Morris dance

Grenoside Boxing Day Dance

The Morris Dance is an English folk dance.

The earliest known English written mention of Morris dance is dated to 1448. It records the payment of seven shillings to Morris dancers by the Goldsmiths' Company in London.

The dance is done by a group of dancers wearing bells on their shins or shoes.

People danced this dance in their homes until it became a well known folk dance. It involves rhythmic stepping and choregraphed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins and often wielding:

• Sticks,

• Handkerchiefs, or

• Swords (in certain regional styles). The dances are typically accompanied by lively folk music played on instruments like the fiddle, pipes, or drum.

Types of Morris dance

There are several regional styles including:

• Cotswold Morris (from the Cotswolds)

• North West Morris (from Lancashire/Cheshire)

• Border Morris (from the Welsh-English border)

• Sword dancing (including Longsword and Rapper Sword from the North)

Morris dancing is widely recognised as the traditional and emblematic dance form of England.

📰 Article(s) of the same category(ies)

• Unitary State symbols of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland
• English Independence Party
• Sex Discrimination Act 1975
• English oak
• Arms of England
• Kendal's Pocket Encyclopedia
• National symbols of the United Kingdom

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