The Long Sword dance is a hilt-and-point sword dance recorded mainly in Yorkshire, England. The dances are usually performed around Christmas time and were believed to derive from a rite performed to enable a fruitful harvest.
Boxing Day 2005 - The Grenoside Sword Dance Captain holds aloft the sword lock before placing it around his neck
Boxing Day 2004 - The Grenoside Sword Dance Captain is ritually "beheaded" as the dancers withdraw their swords sharply from around his neck
The final figure in the Sword Dance
Weapon dances incorporating swords or similar weapons are recorded throughout world history. There are various traditions of solo and mock-battle (Pyrrhic) sword dances in Africa, Asia and Europe. Some traditions use sticks or clubs in place of bladed weapons, while most modern performers employ dulled replications to avoid injury.
Georgian mock-battle ensemble with short swords and bucklers
The Sword Dance by Paul Joanovitch
Mer Dandiya, a sword dance performed by the communities of Saurashtra
Lady Gongsun of the Tang dynasty, who was known for her elegant sword dancing, as depicted in Gathering Gems of Beauty (畫麗珠萃秀)