More or Less Morris Team

The More or Less Morris team is located in Richmond, Virginia.  We perform Morris dance, a traditional English dance that dates to the eleventh century.      The Morris has long been danced to celebrate the change of seasons as well as the planting and harvesting of crops.  Indeed, tradition holds that the crops will grow as high as the dancers can leap.  Each village or district from the Cotswold region of England developed its own style of dancing and kit, or costume.  Teams of dancers gather at events called ales to dance, sing, and quench a well-earned thirst.  It is an exciting and colorful spectacle.  It is said that Morris dancing brings luck, fertility, and abundance to viewers.      Dancers wear bells and colorful costumes.  Some dances are performed with white handkerchiefs that are waved through the air.  Others dances feature sticks, which are struck on the ground and the sticks of other dancers.      We dance in the Fieldtown and Adderbury traditions.  We can be identified by our kit, which consists of a white shirt, a dark vest, and red knickers (waistcoat and knee breeches, if you're English.)  There are more pictures of us here.

The interesting places we get to go and wonderful people we meet are parts of what make Morris dancing rewarding.  There is something very satisfying in carrying on a tradition that was old in Shakespeare's day, and in helping Morris continue to evolve, as it has since it began.  Also, at any ale there may be teams from as far away as Canada or England.  We perform at anything from Celtic festivals to weddings to May Day celebrations to Shakespeare performances.       We always welcome new dancers and musicians! If you are interested, we would love to teach you.  Our practice schedule varies with the time of year, so give us a call if you'd like to come, and we'll be glad to give you the details of practice that week.        If you'd like us to perform at your event, we'll be there with bells on.  Whatever it may be, call anytime to get information.  Please contact: Cora Wise - (804) 346-8868 or kydancer114@yahoo.com Catherine Farmer - (804) 359-0497 or jiterdancr@msn.com You can email the webmaster, Julia Wise, at skychild@mail.com.

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