Know anything about Morris Dancing?

[pygmalion]

What in the world is it. I found the term by mistake in google yesterday, and, although there are many, many links, I couldn't find a simple explanation. Apparently, it's still done all around the world (if you judge by the number and origin of the links.) Anybody here involved?

http://www.rencentral.com/archives/morris.shtml

[templeria]

There used to be the annual UK Morris Dancing fesival in the town I went to school in - once a year thousands of bearded men (and the odd woman) would descend on the place with bells and sticks and dance in circles. Then they'd drink lots and the circles would become more oval...

Anyway, I had a nosey around the web too and the best explaination I could find was as follows:-
It is a high-impact, anaerobic form of dance done to live music by teams (or sides) of six who are all dressed in brightly colored kit. The stepping is done in a style designed to maximize the ringing of the bells whilst minimizing the danger of impact injury. Some dances consist of 6 solid minutes of stepping and are more strenuous than running for a mile. Dances done while waving handkerchiefs often contain spectacular leaps high into the air. Dances done with clashing of sticks could have nasty consequences to dancers or audience.

I think if you imagine something between a barn dance and an Irish Jig, done in circles and involving hankerchiefs, bells and sticks which are hit against each other as the dancers move round the circle you would be about there. Does that make any sense or is that just even more confusing? :?

[lily]

That describes it pretty well templeria! I was born and raised in the country in England (Suffolk) and I have seen Morris dancing many times. It can get very loud with all the bells, sticks and shouting and it is extremely colourful with the brightly coloured outfits and handerchiefs waving about! I always prefered the idea of Maypole dancing though - it looks much more serene and there is a great deal less jumping up and down involved :D

[pygmalion]

Thanks lily. So it's that english country dancing that you sometimes see on TV or at the Renaissance Fair? People in bright clothes, doing a sort of happy, bouncy-looking jig?

[lily]

I guess so, although I've never been to a Ren Fair (only SCA events in Europe) or seen Morris dancing on TV! But I think that "a sort of happy, bouncy-looking jig" does sum it up rather well :D