Rapper
Where
Rapper is another type of English sword dance which comes from Durham and Northumberland (see also Longsword).
Context
Rapper dance developed in the 19th century after the invention of sprung steel meant that the blunt dance swords could be bent and knotted into highly intricate shapes without snapping dangerously. The swords used for rapper dance are now made especially for dancing, however it is likely that in the past a range of suitable items were used from mining tools to steel bed slats. Rapper developed in coal mining villages and it is considered to be the dance of the coal miners. Originally rapper was danced in the winter months when the mines would have been shut for the winter. Performances would have provided extra money for the dancers and their families. The teams were often a focus for community pride; some pit owners would even give the dancers days off work so that they could perform. Women started dancing rapper in the mid-20th century, and today there are many female and mixed gender teams.
What
The clothing worn for rapper in the late 19th century was very similar to what dancers in northwest morris, or clog competitions, would have worn (see northwest morris and clog dance). Teams which could afford to wore fancy black breeches, smart shirts, velvet Zouave style waistcoats (see carnival morris), coloured sashes, and black shoes. Earlier teams, or teams with less money, instead attached ribbons and rosettes to their shirts and danced in breeches, perhaps with team socks. In the 1930s, probably for economic reasons, many teams wore fashionable or everyday trousers. They also danced with neck ties, which were a part of regular smart clothing. Today many teams compete at the annual Dancing England Rapper Tournament (DERT), making sure that their kit looks smart for the competition. Most teams choose a plain white or black shirt and some have team waistcoats. Today, most rapper teams wear a wide sash wrapped around the waist, with a long tie at the side, which can have the team emblem on it. Dancers today wear hoggers (see below), trousers, or breeches, and woman’s teams also wear short skirts or kilts.
Hoggers
Many rapper teams today wear long straight shorts called hoggers which expose the knees of the dancers when the leg is bent. This is the modern form of the hoggers which were worn by miners. The mines were very hot places to work, men brought long shorts or else cut down trousers to create hoggers. These are different from breeches because they do not touch the skin underneath the knee but are loose. Dancers today often wear hoggers because these garments are unique to rapper dance (unlike breeches which are worn by morris dancers) and because they are a visual link back to the original miners who created this beautiful dance.
