History Of Morris Dancing: Tales Of A Band Of Brothers And The Ancient Morris Dancing Custom: The Morris Tradition
£8.00
Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins. Implements such as sticks, swords, and handkerchiefs may also be wielded by the dancers.
This book brought to you in these tales of an anarchic band of brothers who challenged the received wisdom and almost accidentally stumbled upon the essential core of this ancient custom. They brought it out of the museum and set it on fire. Treating it more like street theatre or flash mob, these iconoclasts sexed it up and breathed new life into it.
In your hands is a story of friendship, fun, and the bonds that unite people in a common cause. It is about comradeship, humor, trust, and mutual respect, and about how visions can be brought to life. It also happens to be set against a backdrop of folk culture and morris dancing.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Independently published (7 Jun. 2021) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 265 pages |
| ISBN-13 | 979-8516748332 |
| Dimensions | 15.24 x 1.7 x 22.86 cm |
by Ian Brawn
The title is misleading. This is actually a memoir of the early years of the Silurian Morris side, who were instrumental in reviving border morris in the 1970s. There are a couple of chapters on the wider history of morris, starting with the 20th century revival and then extrapolating backwards to imagine a tradition based on pre-historic rituals. Mostly though, it’s a tale of friendship, drinking (described in various coy terms) and larks. And dancing, of course. One of the strengths of the book is the passion with which the dancing is described.
It’s well written and the tone is refreshingly irreverent, generally. At times, having taken pops at established wisdoms (and the Cotswold tradition), the author seeks to build a new myth based around a group of inspired dancers who have tapped into The True Spirit Of Morris. However, you don’t have to buy into that level of portentousness to enjoy the book.
My Amazon-printed copy is of good quality but is missing a few things: page numbers, the Author Profile and a list of Further Reading promised by the contents page. Even the author’s name (Rob Elliot) is only printed in tiny letters at the end of the Dramatis Personae. This is a shame, because he doesn’t seem like the most retiring of chaps.
by barry petty
good opener for a subject i wasnt that aware of history etc well written going through a great number of facts ideal for people wanting to know about are heritage and the whole story of morris dancing ,