| What you have
been watching is not some quaint imitation of Merrie England, but something
which has had a continuous existence in some parts of England for many centuries.
These dances were originally primitive celebrations and expressions of delight, either at the return of Spring, or at the return of the sun at the Winter solstice. This latter type of celebration includes the sword dances of northern England, with their mock executions and resurrection of the executed person to symbolise the return of the New Year and the beginning again. The morris dances of the Cotswolds, which we perform, are the
springtime dances. The ringing of the bells, the waving of the handkerchiefs,
and the tuneful music, are all intended to celebrate the return of new
growth. To some extent they were also a magical encouragement to the growth
which was just beginning. Some of these dances show mock battles with
sticks, and this again is a symbol of the battle between Winter and Spring,
good and evil, or life and death. Leeds Morris Men have been performing these dances in the towns and villages around Leeds since 1950. Our annual Spring Bank Holiday tour of the Yorkshire Dales is one of the oldest morris tours in England and has become a tradition in its own right. |
This year we will mainly be performing dances which originated in Leafield (aka F ieldtown) and Headington. If you would like to know more about any aspect of the dance, any of the dancers will be pleased to talk to you. An English morris is a communal event, involving dancers, musician, fool and animal interacting with the audience to the mutual delight of all. If you wish to express your appreciation - and, in addition, take with you the traditional ‘luck’ of the morris - please don’t hesitate to make a contribution, however small. We hope you have enjoyed watching our performance: remember that England has a vast heritage of folk song, and has more dances of the people, especially ceremonial dances, than any other country in Europe. This is not always appreciated by the Englishman who looks abroad for his folk dances. |
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webmaster-at-leedsmorris.org.uk (email has obvious alteration to combat spam)Last updated April 6, 2004