Rapper sword (also known as the "Short Sword" dance) is a variation of sword dance that emerged from the pit villages of Tyneside in North East England, where miners first performed the tradition.
The dance requires five performers who coordinate themselves whilst using "rapper swords" made from flexible steel. Accompanies with traditional folk music, the dancers wear specially-designed shoes that allow for percussive foot movements. Mental alertness, in additional to physical agility, is required in order for dance participants to effectively utilize the swords without causing harm to themselves or the other performers.
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Famous quotes containing the word sword:
“For the sword outwears its sheath,
And the soul wears out the breast.
And the heart must pause to breathe,
And love itself have rest.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)