Picking of Sticks


For 3 couples in a line.
 

Verse 1

Forward and back a double twice LRLR
 

"Chorus"1

Gent 1 and Lady 2 change places in one double L, pass R shoulders
Then Gent 1 continues, changing places with Gent 3 in one double R, pass L shoulders
All Forward and back a double LR

Lady 1 and Gent 2 change places in one double L, pass R shoulders
Then Lady 1 continues, changing places with Lady 3 in one double R, pass L shoulders
All Forward and back a double LR

Continue the above, with the place swapping started alternately by the person in front on the ladies' or gent's sides, until everyone is back in their original place.

You may or may not need to do a final forward and back a double, depending on the version of the music you are using.
 

Verse 2

Side twice with your partner LR
 

"Chorus" 2


First Couple join both hands and do 4 slip steps down the line between Second Couple while Second couple do 4 slip steps
up the line outside of them.
Then Second Couple join hands and slip down between First couple while First Couple do slips up on the outside.
Then they repeat all the above

At the same time as all that  the Third couple do 16 slip steps all the way around the other two, with the Lady crossing on the
inside of the Gent’s course both at the start and at the top of the set.

Then Repeat the whole "Chorus" Except that the Second Couple slips down between the Third while the Third slip up etc. and the First Couple goes all the way around.

Whew!
 

Verse 3

Arm with your partner twice LR
 

"Chorus" 3


While the Ladies stand still, the Gents do a sheepskin hey, as follows:

Gent 1 goes around Lady 1 clockwise and weaves down the line with the other two Gents following. When he gets to Lady 3 he goes all the
way around and starts weaving back up the line.

Meanwhile, when Gent 3 gets to Lady 2 he goes all the way around her, between her and Lady 1
and around Lady 1 to start weaving back down the line again.
So when Gents 1 and 2 start back up the line they find Gent 3 has become the leader. 

Also Gent 2 has become the last in line, so when he gets to Lady 2, he does what Gent 3 did. He goes all the way around her to become the leader of the hey – temporarily!

Of course this has made Gent 1 last in line, so when he next passes Lady 2 he does the same manoeuvre, taking the lead again. He is also now going up the line, and after he goes between Lady 2 and Lady 1 he continues around Lady 1 until he is on her right side and then he goes straight down that side of the line of ladies, round the end and up the left side back to his place.

Gents 2 and 3 follow him, continuing the hey until they reach the top of the line, then going straight down the line on the ladies’ right and up again on the left to their places.

Then the ladies repeat the whole "Chorus", with left and right reversed, of course.
 
 

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