Black Gate Morris is a mixed Cotswold Morris side based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Launched in 2018.
The Hill Millies are a Women’s Cotswold Morris Dancing side based in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, formed more than 16 years ago, starting off as a bet with the then landlord of the Fox and Goose pub in Hebden Bridge. They dance with hankies, sticks, dusters, and on occasion a mop or two to the accompaniment of a talented group of fiddle players.
“A vision of terpsichorean delight” is a term nobody has uttered having seen us dancing. Be that as it may, we do give it some welly. Thieving Magpie is a mixed Border side based in Marsden in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Our motto is “Leave nowt but blood, wood and feathers”. The Shorter Oxford Dictionary definition of “mixed” is “of a company of persons: not select, containing persons of doubtful character or status.” A bit harsh, we thought.
The Lancashire Wallopers were originally formed in 1981 by students of the legendary clog dancer and music hall entertainer Sam Sherry. They were formed to give a one-off performance at the National Gathering at Cecil Sharp House of the bargees social dance taught to them by retired Bargee Bill Gibbons. Their outfits are inspired by the clothing traditionally worn by canal bargees and the group includes Wallop, the dancing boat horse (who is rather a show-off). All four dancers have won the prestigious Lancashire & Cheshire Clog Dancing Championship and the present line-up includes the current Lancashire & Cheshire Champion and the winner of the Pat Tracey Old Lancs competition. The Wallopers perform a range of imaginative routines encompassing steps learned from all the known traditional dancers who were dancing in the 1970s & 80s as part of the clog dancing ‘revival’ and, following in the footsteps of Sam Sherry, they have a strong repertoire of music hall-inspired routines. The skilled dancing and unique music hall routines are taken to another level through the creative skills of the team’s two accomplished musicians.
The Ryburn Longsword dancers are based in Ripponden, near Halifax, and have specialised in traditional Yorkshire Longsword dance since 1994. Longsword is a Yorkshire-based form of traditional dance performed in a circle, making a sequence of movements in which they go over or under the swords, usually ending with the display of a sword ‘lock’.
A mixed dance team performing in the North-West Morris tradition. They are based in the West Yorkshire mill town of Sowerby Bridge in the heart of the South Pennines.
The team was originally formed as an all-male side in 1979 following the success of the Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing Festival. In 2011, the team was revived as a mixed side with a view to performing at that year’s Rushbearing. The team perform all four of their original dances from the early 1980s, as well as two traditional dances from the now sadly defunct Colne Royal Morris Men. They have also developed two original dances, the Jubilee Diamond and the Rushcart 8Dance.
Oakenhoof are a Folk Arts Organisation from Littleborough in Lancashire. A festival favourite and always a wonderful presence!
Fiddle ‘n’ Feet
‘Fiddle ‘n’ Feet Appalachian dance team was formed approximately 20 years ago. We are based in Shipley West Yorkshire. Our style of dancing originates from the American Appalachian Mountains. We use tap shoes and dance on boards. We are accompanied by our Musicians who play old time and bluegrass tunes.
Blackstone Edge
Blackstone Edge are a female / non-binary Rapper Sword dancing team formed in 2019. They emerged from a bog on the grimy moors above Littleborough and are mostly made of millstone grit and corduroy. Fuelled by fried chicken and dirty beer, they bring the party wherever they go.
Hadrian Clog
Based along the Tyne Valley, in Northumberland, Hadrian Clog perform traditional clog and hard shoe dances from the North East of England and beyond, taking traditional steps, giving them a ‘Hadrian’ twist, and pairing them with their favourite folk tunes.
Formed in 2012, Hadrian Clog are a family-friendly team and are passionate about keeping clog dancing traditions alive, with members ranging in age from six to over 60.
They perform a wide variety of dances, mainly from the North of England, but also from as far afield as Ottowa and Cape Breton in Canada, as well as Scotland and Ireland. The team also enjoy creating and choreographing their own unique dances, as well as teaching at workshops and festivals.
Mind the Step
Mind The Step was formed in 1990 by a group of dancers wanting to “do something different “and they have been choregraphing and performing their own style of lively Appalachian dancing ever since!
Appalachian dancing originates from English, Irish and Scottish clogging and stepping styles as danced by the immigrants who settled in the Appalachian Mountains in North America. The dance evolved in remote mountain communities incorporating steps from the dance style of native Indians and former slaves.
The team has evolved over the years to incorporate clog stepping into the repertoire to reflect their roots and add variety to their performance.
Wakefield Morris
The team has been dancing for 42 years since 1980 and has performed at many folk festivals throughout England, gaining a reputation for a fast and lively dance style. Wakefield Morris performs a style of dancing known as “North-West” Morris that originated in Lancashire in the late 19th century where teams were formed to take a central role in the annual village carnival processions. Some of the dances that Wakefield Morris perform were traditionally used in such processions in the early 20th century, but over time the team has also written dances of its own. The team colours of blue and gold are taken from the crest of Wakefield City.
Flag and Bone
Harrogate-based team who dance in their own style with a unique kit. The band is made up of melodeons, concertina, bass curtal, recorder and percussion.
Oakendale
Littleborough based Folk Arts organisation Oakenhoof combine with Rossendale Clog Heritage to bring you Oakendale!
Strictly Clog
Strictly Clog were formed in 2010 by well established clog dance friends who wanted to take clog dancing back to basics with minimum choreography and more emphasis on the partnership with the music.
White Rose Morris
A familiar sight in distinctive ‘whites’ with green baldrics and straw hats at regional and national folk festivals, and other local events, White Rose dance the South Midlands (or Cotswold) tradition ‘Up North’ and have also performed in Sweden, Jersey, Provence, Romania and, most recently (2019), in Germany at the Aachen Festival.
Persephone
Persephone Women’s Morris first danced out in 1978 . We practice in the village of Hunsworth near Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire. We dance in the Northwest tradition in a lively style using sticks, garlands, slings and bobbins. Our varied repertoire includes a mixture of traditional dances from the northwest of England and our own self-composed dances. Our kit is a black top with a striking green and yellow diagonal sash, and a flared black skirt trimmed with green and yellow. We wear black tights and black clogs with bells. Our band also wears black. During our over forty-year history we have danced at weekends and festivals in many parts of the country and we are delighted to be dancing again at Todmorden Folk Festival.
