There are two distinct styles of sword dancing native to England. Longsword is mainly from the Yorkshire in northern England and is characterised by men holding flexible metal or wooden swords and weaving complex patterns. The other popular style of sword dancing is Rapper. This uses flexible steel swords and is similar to Longsword, except generally danced very much faster, with more complex figures and with intricate stepping. Rapper developed in the coal mining villages around Newcastle upon Tyne in the North-East of England. As with many English traditional dances, both are now also performed outside England, especially in the USA and other English-speaking countries, but even in more surprising locales such as Norway!
Sites 11
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- Rapper Online The internet guide to English Rapper Sword Dance.
- Southport Swords From Southport in Lancashire.
- Addison Rapper Contact details for this men's team from Tyneside.
- Highside Longsword Photographs and contact details for this team from Kirkby Malzeard, North Yorkshire.
- Rapper and Longsword Manufacturer Handmade swords for Rapper and Longsword by Frank Lee.
- Norton's Guard Longsword Emperor Norton's Fire Brigade and Hose Company #2, based in Berkeley, California, performing Longsword from England and Europe.
- Newcastle Kingsmen Sword Dancers Information, dance notations, music, history of rapper, photographs and links.
- The NUT on the Net Internet edition of The NUT, the journal of the Northumbrian rapper sword dance
- Rapscallion Rapper Rapper team from Massachusetts
- Black Adder Rapper Diary and photos of this women's team From Yorkshire.
- Claro Sword & Morris Men Contact details, photographs and events program for this longsword team from Harrogate in North Yorkshire.