Quoting Ruth
"If sides who practice this tradition are going to black up, I'd much rather they were honest with themselves, and with anyone who might enquire about the tradition."

I think those sides who care about the tradition are...it's those who dance a type of "border" because they like to wear fancy dress that don't. I've never seen Motley dance, so wouldn't like to judge here

And Ruth again

"from anything else, I don't like the spread of fakelore,"

And,again, neither do the sides that care...

Sadly when you're just about to dance or play and someone asks you why you black up, you rarely have time to go through the options, and said member of the public has usuually disappeared by the time you have time to explain...