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Description: | There are records of sword dancing on Tyneside from the 1700s. References to sword dancers are made in a number of Tyneside songs, one of the earliest being in John Leonard's 'Winlaton Hoppings'. Between 1850 and 1900 a number of teams appeared to have developed in the area. Thirteen teams recorded as performing on a regular basis during this period at Beadnell, Boghall, Blaydon, Chopwell, Earsdon, Hebburn, Houghton, Loughhoughton, North Walbottle, Swallwell, Throckley, Widdrington, Winlaton. It is not known exactly when rapper dancing replaced rigid sword dancing, but it is believed to be some time in the early nineteenth century. The first definite record of flexible swords is in a photograph taken in 1880.During the early nineteenth century a number of additional teams were formed at Westerhope, Hetton le Hole, South Shields and North Walbottle. Although the dance form did fall into decline during the Depression, it did in fact thrive during most of the inter-war years. Rapper dancing was highly popular and extremely competitive with tournaments and competitions held regularly. We believe that this photograph portrays the Ovington Sword dancers at Bywell Hall in 1932. Recent information has revealed however, that it may in fact be of the Kingsmen's Dance Team.The portrait forms part of a collection held by Beamish Museum. The photographs come from various sources and range in date from 1880 to 1932. Amongst the subjects are famous Northumbrian pipers Tom Green and Thomas Clough, as well as local composer and character Tommy Armstrong. The collection also includes some of the earliest photographs of clog and rapper dance teams and provides a rare visual archive of traditional music at this time. ; A collection of photographs of North-East composers, musicians and performers from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. | Publisher: | Northumberland | Rights holder: | rights holder : Beamish Museum | Subjects: | sword dancing | Temporal: | start=1901;end=1940; | Source: | Folk Archive Resource North East | Identifier: | farne:B0700401 | Go to resource |
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