Bow Belinda

folk song, harmony, recorders, rhythm

Lyrics

Bow bow bow Belinda…
You’re the one my darling

Dance

Formation: Longways for 5 to 9 couples. Six couples is best. For 10, 12 or 14 couples, divide into two even sets. Step: A light springy running step. Skip only for verse 6. 1. Head boy and foot girl meet, 4 beats, and fall back to place, 4 beats. Foot boy and head girl do the same, 8 beats. 2. Forward: 1 2 3 4 Back: 5 6 7 8 R L R L* R L R ft (feet together) on * you also bring feet together but immediately take weight on the left foot all set to go back with right foot. One foot falls after the other. When you poise on the 4th beat, don’t miss a beat as you start back. The “bow” is only a nod of the head. Keep springing until you land back in place on “ft”. 2. Head boy and foot girl turn, clockwise, with right hands, 8 beats. Other “corners” (foot boy and head girl) do the same 8 beats. 3. Corners turn, as before, but with left hands, 8 beats each corner. 4. Corners swing with both hands, clockwise. Hands joined straight across. 5. Corners move around each other, passing either right or left, and without turning around fall back (move backwards) to places. 8 beats each corner, as before. 6. All Promenade. Skip around, by couples, on the boys side of the set. Take near hands, or crossed hands, turn sharp left at the head and go straight down, turn sharp left again at the foot and return up the middle to places. 7. All raise arches in home places, and the head couple goes under all the arches to the foot place. Repeat as many times as there are couples. (source)