It’s May Day morning -
Help us dance up the sun!
(the Morris community’s answer
to "dancing 'till dawn")
Original image likely by Roberta Wackett
reproduced courtesy of EFDSS
Be a part of it. Show up while it’s dark and watch the Sun make its grand entrance. See the spectacle! Watch the magic! Cheer the dancers! Join in the celebration! Wonder why you’re up at this hour! Wear whatever you want, but bring layers - it may be cold this early in the morning.
You may need to reach a specific team's contact (squire) directly to find out more about the local schedule.
Look for the
symbol
- it means the info is definitely current for this year.|
Meanwhile, taste the imagery of |
PACIFIC TIME ZONE
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Vancouver with
Vancouver Morris Men
and Tiddley Cove Morris |
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- 5:30 am Vancouver Morris Men and Tiddley Cove Morris dance up the dawn at Sparrow Fart in Trimble Park (West 8th Av & Trimble St) in West Point Grey , Vancouver, BC V6R 4G9
- 7:00 am - Off to breakfast and seasonal singing at a local restaurant.
- For more information email or
: May Day 2016: To the Market - an original Tiddley Cove dance written by June Harman (Dance), Nini Ury (Music)
Gabriola Island, BC with
Drumbegger Border Morris will be dancing the May this year for
2nd time. Come out and support them! Be a part of history!
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Victoria with
Hollytree Morris,
Island Thyme Morris, and
Quicksbottom Morris
Island Thyme Morris Quicksbottom Morris
- Continuing their 20+-year tradition, the Victoria sides will gather around 5:30 am at Clover Point, located on the Victoria waterfront along Dallas Road just east of Beacon Hill Park. See a variety of dance styles with Hollytree performing Cotswold, Island Thyme performing Northwest, and Quicksbottom performing Border. The Maypole goes up around 5:30 am and dancing will begin soon after. There's also community dancing (audience participation) and a Spiral Dance after sun-up. Feel free to gather some of the May Pole garlands and take them home. It's usually a windy affair, but on a clear morning, the view of the sun coming over Mount Baker is definitely worth it.
- Afterwards, there's a potluck champagne breakfast for dancers and friends at someone's home. Let us know you're coming and we'll invite you too!
- For more information (including other possible events during the day) contact the teams
Island Thyme dancing Skirmishes and in Eynsham
Quicksbottom dancing Duntze Head or Drowsy Maggie
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Bowen Island, BC, Canada with Black Sheep Morris Dancers |
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- 5 am - dance at The Causeway
- 5:30am and 6:30 am - greet the departing ferry commuters at the Cove.
- 10 am - a Maypole dance - yes, a Maypole dance! - in front of the Library, morris dancing, and a possible appearance by the Black Lambs!
- For more information, email our squire
Watch Bowen TV for footage of our 2008 May Day
Seattle, WA with
North by North West Morris,
Sound and Fury Morris,
The Mossyback Morris Men, and
Misty City Morris
- Dancers will gather about 30 minutes before sunrise (5:52 am) at
Gas Works park.
- The entrance is located on the north side of lake Union, at 3300 Burke Ave N, Seattle WA.
- Dancing will be on the southern most point of the park near the water. Don't be surprised if there's singing of May songs as well.
- Dancing continues until about 7:00 am.
- For more information:
- North by North West - email the or call Libby 206-323-7519 or Judy 206-634-2535, see their Facebook page
- Sound and Fury Morris - contact us
- MossyBack Morris - contact us
- Misty City Morris - or call 425-865-9368
Portland, OR with Bridgetown Morris Men,
Renegade Rose Morris,
Wild Rose Garland
and Raven's Magic
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- Join us before sun up at the front of Pittock Mansion,
3229 NW Pittock Dr, Portland OR 97210
- 5:45-ish am - Start with the Abbotts Bromley Horn Dance
- 5:50-ish am - Start dance rotations with Morris teams.
- 7:05-ish am - Maypole dance for any that will.
- 7:15-ish am - Leave for private breakfast as a team member's home.
- 10:00 am - Bridgetown performs until noon or so at Director Park, 815 SW Park Av, Portland, OR 97205
- 11:00 am & 11:30 am - Wild Rose Garland perform with audience participation at the Vancouver Arts Academy, 3101 Main St, Vancouver, WA 98663
- 12:00 noon-ish - Lunch & pub sing for those who will at Rogue Public House, 1339 NW Flanders St., Portland, OR 97209
- Contact the individual teams for more information:
- Bridgetown Morris Men: see their Facebook page, email
- Renegade Rose Morris: email or call 503-860-6611
Bridgetown Morris Men performing Abbotts Bromley, White Ladies Aston or Bampton Side Step
Renegade Rose Morris dancing The Idiot or Weavers March
Eugene, OR with
Two Rivers Morris
Coos Bay, OR with
Side of the Tide
See the team dancing Ragged Crow
Sebastopol, CA with
Apple Tree Morris dancing
Old Peculiar in 2013 and
Huntress in 2017
2018 May Day
flyer
San Francisco, CA with 
Berkeley, CA with
Palo Alto, CA with Deer Creek Morris Men
and
Kitchen Sink Molly
See
video excerpts of May Day past, care of
Maryam Webster
(disclaimer - some names of persons and dances in titles are inaccurate)
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Santa Cruz, CA with Seabright Morris and Sword and
White Rats Morris |
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- 6:00 am - Meet at the Lighthouse, 701 on West Cliff Drive (take Hwy 1, turn on Bay St. towards the ocean, go all the way to the end, then right onto West Cliff Drive - leave extra time to find parking.
- 7:00 am - breakfast at the Zackary's Restaurant, 819 Pacific Ave
- For more information check our website or contact squire
Santa Barbara, CA with
Pacific Sword Company as part
of the
May Day
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- 6:00 am - pursuing our annual tradition of sleeping in.
- 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm - Revels hosts its annual
May Day celebration at
Center Court of the
Paseo Nuevo Shopping Center on State Street in downtown Santa
Barbara. There's lots of spectacle and audience participation:
- Sing special Spring songs with Revels Songleader, Adam Phillips.
- Learn seasonal dances.
- Make flower garlads and nosegays.
- Enjoy performance by the Revels Dancers.
- Come join in the May Pole celebration and learn how to weave the ribbons 'round the pole.
- For more information, email .
Los Angeles, CA with Rising Phoenix Morris
- 5:45 am - Venice Pier: use the parking lot at the end of Washington Blvd (Ocean is the last main cross street) - in anticipation for the 6:00 am sunrise (you should be able to find a Washington off-ramp from I-405 and head west).
- Breakfast is at a nearby cafe after the dancing.
- For more information email squire or call 818-416-8845
San Diego, CA with 
MOUNTAIN TIME ZONE
Edmonton, AB with
Edmonton Magpie
Morris
Magpie Morris Dancers teach a dance to the public, Beltane 2016
Denver, CO with
Breathless in Berthoud Border
Morris and
Maroon Bells Morris
Come see these free performances from almost the only morris dancers in the Rocky Mountain Time Zone! You can thank us now - we dance so you don't have to!
- 5:45 am - dancing by Grace Place at 375 Meadowlark Dr, Berthoud, CO 80513, for about an hour or so.
- Breakfast to follow at the Trailhead Cafe next door (tentative).
- 9:00 am - after a half hour at the Loveland Athletic Club, located at 1000 S. Lincoln Av, Loveland, CO 80537
- For more information, email squire or call 720-352-8135
Phoenix, AZ with  |
 Photo by Raven Kline |
- Due to a tear in the space-time continuum because Arizona doesn't do daylight savings time, we actually dance up the sun on Friday night, May 2. Go figure!
- 7:00 pm - We're (drinking and then) dancing at Phoenix's First Friday, staring at the The Lost Leaf (914 N 5th St), and then proceeding to dance in the surrounding blocks where the other First Friday events are.
- For more information (including directions), email or call 480-286-2122.
CENTRAL TIME ZONE
Omaha, NE with Prairie
Waves Morris
Minneapolis, MN with Bells of the North,
Brackleberry Morris,
Minnesota Traditional Morris, Northern Lights,
Ramsey's Braggarts, and Uptown-on-the-Lakes
 Bells of the North |
 Minnesota Traditional Morris |
 Ramsey's Braggarts |
 Uptown-on-the-Lakes |
The Twin Cities has a joint Sun Up ceremony, located on the Mississippi Gorge River Park in Minneapolis at the top of the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, where 36th Street 'T's with West River Parkway. Just follow the sound of the bells. We'll have whiskey and muffins for the morning.
- Most people show up between 5:30 am and 5:50 am. The Abram Circle
dance starts promptly at dawn and is open to anyone who knows the dance
- no need to be active on one of the morris sides. Typically we have 100+ participants in the
Dance. After the Abram Circle the teams continue to do mass dances
interspersed with one or two show dances from each team, typically in the order of team seniority.
- We rotate through the local sides (MTM, Braggarts, Bellos of the North, Uptown on the Lake, Brackleberry, others) and we'll sing May Day songs.
- After Sun up, those who don't need to rush off to work join for a mass breakfast at the "Egg and I". Then the teams typically split up and do guerilla dancing at various places around the Twin Cities (sometimes with two more teams, sometimes solo). As this varies from year to year there is no 'map' to the guerilla morris dancing. And somehow, we'll have cide and gin mid-afternoon.
- Around 5:00 pm the teams will dance and process down Nicollet Mall, (located here) starting at both ends and meeting at the IDS Center around 6:00 pm
- Finally, we adjourn for dinner at the Black Dog Cafe in Lowertown at 308 Prince St, St. Paul, MN 55101
- For additional information, see the teams' websites or email Upton's squire
Madison, WI with
Oak Apple Morris
- 5:45am to 8:00am - dance up the sun at Picnic Point, off of University Bay Drive, followed by Maypole dancing and singing around a bonfire. We pass the winter witch for people to put their worries on, and then pass spring maiden for people to put their hopes on.
- Around 8:00am - we head off to breakfast and anyone may join us.
- Additional locations TBD. Please check our Facebook page.
- For more information, email squire
St. Louis, MO with
and The
Capering Roisters
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- 5:45am - meet at The Jewel Box in Forest Park located at Wells and McKinkey Dr in St. Louis, MO
- All are welcome, and over the years quite a crowd has accumulated! Dancing continues for at least an hour and usually longer. Sometimes there is a Maypole, but there is always singing (song sheets provided). Breakfast follows at a mysterious location to be revealed.
- For more information, email front person or call 314-560-2778
EASTERN TIME ZONE
Burlington, VT with
On the Border
Morris
Rockport, ME with Highland Mary
Thetford, VT with
Four Corners Morris,
Green Mountain Morris,
Maple Leaf Morris,
Catamount Morris
Watch Maple Leaf Morris as the sun peeks over the horizon on
May Day 2010
Putney, VT with Putney Morris Men, and
Putney Mountain Morris
- Continue the 20+ year tradition of morris dancing for Mayday sunrise on the top of Putney Mountain (a 1 mile hike in from the Putney Mountain Parking lot at the top of Putney Mountain Road. Park by 5am to walk up and see dancing at 5:30am (and hopefully sunrise at 5:45am) with a crowd of 75+ onlookers (if the weather is good, 40+ if rainy/snowy).
- 6:45a - Dancing at the Putney Town Hall, after which the teams retire to the Putney Diner for their end-of-season breakfast.
- For more information, email squires
or
Watch Putney Morris Men at Town Hall, May Day 2008
Watch Putney Mountain Morris Women on the mountain, May Day 2011 and at town hall, May Day 2012
Toronto, ON Canada with Toronto
Morris Men, Toronto Women's Sword, Orange Peel Morris,
Green Fiddle Morris,
Belles of York,
Cold Barn Morris,
Half Crown Clog, and others
- 5:45 am - gather to dance the sun up in High Park in Toronto, across from the
Grenadier restaurant. Mimosas and orange juice with strawberries are on hand.
- Each team will dance twice in order of rotation, and there will be a few mass (any who will) dances, and a couple of regular songs led by members of the community. A crier announces each group for the audience.
- This is the 39th May Day for the Toronto Morris Community. 2017 will mark the 40th anniversary of Green Fiddle Morris.
- Afterwards, cross the street to the Grenadier restaurant, or head back to the house of a member of one of the teams for a pot-luck breakfast.
- There is a "Wake the City Tour" for Green Fiddle Morris and Friends after breakfast. Anyone interested in joining the Tour should contact
- For more general information, email or
Syracuse, NY with
Heartwood Morris Dancers of Ithaca,
Bassett Street Hounds,
Ribbonsteel Rapper,
and
Snowbelt Morris of Rochester, hosted by
Thornden Morris
- 6:00 am to 7:30 am - Dancing at dawn at the Water tower in Thornden Park, Syracuse. Dawn dancing includes a topical mummer's play, singing, and a Maypole dance for all (sequence will be taught). Coffee and morris cake will be provided. But WAIT! There's lots more details provided by the Hounds and Thornden - or email , , or .
Marlboro, VT with Marlboro Morris and Sword, along with the Marlboro Morris Men, and Windham
- Our "floating May Day" happens on the first Saturday in May,
- No formalized schedule at this time, but will start around 10:00 am on South Rd in Marlboro around 1-1/2 miles from Rt 9, and proceed dancing at several houses, stopping for lunch at 1598 South Road.
- 2:00 pm - dance at Battleboro Farmers' Market
- For more information, email squire
Nelson, NH with Firebird and
Jack in the Green
- 5:42 am to sunrise - dancing at Memorial Field the Dublin School, Dublin, NH (please park behind our new visual arts building - Gillespie Hall on William North Road off the Harrisville Road, and walk to the upper field).
- For more information email Firebird contact or Jack in the Green squire .
Albany, NY with
Pokingbrook Morris Dancers
Pokingbrook Morris has been dancing up the sun in Washington Park in Albany for 40 years.
- 6:30 am ("morris dawn") - gather near the Moses statue that faces Madison Avenue, and dance for an hour or more.
- Afterwards, adjourn to a local diner for breakfast, bringing many of our regular fans with us.
- 2:30 pm - After dancing on a village green or two, arrive at Universal Pathways in Berne NY, for a maypole, picnic, more morris dancing, and a Beltane bonfire.
- Anyone who can't make it for the early morning dancing and/or wants to catch up with the tour later on should email or call 518-464-8603 and leave a message.
Great Barrington, MA with the
Berkshire Morris Men and Wild Rose Garland Dancers
- There is a private, team-only sunrise event in an undisclosed location.
- 10:30 am - public May Day performance at the Pumpkin Hollow Waldorf School (AKA the Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School on Pumpkin Hollow Road in Great Barrington.
- Around 12:00 noon - A self-catered lawn picnic after the dancing is always part of the school event (no alcohol on school grounds). There will be a maypole, and many dances and songs from the students in addition to the Team's performances and this year welcomes the revivified Wild Rose Garland Dancers.
- For more information, email
Grand Rapids, MI with
Bells of River City
- 6:00 am - Heartside Park, Grand Rapids
- For more information, email co-squires
or
Watch a video of Bells of River City May Day 2009
Chesterfield, MA with Borderline Morris
Amherst (area), MA with Juggler Meadow Morris Men,
Johnny Jump Ups,
Hart's Brook Garland,
Marlboro Morris Men,
Wake Robin Morris,
Stick'n the Mist Border Morris,
and
And Sometimes Y Manx,Morris & Sword
 Juggler Meadow Morris Men |
 Hart's Brook Garland Women |
 Wake Robin Morris |
 And Sometimes Y |
- Dancing the sun up (around 5:00-6:00 am):
- Hart's Brook, Juggler Meadow, Johhny Jump Ups, Stick'n the Mist Border Morris, and And Sometimes Y Manx, Morris & Sword at the Shutesbury Common.
- Marlboro Morris Men, Poets Seat in Greenfield
- Wake Robin Morris, from about 5:15 am to 6:30 am, on top of Mt. Pollux in So. Amherst, dancing and singing until after the sun has cleared the horizon.
- But wait! There's more - most teams do tour after the sunrise thing and breakfast.
Tours on don't go very late, and usually there's a late lunch
gathering somewhere in downtown Amherst, on a restaurant's patio
if the weather is good.)
- Around 8:45am or 9:00am after breakfast - Wake Robin Morris dances near the permiculture gardens at UMASS until about 9:45am. The rest of the day they are dancing at day care centers and nursing homes (not open to the public).
- Rumored appearances - check with the team's contact to confirm:
- After sun-up, And Sometimes Y tours local elementary schools with Johnny Jump Ups. Schools are TBD, but check their Facebook page for more details.
- For more information, contact the team(s):
- And Sometimes Y, email or
- Hart's Brook, email
- Johnny Jump Ups, email
- Juggler Meadow, email or 413-320-9598
- Wake Robin Morris, email or call 413-834-8761
Wake Robin Morris dancing Nutting Girl as a jig for all of the team who went on the tour to England, at Stone Henge July 2016.
Boston, MA with Newtowne Morris Men
and the Country Dance Society -
Boston Center
hosting Red Herring Morris,
Pipe Dream Morris,
Pinewood Morris Men,
Muddy River Morris,
Banbury Cross Morris,
Mulberry Morris, HopBrook Morris,
Ha'Penny Morris,
Commonwealth Morris Men,
Great Meadows Morris, and
Bubble Rapper.
Newtowne Morris Men Red Herring
Pipe Dream Morris
Pinwoods Morris Men
Muddy River Banbury Cross Ha'Penny
Morris
Great Meadows Morris
This May Day celebration has been annually going on since 1973. It may be the oldest continuing May Day celebration in the USA.
- 5:30 am - 8:30 am at the Weeks Foot Bridge (directions here), going over the Charles River in Cambridge by Boyleston St. There will be a Maypole, Morris dancing, Garland dancing, some folk dance and much singing. This is a community event. Everybody joins in the Maypole, the dancing and the singing. Hundreds of people usually show up.
- Afterwards teams will progress to two other locations around Harvard Square.
- Wax nostalgic and get the feeling of a May Day past.
- For more information, email Newtowne's squire -
Watch the videos from May Day 2003 and May Day 2005
Red Herring performing Takking at NEFFA 2013
Binghamton, NY with Binghamton Morris Men and B. F. Haridans
Narragansett, RI with Ladies of the Rolling Pin 
The Ladies of the Rolling Pin is one of only a few all women's Border Morris dance teams. We have been stirring things up in Rhode Island since 1998 with just the
right mix of leavening and levity. We never fail to get a rise out of audiences with a well-seasoned style, energy and music.
See their 2016 May Day flyer
New Haven, CT with New Haven Morris and Sword
Check out our 2008 ale video
Brooklyn, NY with Ring O'Bells
The May Pole is an all-inclusive, multi-generational event. All are welcome.
See Ring O' Bells on May Day 2006
New York City, NY with
Bouwerie Boys Morris Dancers
- 6:15 am - Meet at 79th and Riverside Drive (in Riverside Park)for an hour of dancing followed by the annual team breakfast at "Jessica's".
- For more information, email
Watch a video of Bouwerie Boys in action!
Princeton, NJ May Day Celebrations Organized for 35 years by
Millstone River Morris,
with guests
Handsome Molly,
Mercer Maypole Dancers, Singers, & Padstow Hobby Horse Troupe
- 5:45 am to around 7:00 am - dawn performance on the site of the Mercer White Oak in Princeton Battlefield State Park, 500 Mercer Rd, Princeton, NJ 08540. Participatory May Pole and English Country Dancing for all!
- 7:00 am - dance go off to Breakfast Feast.
- Performances in local schools (closed to public).
- Late afternoon singing and consumption of Bass Ale (or ice cream as age appropriate) - contact for this year's location.
- For more information, email
or call 609-240-6543
See Millstone River Morris on May Day 2009 See Millstone's May Day 2018 flyer
Philadelphia, PA with
Kingsessing Morris and
Renegade Morris 
See Kingsessing Morris do the dances
Takking from May Day 2009 and
Devils Highway from May Day 2010
Check out 3
generations of Renegade Morris doing
Steamfitters from May Day 2011
Shepherdstown, WV with Hicks with
Sticks Border and others. 
- 6:00 am - dance up the sun at the
Rumsey Monument in Shepherdstown, followed by breakfast at their
local diner, Betty's Restaurant.
- The following Saturday, May 6, they participate in
the Shepherdstown May celebration on
McMurran Lawn, likely joined by
other teamsThere's even a colorful
flyer.
- 9:30 am to 10:30 am - dancing on King St. in front of Town Hall
- 10:30 am - line up for the parade on Church St.
- 11:00 am - Parade down German St. to the maypole.
- 11:30 am - Maypole revels on McMurran Hall lawn to include a show dance from each morris team.
- 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm - Lunch at the Blue Moon Cafe, 200 E High St.
- 2:30 pm - Dancing on King St.
- 4:00 pm - Pub stop and more dancing at the Mecklenburg Inn, 128 E German St.
- For more information, see Hicks' Facebook page, email or call 304-263-2531
Watch folks Wrapping the MayPole on McMurran Lawn in 2012
Beware the Padstow Horse from 2008
Bloomington, IN with
Watch the team's
2009 May Day Winster processional
Washington, DC with Foggy Bottom Morris Men
and Rock Creek Morris Women
- Early morning route through
Takoma Park, MD:
- 6:00 am to 7:00 am- Dance up the dawn at the Takoma Park Gazebo (corner of Westmoreland and Carroll Avenues).
- 9:00 am - Dance at the Roscoe The Rooster statue", (corner of Laurel and Carroll Avenues).
- At this point we jump on metro and head somewhere downtown (DC), causing mischief until...
- 11:00 am - Dance at Dupont Circle in DC
- 12:00 noon - Head over to Duke's Grocery pub (1513 17th St NW) for lunch and more dancing.
- For more information, see our Facebook event, or email Foggy Bottom's squire
| Louisville, KY with
Angleterre Morris |
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- Mumbled rumors have Angleterre Morris coming out in the early evening at The Big Four Bridge, a pedestrian/bicycle path across the Ohio River with large parks at both end, one in Louisville, KY and the other in Jefferson, IN. They'll dance either on or at the foot of the bridge.
- Confirm the rumor by emailing or calling 502-554-0702
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Charlottesville, VA with Albemarle Morris Men
(with a possible guest appearance by Underground Morris) |
 Albemarle Morris Men |
- Start dancing at sunrise - Lee Park, one block north of the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville (there is no off-street parking). There are usually muffins and hard boiled eggs available. Feel free to bring your own coffee or treats (although it's luckier if you bring enough for the dancers, too!)
- For more information, email Albemarle squire
Yorktown, VA with
Druken Weasels Border Morris
Brasstown, NC with
Rural Felicity Garland Dancers
- Knowning better than to get up early, the Brasstown Morris teams attend the May Day parade and performance at the John C Campbell Folk School on Saturday, April 30 from 11:20 am to 12:30 pm.
- For more information, email .
Gainsville, FL with
What IS Morris Dancing?
Morris dancing is a living tradition of English
celebratory and ritual dance with live music, and origins shrouded in
mystery and the mists of time. Shakespeare used it in his
plays and it was old then. The dancers usually wear bells at their
knees and often wave hankies (to attract and welcome benevolent spring
and summer spirits) or clash sticks (symbolizing the eternal battle
between winter and summer), and the dances have traditionally been
performed around the time of major celebration or seasonal cross points
in the calendar. Indeed, dances of comparable form and dancers in
similar costumes are found elsewhere in Europe and around the world, and
may be thought to be part of the universal urge to influence and honor
the unknowable forces which govern our lives.
One of the most colourful descriptions of morris was provided in the
15th century, by Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh, the
Black Adder
who said, "Morris dancing is the most fatuous, tenth-rate
entertainment ever devised by man. Fourty effeminate blacksmiths
waving bits of cloth they've just wiped their noses on. How it's
still going on in this day and age I'll never know."
Modern morris includes several different types of dance, all from
different regions of England; Cotswold Morris from the south, Border
Morris from the west, Molly Dancing from the southeast, and Northwest
Morris from the northwest. Other dance styles such as Longsword, Rapper
(sword), Clog, and Garland are often included in the term "morris".
There are lots of ways to get
more detail
about Morris dancing, but the absolutely best way is to find a morris
dancer, take them to a pub, offer them refreshment, and ask for the real
story. It's guaranteed good luck, too!
Morris team
logos copyright the respective teams, used with permission
Last update April 29, 2018
All rights reserved. Do not cite or reproduce without permission,
except for personal use.
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