Great
Western
Morris

Great Western Morris. Morris / folk dance and music (traditional and contemporary) in Exeter, Devon and the South West. Great Western Morris. Morris / folk dance and music (traditional and contemporary) in Exeter, Devon and the South West. Great Western Morris. Morris / folk dance and music (traditional and contemporary) in Exeter, Devon and the South West. Great Western Morris. Morris / folk dance and music (traditional and contemporary) in Exeter, Devon and the South West. Great Western Morris. Morris / folk dance and music (traditional and contemporary) in Exeter, Devon and the South West.


Great Western are based in Exeter, England. The side was formed in the late 1960's when Morris dancing was going through one of its revivals. Morris has been around for a long time. Something with the same name is referred to in some incredibly old documents, but we doubt if it looked much like the Morris danced today. It may be that its origins are in the dances performed by the Moors ("Moorish dancing") and seen in Europe until the end of their occupation of Spain. Something very similar is still danced in the Basque Country. We think that all the stuff about fertility and crops is romantic nonsense on a par with Camelot, Merlin and Excalibur. The link with fun, beer and collecting - an important source of income in hard agricultural times - is closer to the real mark for us.


Morris developed and evolved over the years into the various forms and styles you can see today. Henry VIII was an enthusiastic dancer. An erstwhile colleague of William Shakespeare Morris danced from London to Norwich; a long distance record which still stands. But by the end of the 19th century Morris dancing was in danger of fading away as England consolidated its urban industrial economy. Whole teams were killed together in the first world war. Things were getting critical! Cecil Sharp and his colleagues did their best to write down what they could find, and what you see today is largely inspired by their turn of the century work. As a result, most teams dress in a sort of pastiche of 19th century agricultural labourer's clothing and commonly dance to Victorian tunes, with some more ancient ones thrown in.


Most of our dancing is based on styles Sharp collected from two villages in the Cotswold Hills of the Southern English Midlands; Leafield (better known amongst Morris Dancers as "Fieldtown") and Bampton, with one dance from Eynesham. "Cotswold" Morris is the style associated with large "wavers" (handkerchiefs), shin bellpads and long sticks. We also perform Border Morris, normally at Christmas; a style danced with disguised faces from the Welsh/English Marches. Great Western likes to put on a good show of "Performance Morris"; dancing with character, audience contact, and a high entertainment value. We don't take it too seriously!


Great Western Morris. Morris / folk dance and music (traditional and contemporary) in Exeter, Devon and the South West. New dancers and musicians are always very welcome.
Practice starts in October, with dancing out the following April or May.
We meet in Bowhill School, Buddle Lane, Exeter on Mondays, from 8-10 pm.

For more information, phone 01647 24307 or email 		Great Western Morris. Morris / folk dance and music (traditional and contemporary) in Exeter, Devon and the South West.


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