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SourceMorris dancing could be "extinct" within 20 years because young people are too embarrassed to take part, a UK Morris association has warned.
The number of people taking part in the English folk dance is falling while the average age of the dancers is going up.
The Morris Ring, which represents 200 troupes, hopes a recruitment drive will revive the flagging tradition.
"There is still time for new blood to get ready for the spring fertility offensive," said the ring's Paul Reece.
Morris dancing involves teams of dancers - often wearing hats and bells on their legs - wielding handkerchiefs, sticks or swords, to the accompaniment of folk music.
It dates back centuries, though its origins are unclear.
Charlie Corcoran, bagman of the Morris Ring, said: "There's a distinct possibility that in 20 years' time there will be nobody left.
"It worries me a great deal. Young people are just too embarrassed to take part.
"This is a serious situation. The average age of Morris dancing sides is getting older and older.
"Once we've lost this part of our culture, it will be almost impossible to revive it." (Continues)
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