Morris Dance is a type of folk dance that originated in medieval times in England. It is popular today in the Cotswolds and the South West. Male and female dancers dress in costume with bells and bows attached. They wave hankies or sticks during the dance. The dancers are usually accompanied by a fool and sometimes a beast, and may collect donations for charity.
You will find Morris Dancers in many places in the summer - at village fetes, on village greens, even on the street outside a pub. One summer evening in the Cotswolds, we went to a local pub for dinner only to find a notice that Morris Men would be dancing that evening. They blocked off the street, everyone moved outside, and they danced for about 30 minutes. Every 10 minutes they stopped to let cars go through. A man dressed as a horse collected donations. The group was The Gloucestershire Morris Men.
If you are visiting England in the summer, check with the local tourist office to see if any Morris Dances are scheduled. They are great fun to watch and the crowd watching is entertaining too.
Morris dancing at The Fleece Inn in Bretforton.
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You will find Morris Dancers in many places in the summer - at village fetes, on village greens, even on the street outside a pub. One summer evening in the Cotswolds, we went to a local pub for dinner only to find a notice that Morris Men would be dancing that evening. They blocked off the street, everyone moved outside, and they danced for about 30 minutes. Every 10 minutes they stopped to let cars go through. A man dressed as a horse collected donations. The group was The Gloucestershire Morris Men.
We have seen Morris Dancing in several Cotswold towns and once on a street in the center of Oxford. When we moved to Dorset we found the Morris Dancing tradition is popular here too. Bridport festivals regularly feature Morris Dancing.If you are visiting England in the summer, check with the local tourist office to see if any Morris Dances are scheduled. They are great fun to watch and the crowd watching is entertaining too.
Morris dancing at The Fleece Inn in Bretforton.
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Morris Dancing
- Pauline
- 10
Traditional dance performed in many parts of England, including the Cotswolds and the South West.