Mr Martin's Reel was collected from a Mr Hedley Martin in Morval near Looe, and is known as a challenge dance between the dancers and musicians.
Here's Mr Martin's Reel from the Cornwall Heritage Trust Schools Project with the shoulder hold.
The Dance
Step: side shuffles and stamps
Form: circle, no partner required, with hands resting on the nearest shoulder of the dancers on either side (alternative is just holding hands with the dancers on either side)
Tune: The King Of Sweden
Tune: The King Of Sweden
- Side shuffle to the right for 7, stamp-stamp
- Side shuffle to the left for 7, stamp-stamp
- Side shuffle to the right for 3, stamp-stamp
- Side shuffle to the left for 3, stamp-stamp
- Side shuffle to the right for 2
- Side shuffle to the left for 2
The Words
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-stamp-stamp
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-stamp-stamp
1-2-3-stamp-stamp
1-2-3-stamp-stamp
1-2, 1-2
. . . and in Cornish
onan-dew-tri-peswar-pymp-hwegh-seyth-stank-stank
onan-dew-tri-peswar-pymp-hwegh-seyth-stank-stank
onan-dew-tri-stank-stank
onan-dew-tri-stank-stank
onan-dew, onan-dew
The Tune
The infamous tune for Mr Martin's Reel is The King Of Sweden, played here by Dalla at Lorient Festival with the alternative hand hold.
Here's Mr Martin's Reel from the Cornwall Heritage Trust Schools Project with the shoulder hold.