So just what is Morris Dancing?
Morris is an English traditional folk dance form. How old it is, no one
knows for certain, but Shakespeare used morris dancing in a few plays,
and it was considered old even in his day. Modern morris dance includes
several different types (called "traditions"), all named for
different regions of the British Isles; Cotswold Morris from the south,
Border Morris from the west, Molly Dancing from the southeast, and
Northwest Morris from (you guessed it) the northwest. Many people also
include Longsword, Rapper (sword), Clog, and Garland dancing in the
term "morris".
One common feature that all Morris dances seem to have in common is that they are performed for an audience rather than experienced as pure social dance (ie, couple dancing, barn dancing, etc). What is it like? In the words of one morris dancer, "It's vigorous, energetic, sometimes boisterous, sometimes soul-stirring, and generally so much fun it shouldn't be legal."
Teams of morris dancers perform choreographies with props such as
sticks or handkerchiefs, or sometimes complicated hand clapping.
Dancers wear bells on their legs to accentuate the rhythm of the dance
and to catch the attention of the audience. The music is always played
by live musicians for the morris - never recorded music - thus adding
to the audience appeal. Attempting to describe morris dancing is a poor substitute for the real thing. The best option is to watch us perform or to visit a practice session. Click contact information and schedule for more information. There are numerous web sites containing more information on Morris dancing, past and present. Click here for a few of them, or watch some of our Greenwood Morris videos.
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What is morris dancing |
