Kirkburton Rapier Dancers regularly perform 6 longsword dances, these being named Numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 & 7 (will Number 8 ever appear?) All the dances are based on both new and traditional figures. Very occasionally we may perform the technically demanding Number 4 dance!

There are seven performers during each dance, six holding swords to form a circle, and the seventh being the Captain, who sings the verses of the song, when neccessary and directs the performance from outside the ring. The only times that the circle is broken is at the beginning when the swords are clashed, and at the end when they are interwoven to form the Lock.

During the dance each figure is generally repeated six times, led off by each dancer in turn. In between some figures there is a chorus when all dancers dance into the middle. The figures may vary from year to year, or even between performances and as new ones are devised they may be substituted into the dance. The same can be said for the music. The only requirement of tunes is that they are in jig time.