Morris Dancing Faces Extinction

[Loyalist]

Morris 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)

Source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/7812300.stm)

[Oresai]

I hope not. That`s pretty sad, really.

[TheGreatest]

Well they should had thought of this earlier. I guess they're a little surprised that Ali and Brahmin doesn't want to do some Morris dancing. :rolleyes:

[Beorn]

I was taught country dancing as a child in Somerset. I still remember vividly the May Day celebrations, the Maypole and us children dancing around it with our costumes on.
I still remember the partner I had during lessons. She was my first love.

Now, the school doesn't do them anymore. Long gone are the May Day festivals and the custom of generations. Replaced with watered down tombolas and plays pertinent to social issues.

[Psychonaut]

There are actually several groups that practice Morris Dancing here in Hawaii. My wife started taking dance lessons from some of them for a while, but was dismayed that there were only a handful of elderly Scots, with everyone else being Hawaii's special blend of Asian/Islander :(

[Oisín]

I was taught country dancing as a child in Somerset. I still remember vividly the May Day celebrations, the Maypole and us children dancing around it with our costumes on.
I still remember the partner I had during lessons. She was my first love.

Now, the school doesn't do them anymore. Long gone are the May Day festivals and the custom of generations. Replaced with watered down tombolas and plays pertinent to social issues.
I lived in England until I was 10, I remember having to do the country dancing during PE lessons, we hated it, much rather be outside playing football.
I remember dancing around the May Pole too, at the time I hated it, as did every other lad in the class, we thought it was really gay, but when I got older and realised the historical significance of it I'm glad I got to do it. I doubt they still do it there, even when I was at the school we all had to learn to sing and play the Rivers of Babylon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivers_of_Babylon), God knows why, it was a Catholic school.
Here in Ireland Irish dancing is still pretty strong, and Irish-Americans do very well to keep the tradition alive over there as well, Riverdance kind of made it cool again.

[Beorn]

Here in Ireland Irish dancing is still pretty strong, and Irish-Americans do very well to keep the tradition alive over there as well, Riverdance kind of made it cool again.

Irish dancing has an amazing popularity in England.

My partner took our daughter to Irish dancing every Saturday, but she didn't really like it much. She felt constricted by having to keep her hands to the side and keeping the body still.
I strongly believe she wants to do ballet instead. Which is just as good. :)

You'd never catch me up on the floor doing any kind of dancing now, but as you said, it is good to keep the traditions alive and well.

[Oisín]

Irish dancing has an amazing popularity in England.
Yeah it's very big with the Irish community over there, they like their kids to hang onto the traditions, my mum and sisters used to do it when we lived over the pond.

My partner took our daughter to Irish dancing every Saturday, but she didn't really like it much. She felt constricted by having to keep her hands to the side and keeping the body still.
I strongly believe she wants to do ballet instead. Which is just as good. :)

You'd never catch me up on the floor doing any kind of dancing now, but as you said, it is good to keep the traditions alive and well.
Me neither, two left feet.

[Treffie]

As comical as it appears, Morris Dancing is a part of England's Cultural Heritage, how sad it would be to see it die.

[Pino]

But young people are more than willing to dance like absolute morons at raves but wont have anything to do with anything traditional or positive such as Morris Dancing.

I seen some Morris Dancing in my local forest in the summer at an apple picking event and I was impressed it's really enjoying to watch, not one of the Morris Dancers was under 45!

reading this that it's on the verge of extinction I'm tempted to take it up myself I'll have to see when my local group (called the Mersey Morris Men) practise and see if I can jungle it about with other things but I dont think I would have the time as there seems to be a fair few routines to learn so some time would need to be dedicated.

[Beorn]

But young people are more than willing to dance like absolute morons at raves but wont have anything to do with anything traditional or positive such as Morris Dancing.

But Morris Dancers dress funny and look silly....
http://www.rave180.com/uploaded_images/Rave-Clothing-739489.jpg

They also dance funny and you would never catch me making an ass of myself in public....
R75062b7pak

Big box, little box, big fish, little fish.......:rolleyes:


reading this that it's on the verge of extinction I'm tempted to take it up myself I'll have to see when my local group (called the Mersey Morris Men) practise and see if I can jungle it about with other things but I dont think I would have the time as there seems to be a fair few routines to learn so some time would need to be dedicated.

Go for it! You will have my respect, for sure, if you did. :thumbs up

[stormlord]

It is sad, I saw a piece on it on the BBC the other day, and the only young guy doing it did in fact look like the biggest loser imaginable, so unfortunately it doesn't look good for Morris Dancing.

That said I think the above comparison with raves is unfair, no normal person has gone to a rave like that since 1993, so the majority of people who wouldn't be seen dead Morris dancing also wouldn't be seen dead dressed up like those idiots either.

I think the best thing would be a slight change of image, i.e. younger people, slightly less goofy outfits (no I don't mean toss the whole outfit, rather dump the hats, maybe just go for plain white rather than wearing all the favourite colours of an eight yearl old girl) and perhaps emphasising the more manly combat oriented aspect of it.

[Beorn]

That said I think the above comparison with raves is unfair, no normal person has gone to a rave like that since 1993, so the majority of people who wouldn't be seen dead Morris dancing also wouldn't be seen dead dressed up like those idiots either.


It was an unfair comparison but one which can still be held up in cases of peoples sub-cultures.

[Pino]

It is sad, I saw a piece on it on the BBC the other day, and the only young guy doing it did in fact look like the biggest loser imaginable, so unfortunately it doesn't look good for Morris Dancing.

That said I think the above comparison with raves is unfair, no normal person has gone to a rave like that since 1993, so the majority of people who wouldn't be seen dead Morris dancing also wouldn't be seen dead dressed up like those idiots either.

I think the best thing would be a slight change of image, i.e. younger people, slightly less goofy outfits (no I don't mean toss the whole outfit, rather dump the hats, maybe just go for plain white rather than wearing all the favourite colours of an eight yearl old girl) and perhaps emphasising the more manly combat oriented aspect of it.

I dont think changing Morris Dancing is the answer I think changing peoples conceptions of our traditions is the answer.

It's very easy to just change to suit the modern people (a bit like what the church does) but this is a cultural problem and when we start teaching from a young age about our glorious past and traditions I think people will want to join Morris Dancing the same way they want to go clubbing these days.

There are certain aspects about Morris Dancing which could attract the younger more rebellious sort, I've been lead to believe nobody will ever drink more ale than a group of Morris Dancers! When I seen them after one dropped his stick one joked "it's tradition that whoever drops there stick must buy the first round at the bar"

drinking isn't my sort of thing but I know it's plenty of other peoples!

[stormlord]

I dont think changing Morris Dancing is the answer I think changing peoples conceptions of our traditions is the answer.

It's very easy to just change to suit the modern people (a bit like what the church does) but this is a cultural problem and when we start teaching from a young age about our glorious past and traditions I think people will want to join Morris Dancing the same way they want to go clubbing these days.

There are certain aspects about Morris Dancing which could attract the younger more rebellious sort, I've been lead to believe nobody will ever drink more ale than a group of Morris Dancers! When I seen them after one dropped his stick one joked "it's tradition that whoever drops there stick must buy the first round at the bar"

drinking isn't my sort of thing but I know it's plenty of other peoples!


I know what you mean, and normally I agree, it's pathetic watching the church grovel and try to be "hip with the kids", so I'm certainly not talking about that sort of change. Rather what I mean is that changes could be made to make it less chocolate box and closer to its origins, less of the goofy stuff like this;

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Molly_dancer.jpg

and more simplicity, I wasn't talking adding adding rap music :D. In any case many of the accretions to Morris dancing are Victorianisms anyway.

[Albion]

Well to be honest it does look kinda gay, old men dancing around in frilly clothes. Anyway, isn't it connected to the Flammenco, a gypsy dance? Just because it remained in use here does that mean its one of our traditions?

[Æscwyn]

Anyway, isn't it connected to the Flammenco, a gypsy dance?No, where did you get that idea from? :confused:

The name 'Morris' is supposed to derive from 'Moorish' (in reference to the painted-dark faces of the dancers) but the ultimate origins of Morris dance are unknown.

[Wulfhere]

In my experience morris dancing is becoming increasingly popular among Pagan revivalist groups. It will change and evolve, but it certainly won't die. There are lesbian morris sides, S&M morris sides, goth morris sides, general Pagan ones, all sorts, and they often perform at Pagan conferences and camps.

[Wulfhere]

No, where did you get that idea from? :confused:

The name 'Morris' is supposed to derive from 'Moorish' (in reference to the painted-dark faces of the dancers) but the ultimate origins of Morris dance are unknown.

It was only called "Moorish" by medieval monkish writers. In fact it has generic similarities with many other types of Germanic folk dance.

[Æscwyn]

In fact it has generic similarities with many other types of Germanic folk dance.Yes, that's very true, and when I said the 'ultimate origins' were unknown I wasn't implying it was imported from some far off land. :)

[Wulfhere]

Yes, that's very true, and when I said the 'ultimate origins' were unknown I wasn't implying it was imported from some far off land. :)

Indeed. It's clearly Anglo-Saxon, but wasn't recorded until later in the Middle Ages. Another related but separate tradition is that which survives in the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, which may have been connected with the Mercian royal family and its hunting estates.

[Albion]

No, where did you get that idea from? :confused:

The name 'Morris' is supposed to derive from 'Moorish' (in reference to the painted-dark faces of the dancers) but the ultimate origins of Morris dance are unknown.

That's what I read about it before, besides - Andalucia has many gypsies and was formerly described as Moorish. I have no idea of it's origins, that's just what I heard.

[Logan]

I was taught country dancing as a child in Somerset. I still remember vividly the May Day celebrations, the Maypole and us children dancing around it with our costumes on.
I still remember the partner I had during lessons. She was my first love.


http://clicksypics.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/maypole.gif

We have a similar memory, but I was further west, and only a bit enamoured with the young lady. :)

http://www.gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs4/1192854_o.gif

[Anthropologique]

It's akin to some dances that developed along the Atlantic Facade. The stick dances of North-east Portugal are similar to the moves found in Morris dancing. I believe it has Celtic origins.

[Logan]

Clown. 'As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney,
as your French crown for your taffeta punk, as Tib's
rush for Tom's forefinger, as a pancake for Shrove
Tuesday, a morris for May-day, as the nail to his
hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a scolding queen
to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the
friar's mouth, nay, as the pudding to his skin.'

Shakespeare

Morris Dancing

'Although the link between Druids and megalithic sites is tenuous at best, there seems to be no reason to doubt that both the celebration of ancient Celtic festivals and the rituals performed at stone circles and other megalithic sites included dancing in one form or another. Evidence for the latter is virtually non-existent, but folklore and other clues suggest, for example, that dance may have been performed at Stonehenge if only through the suggestive description by Geoffrey of Monmouth, writing in the 12th century, who calls Stonehenge the Dance of the Giants ("chorea gigantum"). Much later, Morris dancing used to take place around the ancient barrow at St. Weonards in Herefordshire. Morris dancing, in fact, has been claimed to be a remnant of a pre-Christian Celtic, or Druidic, fertility dance.'

http://www.britannia.com/wonder/modance.html