Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 04:45 PM

Olympics (&%*$£(*! Greece_*_)6(^65%& Marbles(^(*&%(*%&feckfeckfeck*(& £81 million(^%*($^985&feckityfeck )(^%$689$^* stickemwherethesundon'tshine (&56%&&%_)!

This may be the most beautiful thing I have read today. And that is not a comment on the quality of what I have been reading. It is just that this is so perfect.

I like, George. I like a lot!

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: GUEST,999
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 03:35 PM

I used to follow the Olympics closely until I saw how commercialized it was becoming and that was that. I think 1972 was it for me. Sad when athletes take performance enhancing drugs, but certainly an indication of the riches to be derived from winning.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 03:26 PM

Olympics (&%*$£(*! Greece_*_)6(^65%& Marbles(^(*&%(*%&feckfeckfeck*(& £81 million(^%*($^985&feckityfeck )(^%$689$^* stickemwherethesundon'tshine (&56%&&%_)!

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 03:04 PM

You're probably right, but I think its a bit sad.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 02:37 PM

I guess we could have a parallel campaigne to stop Morris or any other folk activity being involved in this rediculous waste of time and money?

Just a thought

L in C#
Clog dance lessons at The Beech 25th Feb M21 9EG

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 02:22 PM

Well how do you propose to get their attention? It would take some heavy weights in government (which is obviously embarrassed by its cultural heritage) to get them to pay any heed.

An ePetition? It would not generate enough signatures in time to effect change unless you could manage to get every single Morris dancer (globally) and their family and friends to sign it. How do you organise that?

A letter writing campaign to LOCOG, David Cameron, Jeremy Hunt (Culture Secretary), Danny Boyle? Who and how do you get it going and get enough involved?

OCCUPY OLYMPICS- A Morris protest - rolling into main arena in thousands of caravans?

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 02:01 PM

No! We should be there. This is once in a century stuff. Were not superior to this, we're just being rejected. You can't pretend that we're rejecting them. the fact is - they don't want folk music as is, you figure it....!

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: SINSULL
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 01:57 PM

As a bow to folk I am sure some of those children will be dressed up in pearly buttons.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 01:52 PM

What Dave of Mawkin said, is a realistic and doable solution to what some deem a problem.

I figured LOCOG was a bunch of wankers on the day they approved the London Olympic logo which looks humorously like Lisa Simpson giving Bart Simpson head. The travesty of a handover show at the close of Beijing Olympics confirmed it for me. It's all about the bus (famous London icon) cum Transformer with a random selection of current and has been celebs.

Christ the whole thing is a joke. Morris dance is better off to be kept far far away from the London Myopic Olympic committee.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Tradsinger
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 01:40 PM

I must say I agree with the premise and indignation of the original post. It just goes to show how low English folk culture has fallen in the eyes of the "authorities". Just imagine if there was an Olympic event in Scotland - would there be ranks of Scottish pipers and dancers? - you betcha. Several people have mentioned Damien Barber - I applaud what he is doing in his roadshow and that, scaled up and danced with young athletic dancers would be dazzling.

Several other people have mentioned grey-haired Morris. I am a Morris dancer and grey-haired and in my 60s. However, I would have no desire to see me and my like in the show. No, what it needed was to train up a new young vigorous band of dancers. Not just morris - rapper, sword, stepdance etc. Nor would I be opposed to some multi-cultural elements being introduced, so long as the core was English traditions.

So basically the Olympic authorities have bottled it and let us all down. I think there is a good case for some Morris public disobedience when the games are on. After all, the PEL allows Morris wherever. I rest my case.

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: GUEST,John Foxen
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 12:54 PM

Let's face it: Shakespeare is fuddy duddy and morris dancing and all that hey nonny no stuff don't cut the mustard in this modern age.
Forget tradition. Danny Boyle should be using his own works that have made him famous to present a proud picture of modern Britain.
For instance, visitors to the games could arrive in an apparently deserted London then be savaged by flesh-eating zombies.
They could be taken on tours of derelict stations to meet colourful dossers, drunks and drug addicts.
They could be introduced to queues of would-be slumdog millionaires who feel that with the shattered economy their only chance of the good life is to win a TV quiz or talent show.
Any surviving tourists could be killed for their money then buried in shallow graves
Meanwhile, anyone who wants to miss the opening ceremony will surely be at Cambridge.
PS What a shame they got Seb Coe to run the Olympics and not Pete Coe.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 12:42 PM

It's only the same as nae bagpipes at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand!

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Baz Bowdidge
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 11:38 AM

Akram Kahn is the choreographer and rest assured with high energy dance, lighting and visual effects the ceremony will be amazing.
We'll all be watching and proud (including Will Fly).

Be buggered if I will! I'm hoping - faint hope indeed - that I don't get to see 1 second of the whole shebang: opening/closing ceremonies or any sport. No TV for me, and I shall vet each page of the daily paper before reading further...

Hey Will,
You could hide away somewhere because there'll be 'Wow did you see...?' type conversations around you from July 27th onwards.
I will watch as much as I can.

~Baz~

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 11:27 AM

well i'm not saying it wouldn't have been a challenge, but I would have liked to have seen some folkies in there.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: DMcG
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 11:22 AM

And I'm sure that Damien Barber (Time Gentlemen Please - YouTube) could have put a great show together that would have matched Riverdance.
I'm a great fan of Damien, but there's a huge difference between a theatre or TV show like Riverdance, where a dozen people can fill a screen, and something that needs to look dramatic in front of a hundred thousand people in a stadium. That tends to need hundreds of participants - who by definition have much more variable skill levels - and would be something well beyond anything Damien has attempted.

However, as far as I can see, Akram Kahn has no experience of working with such a large group either.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 11:06 AM

'Indirectly, I guess'

Planxty did Timedance as the interval music during the 1980 (or 81) Eurovision, Whelan was involved in that. Riverdance was a a play on the name maybe but I don't think there was any further involvement on Lunny's part.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: ChrisJBrady
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 11:03 AM

And I'm sure that Damien Barber (Time Gentlemen Please - YouTube) could have put a great show together that would have matched Riverdance.

However there was an interesting letter in today's London Evening Standard:

IT seems perverse of Danny Boyle to choose as the motif for his production (for the Olympics) the bell and the island theme, which have strong resonances with the Morris, while still failing to ensure our national dance is represented, as is the norm for Olympic host countries. This is a massive and damaging snub to a(n) English cultural icon that could easily be choreographed in.

Paul Reece, Olympics Liaison Officer, The Morris Ring.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Will Fly
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 11:02 AM

Akram Kahn is the choreographer and rest assured with high energy dance, lighting and visual effects the ceremony will be amazing.
We'll all be watching and proud (including Will Fly).

Be buggered if I will! I'm hoping - faint hope indeed - that I don't get to see 1 second of the whole shebang: opening/closing ceremonies or any sport. No TV for me, and I shall vet each page of the daily paper before reading further...

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: MartinRyan
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 10:58 AM

Donal Lunny was not involved in Riverdance though, was he?

Indirectly, I guess - Bill Whelan's website says he coined the "Riverdance" title as a link to "Timedance" which he had written with Lunny a few years previously. Apparently Planxty played it on Eurovision (not clear whether this was at the national level or final - can't say I remember!)

Regards

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 10:43 AM

Donal Lunny was not involved in Riverdance though, was he?

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Baz Bowdidge
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 10:41 AM

As I said as a GUEST:
Thousands of old geysers prancing to and fro, waving hankies and bashing sticks at each other to aye-diddly-aye music.
We'd be a laughing stock.
The Riverdance thing, no matter how innovative at the time has become over-exposed. Do we want to see that all over again?
Akram Kahn is the choreographer and rest assured with high energy dance, lighting and visual effects the ceremony will be amazing.
We'll all be watching and proud (including Will Fly).

~Baz~

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 09:46 AM

The thing is though Donal Lunny et al had individually reputations for being pretty cool dudes before Riverdance - gigging with Van morrison etc, regularly in the Irish charts. English trad has preferred to plough its own rather exclusive furrow.

So naturally - it doesn't occur to anyone as being a natural choice to represent the people that it doesn't deign to communicate with.

That doesn't mean to say it couldn't have made representations and submitted a breathtaking idea.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: John P
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 09:39 AM

1. They are including 15,000 school kids and you're saying they're not including British culture?

2. I love Morris dancing dearly, but compared to Shakespeare - among everyone who isn't a traddy of some kind -- Morris is a fart in breeze. I believe they want to represent ALL the people of England, and play to the heritage that England has given to the rest of the world, and it doesn't get much better than Shakespeare for that.

3. Have you ever seen Riverdance?

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 09:12 AM

I see no reason why it would have been done badly. Riverdance did a lot for trad dancing in Ireland, and the Olympic Games is a bigger potential audience.

Lets face it, Irish dancing didn't have a groovy image before riverdance.

I think you're all being very dog in a manger about it.

Riverdance was put together by a team of extremely knowledgeable people steeped in the traditions they were presenting and modernising, like Donal Lunny, Bill Whelan, Michael Flatley etc etc.

If the Olympic committee had got people like Laurel Swift, Eddie Upton, Derek Schofield, David Owen(*) or Damien Barber (names purely illustrative and off the top of my head, but the class of insight I'd hope for) involved 18 months ago I might have been hopeful and interested in seeing the results. As they haven't, I'd far rather the trad arts were ignored than included, for the reasons I've already stated.

An English Riverdance would have been fabulous but that's not anywhere near the brief of the opening and closing ceremonies. And if you want a first stab at an English Riverdance, check out the Demon Barbers touring theatre show 'Time Gentlemen Please' ....

(*) The visual artist, not the politician who was the 1970s David Cameron to David Steel's Nick Clegg.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:50 AM

Thousands of old geysers prancing to and fro, waving hankies and bashing sticks at each other to aye-diddly-aye music.
That's just what we want (cough).

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: GUEST,Dave of Mawkin
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:00 AM

Sorry if I'm missing the point here but what is stopping the Morris Ring/Federation or whoever in organising a massive day of dance where all of the pubs in the east end of london are suddenly frequented by thousands of morris dancers in a big day of dance on the day of the olympic ceremony?

It might not be televised but it'll definitely grab the attention of the tourists?

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: breezy
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:11 AM

There will many foreign visitors visiting many parts of the country.

Its up to each town, village a city to encourage that which the Olympics overlook.

Do we think 'London' ? if so 'Streets of London ' will be played to death. I have always been surprised as to how well known internationally this song became, thanks Ralph.

'Folk' is a below the radar culture, the mass media fear the political content, hence Harvey Andrews never gained the adulations his writng deserved.

As folkies we are above being involved in this 'olympic' thing

Its sport that has been highjacked for national gain, See Beijing. What chance Syria, Iran, Zimsomewhere as futue hosts?

Anyway , when one has seen their own kid compete, in more than one games, it can become tedious.

Each to their own

Oh and so long as PE teachers remain the biggest scyvers in the teaching profession because they are limited in their own abilities then our children will continue to be shortchanged.

How much handball , basketball is actually taught properly in schools>

Will there be cricket , 15 aside rugby Union in the games. Netball ?

Now back to watch some NCAA basketball

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: GUEST,999
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:09 AM

Well, SOMEone's making money off it all.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 05:04 AM

"
Let's just abandon the Opening and Closing ceremonies entirely"

And all that nonsense in between

L in C#

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: GUEST,Lizzie Cornish
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 05:15 PM

Let's just abandon the Opening and Closing ceremonies entirely and have a bloody good Whipround/Whip Round/Whip-round/Collection, because this country's now £1 TRILLION in debt, so our Days of Dancing are over...

I suggest we collect from The Olympic Committee first, as I think they could have more than a few pennies in their trousers...

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 01:46 PM

A different perspective.

I think the Children's Promise kids are feeling the disappointment.

That promise devolved from inclusion in the opening ceremony through a sequence of downgrades to finally inclusion in local events and a ticket to the opening Ceremony of the Paralympic games.

Much as I love trad song and dance of Great Britain, I never held much hope for any organisation embracing and showcasing it.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 01:14 PM

I see no reason why it would have been done badly. Riverdance did a lot for trad dancing in Ireland, and the Olympic Games is a bigger potential audience.

Lets face it, Irish dancing didn't have a groovy image before riverdance.

I think you're all being very dog in a manger about it.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 12:36 PM

Perhaps if Morris Dancers started taking performance enhancing drugs they might be considered.

Well if you're buying ... or doesn't beer count?

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: EBarnacle
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 12:28 PM

They don't need drugs, just performance enhancement.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Bert
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 12:24 PM

Perhaps if Morris Dancers started taking performance enhancing drugs they might be considered.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 12:11 PM

Non-event, move along, nothing to see.

If Danny Boyle and his team of 'creatives' had included Morris or any other traditional material it would have been either
(a) to take the piss,
(b) to present it as an antiquated pile of nonsense that the new world of 'Dave' Cameron and his Bullingdon Club Crew were sweeping away (along with other fuddy-duddy notions like the NHS and anyone other than a banker having any money),
(c) so stylised, interpreted and mis-choreographed that it was pretty much unrecognisable, or possibly
(d) all of the above.

Does anyone seriously think that having a simulacrum of the Padstow obby oss (only with Pepsi logos on its flanks and a Ronald MacDonald face mask) dancing through the arena led by Boris Johnson and Baron Coe, followed by a cohort of ballet students dressed as Cotswold Morris dancers accompanied by massed Highland bagpipes playing Men Of Harlech, would *improve* the image of the trad arts? Because that's probably an underestimate of just how truly awful it would be.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: GUEST,Ex Singer
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 12:03 PM

Mmm in principal it's a very good question. But what worries me is that so often the argument is made by focusing upon just The Morris. What concerns me is that the wider traditions and customs of these islands are 'by and large' being ignored by olympic organisers which I guess in part must include Danny Boyle!

If you examine the content of the majority of opening events for world sporting gatherings, they almost always reflect the culture BOTH past and present of the host country. I didn't hear anyone laughing at or bemoaning the massive focus upon the Maori culture in all its forms during the opening of the recent Rugby world cup in New Zealand, nor the Maori 'welcome' at the beginning of each match and I don't see anyone laughing at the All Blacks rugby team each time they perform the Hakka Maori war dance before each of their games.

The problem lies with Brits who continue to be over 'PC sensitive' and also try to prove how forward thinking and inclusive Britain is by forgetting that it ever had a past. The traditional customs and culture of these islands is not just under the ownership of the academia with the likes of Chaucer, Dickens, Covent Garden or Stratford. They are of course very meritable examples of the 'Great' in Great Britain but do not represent the heart of what makes us British.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 11:53 AM

Mixed and ladies' morris - I love it!

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Will Fly
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 11:30 AM

There may be happy Morris sides, but I've never seen one

Better go and see Ditchling Morris then.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Darowyn
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 11:11 AM

The theme of the opening ceremony is to be 'Isles of Wonder'
So the Morris Dancers would come on and a worldwide audience would have so many things to wonder about........
What on earth are they doing?
Why?
Who allowed them to go out dressed like that?
Why do they all look so miserable? (There may be happy Morris sides, but I've never seen one)
Who thought that eight elderly men prancing about would be entertaining?

I can see the reason for looking for something better.
Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: EBarnacle
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 10:39 AM

I am soooo glad we New Yorkers didn't win.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 09:36 AM

I cannot understand why anybody would spend years of their life training to run down 100M of a track faster then anybody else or to throw something further or jump higher. These things are simply trivial.

Now, morris dancing that's .................. erm ..........

L in C#

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 09:06 AM

well i think they're missing a trick. Morris dancing would be great in that context. accompanied by the Albion Band - could be great.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 08:41 AM

Did you really expect anything else??

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: GUEST,999
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 08:35 AM

Gotcha, Burton. Inevitably these things come down to money.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Mavis Enderby
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 08:30 AM

999 - I'd better clarify - I was commenting specifically about bhangra.

Personally I don't give two hoots what's in the Olympics ceremonies (but can't possibly see what can be worth £80m!)

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Will Fly
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 08:26 AM

What? Are the Olympics being held in London this year? Fuck! Remind me to stay out of the place and keep the telly switched off until it's all over.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: GUEST,999
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 08:23 AM

"Advertising chief Sir Martin Sorrell has predicted the equivalent airtime value of the four ceremonies will be worth between £2 billion and £5 billion."

Yeah, the folk process at work for sure.

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: Mavis Enderby
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 08:22 AM

So is morris totally improvised then? seems highly choreographed to me...

You don't think bhangra is part of British culture now? It's the folk process in action, if only you took the blinkers off to see it...

Subject: RE: Olympics Deliberately Refusing Morris...
From: banjoman
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 08:04 AM

I have no doubt that if it had been included then some "Choreographer" would have been paid an enourmous amount of money to direct the dance which would be written for the event.
I would not be surprised to see Bangra Dancing as I was told some time ago when involved in a local Council Festival that it was part of our culture along with Scottish and Irish Dancing -Oh -and Ballet
I made an excuse and left.