Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: Madame P At Work Date: 02 Mar 04 - 01:42 PM It was actually weopons training for young squires. First hankies were used whilst the novices got used to moving in unison and their stamina increased, then sticks and eventually onto swords. The young squires would then be able to protect fallen knights and horses in battles, whilst waiting for relief. Much what the modern audience feel today................. :) TTFN Lady P. |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: Folkiedave Date: 02 Mar 04 - 01:29 PM Try "The History of Morris Dancing 1483-1750" by John Forrest. About £17.00 from Amazon. He argues it is developed from a court dance if I remember correctly. Regards, Dave www.collectorsfolk.co.uk |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: Nemesis Date: 02 Mar 04 - 01:00 PM The £20,000 question that Arun District Council and Littlehampton Museum in West Sussex, UK are endeavouring to answer for young people with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund... There! Told you there was more to Littlehampton than .. erm ... |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: pavane Date: 02 Mar 04 - 12:05 PM All wrong, of course. It was developed as medieval High-Impact Aerobics to ensure that our archers kept fit. |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: GUEST,ClaireBear Date: 02 Mar 04 - 12:03 PM Just on the off chance that someone actually wanted some information, here's a link to a Morris Ring history of morris page: clicky |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: Bobjack Date: 02 Mar 04 - 11:58 AM Wow! Thanks for that insight Sttaw, you have increased my education no end. I thought morris dancing went way way back to the 1950's. |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: Sttaw Legend Date: 02 Mar 04 - 11:55 AM Don't believe a word of it. Morris dancing is entirely a myth, as a traditional art. It was actually invented by a bunch of students from Oxford who were on their way to Wales for a folk-festival in 1964. They were motoring up the road in a clapped out Morris 1000 when the SU fuel pump packed up. They all piled out of the miserable old motor, and stood about looking glum. Going off to the bushes to have a piss, one of them returned with a bit of wood that he thought would make a smashing swagger stick. When he returned to the car, one of his comrades, who wasn't very popular, had pulled out his wheezy old melodeon and began to play what he thought passed for a jig, only he never could get the timing quite right, and had to slow down in order to get all the notes in some of the passages; neither he nor his melodeon were much good at making music. Motivated by the contents of a couple of bottles found in the boot, and by memory of a course in modern dance which they had taken when they had mistakenly thought they were signing up for crew, and hampered by the contents of a couple of bottles found in the boot, the other lads began to improvise a modern dance to the strange wheezings of the melodeon. The driver, meanwhile, decided to have one more go at starting the Minor - anything to get away from the racket. In any case, just as the lad with the stick came 'round the back fender of the car in the midst of his Isadora Duncan impersonation, he managed to whack the car with his stick. "Oi, oi, oi, mind finish!" says the poor old rust-pile's owner. Just then, the Morris came to life, the jolt of the dancer's stick having temporarily unstuck the contacts which motivate the fuel pump's oscillations. Some sixty miles later, the scene was repeated, but the lads knew just what to do. As the engine starved and died, they would pull to the side of the road, get out the melodeon and the stick, and perform what came to be called the "Morris Dance," which got them all the way to the folk-festival and back. The original Morris from which this dance originated can be seen, now preserved as a living memorial, just round the corner from Cecil Sharpe House. Unless someone's nicked it again. |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: Rasener Date: 02 Mar 04 - 11:45 AM Is there going to be any Morris Dancing going on on May 1st in Whitby this year. Anybody clued up on that. |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: Doktor Doktor Date: 02 Mar 04 - 11:45 AM Its a cross between California politics and the game of cricket |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: Partridge Date: 02 Mar 04 - 11:27 AM Its great fun, but should be taken seriously as it demands a lot of hard practice. Pat x |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: Bobjack Date: 02 Mar 04 - 11:26 AM on a Morris Minor. |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: GUEST,davy Date: 02 Mar 04 - 11:26 AM Boozing and dancing! |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: Cllr Date: 02 Mar 04 - 11:26 AM with maurice |
Subject: RE: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: Dave of Mawkin Date: 02 Mar 04 - 11:23 AM dancing |
Subject: Morris dancing - whats it about ? From: GUEST,Curious Date: 02 Mar 04 - 11:22 AM Knowing I frequent folk clubs on some occasions, I have been asked what is morris dancing all about - over to you ? |
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