're more for pay for some of our costs. And we also make donations to charity from time to time as well. And how long have you been involved? I joined East Surrey in 1989 and my first dancing out season was the summer of 1990, so 34 years now.

It's a bit more complicated than that. No, no, no. And we pride ourselves on the quality and the standard of the dance. So most of the dancers are in sets, usually six, sometimes eight. And when you're dancing in a set, obviously one of the points of that is that you're trying to be as consistent as you can with the other people in the set.

It's a bit more complicated than that. No, no, no. And we pride ourselves on the quality and the standard of the dance. So most of the dancers are in sets, usually six, sometimes eight. And when you're dancing in a set, obviously one of the points of that is that you're trying to be as consistent as you can with the other people in the set.

You're moving relative to other people, but also you're trying to do the same thing. So if you're doing a particular movement, you're trying to synchronise it so you're all landing on the same foot at the same time, for example. And it takes a lot of training to do that. We do practice in the winter.

You're moving relative to other people, but also you're trying to do the same thing. So if you're doing a particular movement, you're trying to synchronise it so you're all landing on the same foot at the same time, for example. And it takes a lot of training to do that. We do practice in the winter.

Even though we've got quite a good big repertoire, we occasionally learn new dances still, even now. But these are new dances to you. They're not new new dances, I would guess. Most of them are new dances to us. Occasionally they're new dances that someone's made them up.

Even though we've got quite a good big repertoire, we occasionally learn new dances still, even now. But these are new dances to you. They're not new new dances, I would guess. Most of them are new dances to us. Occasionally they're new dances that someone's made them up.

Absolutely, yeah, definitely. Coordination. Yeah, yeah, definitely. And balance is very good. Yes, good for that.

Absolutely, yeah, definitely. Coordination. Yeah, yeah, definitely. And balance is very good. Yes, good for that.

Noisiness and flash. Energy rather than gracefulness.

Noisiness and flash. Energy rather than gracefulness.

The first dance we're going to do is a dance called Flowing Bowl from the Adderbury tradition, which is a stick dance. We've got a field town dance called Dearest Dickie on the schedule. If we've got eight dancers that can do it this evening, we might do Vandals of Hammerwich, which is a dance from the city of Litchfield. Or if we haven't, we'll do the Upton on Seven Stick dance.

The first dance we're going to do is a dance called Flowing Bowl from the Adderbury tradition, which is a stick dance. We've got a field town dance called Dearest Dickie on the schedule. If we've got eight dancers that can do it this evening, we might do Vandals of Hammerwich, which is a dance from the city of Litchfield. Or if we haven't, we'll do the Upton on Seven Stick dance.

There's quite a few that about six dancers will do. And of course, we've got our colleagues from Rampant Rooster who will also be doing something. I've no idea what they'll do.

There's quite a few that about six dancers will do. And of course, we've got our colleagues from Rampant Rooster who will also be doing something. I've no idea what they'll do.

Are there any kind of traditional Surrey dances or... Not that have been recorded. There were certainly dances in Surrey, but they've never been written down, so they've been lost.

Are there any kind of traditional Surrey dances or... Not that have been recorded. There were certainly dances in Surrey, but they've never been written down, so they've been lost.