What is Morris Dancing?
There are in England, several major forms of traditional dance, namely "Cotswold" style Morris; North West processional Morris; Rapper sword dance from the North East of England; Long Sword dances from Yorkshire; Border Morris; and Molly dancing from East Anglia. There are also a variety of regional step dance styles, including the clog dancing. There are all sorts of theories but, no one really knows the true origins of Morris Dancing. |
Photo - Morris Ring Archive |
Photo - R Jackson | The heyday for Morris Dancing was the early nineteenth century, when there used to be much rivalry between villages in the Cotswolds as to who could turn out the best-dressed teams, with the best versions of the dances, or the best new dance to the latest popular tune. Practice and competition characterised this era.
The shift of population in the Industrial Revolution after 1820 lead to a decline in the festivities at which Morris Dancing was performed. This was accelerated by the Victorian desire to reduce the drunkenness and rowdy behaviour of the festivals, and the introduction of cheap day-excursion railway tickets. |
After nearly dying out at the end of the nineteenth century, 'Morris Dancing' enjoyed a considerable revival in England, thanks largely to the efforts of earlier folk dance collectors. Mary Neal of the Esperance Girls Club, St Pancras, London had asked Cecil Sharp in 1903 if there were any dances to go with the songs that had been collected. Remembering his encounter with Headington Quarry Morris Men on Boxing Day 1899, William Kimber and his cousin came to London to teach the boys and girls at the Esperance Club. In 1907 Herbert MacIlwaine devised a dance notation and instructions, leading to the publication of Morris Book I.
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Photo - Morris Ring Archive |
Photo - R Jackson |
Photo - Morris Ring Archive
Differences developed between Neal, who believed that the dance should be a living, evolving thing and Sharp, who believed who that attention to detail and written notations of the dances were important. Sharp's view prevailed when folk songs and dances became part of the school curriculum in 1909.
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The English Folk Dance Society was formed in 1911, and grew rapidly, as did the Esperance Morris Guild. After the Great War, the Guild was allowed to lapse, and the EFDS became mainly a women's movement due to the number of dancers who had been killed in the war.
In 1924 Sharp died and Morris Dancing went through a poor period, as initial enthusiasm declined. The movement had become too academic and attached to school work, holding classes rather than social functions. In the 1920's and 30's a new wave of collectors found fresh Morris Dancing and established the Morris Ring in 1934. The object now was to perform and take the Dance into the community. |
Photo - Morris Ring Archive |
Photo - R Jackson |
The popular folk dance revival after the Second World War, through to the 1960's lead to the formation of many modern Morris Dance sides.
Adlington Morris Men were formed as an offshoot of the Adlington Folk Dance Club in 1964. Dancing Rapper Morris initially, they gradually evolved into the Cotswold Morris side of today.
To read more about Morris dancing and to spot some photos of Adlington Morris Men visit:- http://www.themorrisring.org/tb/
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