Dancing for all with Milkmaid Molly

Morris dancing for anyone who enjoys folk music and loves dancing

Milkmaid Molly has been in existence since 2012 and is a Morris side that was created to enable people with disabilities to experience the world of Morris dancing and folk music. Molly is a form of Morris dancing that not only has local origins from Cambridgeshire, but is also simple. Milkmaid Molly, with its inclusive membership, is like other Morris sides having regular dance practices on Thursdays to learn dances, to socialise and to be able to perform alongside other Morris sides, in other words to enjoy the whole Morris experience.

Milkmaid Molly (named from the well-known Milkmaid Folk Club) has a membership of 18 Mollies, who have a wide spectrum of special needs, and almost an equal number of Buddies who dance alongside them or play for them. Dances are chosen or created to enable all the Mollies to fully participate. The Mollies also participate with instrumental percussion alongside the musicians playing for the Buddies to perform.

Every year Milkmaid Molly dance out and are included in the performances at Euston Rural Pastimes in June and Ely Folk Festival in July. Practices are on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month from 7.00 to 8.30 at Risbygate Sports Club Bury St Edmunds. Buddies have their own repertoire of Molly dances the mollies enjoy, even demand so that can score our performance ‘Strictly’ style.

Gill Bosley

Squire