![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Now is the ideal time to start Morris Dancing!
It's autumn and that means that around the country morris teams have pretty much finished their dance season (though there may be the odd trip out for Christmas events and the like) and are back to village halls and other venues in order to practice for the winter.
This is when new dancers are welcomed into the sides. It's when new dances are learnt and when old ones are re-learned.
This is when people like S (the new dancer who joined Quayside Cloggies last week) look at the morris federation web site, click on their county list and find the side nearest them. S joined Cloggies ( a lady's NorthWest morris side) and her husband joined Bourne River, the local men's Costwold morris side.
The two sides practice on different evenings, so they don't have to worry about baby-sitting.
I think S is going to settle right in. She's a cheerful lady with three children, clearly enjoying the dancing and really friendly to chat to. A morris side is not just about dancing, it's also a social group. You dance together and you soon make friends.
If any of you have ever though about taking up morris dancing, this is the ideal time to do it.
You might do it to lose weight, to enjoy the live music (or even to be in the band), because you love folk traditions or simply to make new friends, but whatever your reason, you won't regret it.
There are lots of different ways of doing morris - and they're all correct!
There are totally traditional sides who keep the oldest dances alive, there are modern sides who devise new dances based on the old traditions. You'll find pagan morris, Christian morris, goth morris, gay morris, male morris, lady's morris, mixed morris, children's morris, morris in white trousers and bowler hats, morris in colours that make your eyes water!
It's very much a living tradition and it's kept alive by those who dance it.
It's a pure English tradition that's been carried around the world to everywhere from America to Singapore.
Join the fun!
Dance!
This is when new dancers are welcomed into the sides. It's when new dances are learnt and when old ones are re-learned.
This is when people like S (the new dancer who joined Quayside Cloggies last week) look at the morris federation web site, click on their county list and find the side nearest them. S joined Cloggies ( a lady's NorthWest morris side) and her husband joined Bourne River, the local men's Costwold morris side.
The two sides practice on different evenings, so they don't have to worry about baby-sitting.
I think S is going to settle right in. She's a cheerful lady with three children, clearly enjoying the dancing and really friendly to chat to. A morris side is not just about dancing, it's also a social group. You dance together and you soon make friends.
If any of you have ever though about taking up morris dancing, this is the ideal time to do it.
You might do it to lose weight, to enjoy the live music (or even to be in the band), because you love folk traditions or simply to make new friends, but whatever your reason, you won't regret it.
There are lots of different ways of doing morris - and they're all correct!
There are totally traditional sides who keep the oldest dances alive, there are modern sides who devise new dances based on the old traditions. You'll find pagan morris, Christian morris, goth morris, gay morris, male morris, lady's morris, mixed morris, children's morris, morris in white trousers and bowler hats, morris in colours that make your eyes water!
It's very much a living tradition and it's kept alive by those who dance it.
It's a pure English tradition that's been carried around the world to everywhere from America to Singapore.
Join the fun!
Dance!
no subject
no subject
You didn't mention the Prince Albert BDSM Morris side...! ;-)
no subject
no subject
Very cool to read about its roots! Thanks!
no subject
no subject
Unfortunately they don't seem to have a web site, indeed I don't even know if they're still performing.