What does morris dancing Symbolise?
The English mummers play occasionally involves Morris or sword dances either incorporated as part of the play or performed at the same event. Mummers plays are often performed in the streets near Christmas to celebrate the New Year and the coming springtime. In these plays are central themes of death and rebirth.
Why do Morris dancers wear white?
These included the suffrage marches of the Women’s Social and Political Union, and performances of morris dancing in Lanca- shire and Cheshire. 49 White was a common summer dress colour, which arguably made it easier to match than coloured or patterned garments.
Why do Morris dancers wave hankies?
Their companions, dressed in white, with bells around their knees and black hats adorned with flowers atop their heads, begin to dance. They wave white handkerchiefs as they skip and hop in time with the music, the jangling of the bells adding to the celebratory mood. This is traditional Morris Dancing.
Why are Morris dancers called Morris?
The word Morris apparently derived from “morisco,” meaning “Moorish.” Cecil Sharp, whose collecting of Morris dances preserved many from extinction, suggested that it might have arisen from the dancers’ blacking their faces as part of the necessary ritual disguise.
Why do Morris dancers paint their faces?
Blackface and disguise, often in a pagan themed context have their own history which intersects with morris tradition. There is evidence from the 1450s onward of the blackening of faces with charcoal as a means to evade identification, and in association with pagan themes.
Is morris dancing a fertility dance?
The exact origin of morris dancing remains shrouded in mystery – the earliest records found date from the rule of Henry VI in the 15th century, however it is believed that the dance predates these written accounts. Some believe it to be a harvest dance, others claim it is a fertility rite.
Is morris dancing regulated entertainment?
Morris Dancing Exemption The Act widens the licensing exemption for live music integral to a performance of Morris dancing or dancing of a similar type, so that the exemption applies to live or recorded music instead of unamplified live music.
What do Morris dancers celebrate?
What is Morris dancing? Morris dancing is a celebration, a display of dance and music performed at seasonal festivals and holidays to banish the dark of winter, celebrate the warmth and fertility of summer, and bring in autumn’s golden harvest.
What is the history of the Morris dancers?
By the mid 18th century in the South Midlands region, morris dancing was a fixture of the Whitsun ales. Morris Dancing was now in the hands of common folk who couldn’t afford the fancy costumes of a couple centuries earlier, and they were resorting to ordinary clothing decorated with ribbons and flowers.
Is morris dancing Scottish?
Morris Dancing is traditionally seen as the preserve of Englishmen, but the Banchory group believe its roots are in Scotland with records showing groups in towns and cities like Aberdeen, Elgin and Edinburgh in the mid-16th century.
Why is it called morris dancing?