Who are we? |
| “Morris” refers to traditional display dance forms from England.
Display dance is a performance rather than a social experience.
In this it parallels Irish Step Dancing and Scottish Highland Dancing,
although those styles don’t have the association with the seasons
and with agriculture that Morris has.
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Where in England, and what sorts of dances are we talking about?
|
| Cotswold morris comes from villages near Oxford, where records indicate
its existence goes back to Chaucer’s day. Each village had its own style of
dancing and its own costume, and modern teams typically adopt one or more village
styles and continue developing new dances. Pokingbrook performs dances from
Ducklington and Fieldtown (both using a double step, strong up-down arm movements,
and flowing figures), Adderbury, Bampton, and Brackley (using a single or skip step),
Lichfield (distinguished by having 8 people in a set and very different figure shapes
from most Cotswold dances), Beverwyck (created in honor of Pokingbrook’s 10th
anniversary and distinguished by its use of two sticks of different lengths and a
swinging back-step), and Wheaton under Glenmont (originated by a team in DC and
named after Metro stops).
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Can I join? |
| YES, of course! The team practices Wednesday nights from 7 to 9 PM,
just west of Albany. Our practices are open to young and old alike. We do ask for
$1.00 per person per rehearsal to help defray the cost of the rehearsal space.
If you need more information or would like directions, please reach out to our
Squire (our president) at the phone number or email listed on our contact page. |
Old traditions, new blessings! |
| Old tradition teaches us that good luck comes to those who watch the dances
and put money in the hat. Our dance team is completely supported by local
contributions, paid performances, and donations from the public. The dancers are
volunteers. We believe the dances belong to you and as living traditions must be
kept alive through performance. All money collected goes to the preparation and
production of public performances for you and your community. Please help us keep
the dance alive. We wish you blessings of happiness throughout the year. |
