Britannia Coco-nut Dancers
Encyclopedia
The Britannia Coco-nut Dancers or Nutters are a troupe of Lancastrian
clog dancers who perform every Easter in Bacup
, dancing 7 miles (11.3 km) across the town. There are eight dancers and a whipper-in
, who controls the proceedings.
Some say the custom was brought to the area by Moors
who settled in Cornwall
in the 17th century, became miners and then moved to work in quarries in Lancashire. Similar dances are performed in Provence
– the Danse des Coco. This troupe was formed as the Tunstead Mill Nutters in 1857 when it was one of a group of five which performed in the Rossendale valley
. They passed on their tradition to workers at the Britannia Mill in the 1920s. Their dances feature floral hoops or garland
s; the musical accompaniment is provided by a concertina
or the Stacksteads
Silver Band.
Their name refers to the wooden nuts worn at their knees, waists and wrists, which are made from the tops of bobbin
s. These are tapped together like castanet
s as a percussive accompaniment to the dance, the nuts on the hands striking the nuts on the waist or knees in an intricate and dextrous rhythm. They wear white turbans with blue plumes, dark jersey
s and trews, a white baldric
, red and white skirts, white hose
and black clogs.
Their faces are blackened
. This is either a reference to the dancers' origin as Barbary pirates or a disguise to ward off evil spirits.
The main annual performance is on Easter Saturday, but rehearsals take place weekly throughout the year and form a social occasion. One long-standing member of the troupe was Dick Shufflebottom, whose service of 50 years was celebrated in 2006.
, described them as bizarrely compelling:
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
clog dancers who perform every Easter in Bacup
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
, dancing 7 miles (11.3 km) across the town. There are eight dancers and a whipper-in
Whip
A whip is a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people, through pain compliance or fear of pain, although in some activities whips can be used without use of pain, such as an additional pressure aid in dressage...
, who controls the proceedings.
Some say the custom was brought to the area by Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
who settled in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
in the 17th century, became miners and then moved to work in quarries in Lancashire. Similar dances are performed in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
– the Danse des Coco. This troupe was formed as the Tunstead Mill Nutters in 1857 when it was one of a group of five which performed in the Rossendale valley
Rossendale Valley
The Rossendale Valley is part of the Forest of Rossendale, an upland area of North West England, in Lancashire. The area is within the Borough of Rossendale...
. They passed on their tradition to workers at the Britannia Mill in the 1920s. Their dances feature floral hoops or garland
Garland
A garland is a class of decoration, of which there are many types.Garland may also refer to:-Places:*Garland, Arkansas, a town in Miller County*Garland County, Arkansas*Garland, Maine, a town in Penobscot County...
s; the musical accompaniment is provided by a concertina
Concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
or the Stacksteads
Stacksteads
Stacksteads is a village between the towns Bacup and Waterfoot in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. Stacksteads includes a quarry called Lee Quarry which has also been transformed into a mountain bike trail.-History:...
Silver Band.
Their name refers to the wooden nuts worn at their knees, waists and wrists, which are made from the tops of bobbin
Bobbin
A bobbin is a spindle or cylinder, with or without flanges, on which wire, yarn, thread or film is wound. Bobbins are typically found in sewing machines, cameras, and within electronic equipment....
s. These are tapped together like castanet
Castanet
Castanets are a percussion instrument , used in Moorish, Ottoman, ancient Roman, Italian, Spanish, Sephardic Music, and Portuguese music. The instrument consists of a pair of concave shells joined on one edge by a string. They are held in the hand and used to produce clicks for rhythmic accents or...
s as a percussive accompaniment to the dance, the nuts on the hands striking the nuts on the waist or knees in an intricate and dextrous rhythm. They wear white turbans with blue plumes, dark jersey
Jersey (clothing)
A jersey is an item of knitted clothing, traditionally in wool or cotton, with sleeves, worn as a pullover, as it does not open at the front, unlike a cardigan. It is usually close-fitting and machine knitted in contrast to a guernsey that is more often hand knit with a thicker yarn...
s and trews, a white baldric
Baldric
A baldric is a belt worn over one shoulder that is typically used to carry a weapon or other implement such as a bugle or drum...
, red and white skirts, white hose
Hose (clothing)
Hose are any of various styles of men's clothing for the legs and lower body, worn from the Middle Ages through the 17th century, when the term fell out of use in favor of breeches and stockings. The old plural form of "hose" was hosen...
and black clogs.
Their faces are blackened
Blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky...
. This is either a reference to the dancers' origin as Barbary pirates or a disguise to ward off evil spirits.
The main annual performance is on Easter Saturday, but rehearsals take place weekly throughout the year and form a social occasion. One long-standing member of the troupe was Dick Shufflebottom, whose service of 50 years was celebrated in 2006.
Reviews
AA Gill, writing in The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, described them as bizarrely compelling:
External links
- The Britannia Coco-nut Dancers of Bacup – official website
- The Most Unusual Dance in England? – from the BBC's Still Folk Dancing... After All These Years
- The Britannia Coco-nut Dancers of Bacup – performing at the Saddleworth Rushcart event in 2009