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Author Topic: Morris!  (Read 43257 times)

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Falseknight

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #60 on: October 07, 2009, 03:26:09 PM »

The role of women in keeping Morris traditions alive has been rather airbrushed out of things.

Though in fairness, "Ladies Go Dancing At Whitsun" is as much about social dance as Morris.
« Last Edit: October 07, 2009, 03:28:46 PM by Falseknight »
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Fangy

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #61 on: October 07, 2009, 06:07:25 PM »

The Ring has a place, and will continue to exist - I hope. But its been an unbelievable amount of fun and I have made some fantantastic, lifelong friends through mixed morris sides. I wonder what happened during major conflicts such as the First World War when most of the dancers would have gone off to fight? How on earth did morris survive?

If you follow the link to the Mrs Casey website:  http://www.mrscasey.co.uk/History.html    you will find an example of how the dances of Ascott Under Wychwood Morris were preserved after most of the dancers were lost to conflict in WWI.
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Keithypete.

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #62 on: October 08, 2009, 10:01:20 AM »

 A fitting tribute. Mrs.Casey is a lovely tune & a cracking dance, but those spring capers are a blighter. >:(  Shame we had to have another war.


(P.S.) As I'm known as Keithypete at Bunnies I shall henceforth be known as Keithypete here, in case you didn't spot the name change.
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Morrisbox

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #63 on: October 08, 2009, 12:48:10 PM »

Quote
The number of old school won't dannce if women are present sides is now very small.
There are still a few about!  I'd agree there are a lot of very inclusive Ring sides who are an absolute pleasure to be with (speaking as a member of a mixed side), but there are still a number of die-hard sides out there who wouldn't be seen dancing or otherwise associated with a mixed side.

Trevor
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baz parkes

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #64 on: October 08, 2009, 01:29:53 PM »

  It's really annoying when fat old men who can't get their feet more than half an inch off the ground, or even dance in time to the music, try to claim that only they have the ability to dance morris properly,

Speaking as one of said fat old men...I couldn't agree more.  I danced Cotswold until I couldn't, then stopped.  I also used to play for a women's Cotswold side and enjoyed the experience because it was done right.

I then danced Border, and flirted with North West.  Cotswold, however, has all the best tunes >:E

Baz
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Selam

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #65 on: October 08, 2009, 01:57:02 PM »


Speaking as one of said fat old men...I couldn't agree more.  I danced Cotswold until I couldn't, then stopped.  I also used to play for a women's Cotswold side and enjoyed the experience because it was done right.

I then danced Border, and flirted with North West.  Cotswold, however, has all the best tunes >:E

Baz


Which brings me back to my "what morris do you do?" question which got lost in the midst of other discussions. Pleeeeease...this is my thread, dagnabbit! ;)
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Lester

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #66 on: October 08, 2009, 02:24:44 PM »

I do proper morris (Cotswold) not one of the more degenerate types.  ;D
« Last Edit: October 08, 2009, 03:44:14 PM by Lester »
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Keithypete.

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #67 on: October 08, 2009, 02:42:46 PM »

I do proper morris (Cotswold) not one of the more degenerate types. :)


Likewise! It's a shame its really only a summer tradition.
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Lester

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #68 on: October 08, 2009, 02:55:36 PM »

Practice is the winter tradition

Bob Ellis

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #69 on: October 08, 2009, 03:05:47 PM »

Having danced with or watched many sides over the last forty years and having played for a few since I became an aspiring musician about ten years ago (I am still aspiring!), I came to the conclusion that Cotswold (and other types of morris) looks best when danced by good dancers who have taken the trouble to get the little things right as well as the big things and who dance with energy and evident enjoyment. It doesn't matter whether they are male only, female only or mixed. Good dancing is good dancing and, when done well, it looks fantastic.

Having been diagnosed with swine flu this morning, I shall now lie back in my sick bed and feel sorry for myself....or cheer myself up reading some more postings on melodeon.net.  ;D
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Owen Woods

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #70 on: October 08, 2009, 03:19:09 PM »

Practice is the winter tradition

Pub is the winter tradition :P

Seriously though, I dance and play for Cotswold Morris, both incredibly badly, but looking forward to maybe improving a bit this term.
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Pushpull

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #71 on: October 08, 2009, 03:29:21 PM »

Practice is the winter tradition

Pub is the winter tradition :P

Seriously though, I dance and play for Cotswold Morris, both incredibly badly, but looking forward to maybe improving a bit this term.
Ah well we dance at a pub the weekend before Christmas, but in general, yes, winter is for practising.

Oh and as for the original question - Cotswold.
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Sandy

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #72 on: October 08, 2009, 04:00:16 PM »

I don't think I quite understand the whole morris thing. There seems to be something deep in the blood of most involved. Am trying to find out what it's all about and getting involved  as a musician, but it's still a little bit 'ooh err missus' what's this all about !! Personally I love to watch the border sides but that's just from a 'joe public' point of view.

cheers

Sandy
 (:)
p.s. I'm sure one day it will all become clear  :M

ladydetemps

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #73 on: October 08, 2009, 04:05:33 PM »

p.s. I'm sure one day it will all become clear  :M
like the offside rule? ;)  :P

ganderbox

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #74 on: October 08, 2009, 04:13:03 PM »

When I first started dancing I did Cotswold, and although I did a bit of North-West as well, Cotswold always was, and still is, my favourite. Cornwall doesn't have many morris sides, and for a while I did a round trip of nearly 90 miles (a bit more including the pub!) to practice with a mixed side. The travelling got too much though, especially as most of the pub danceouts where even further.

I have been doing Border for a few years now. There are many things I like about it, especially the freedom to do what you like, write your own dances, use any tunes you like, and basically make up the rules as you go along. I also love the tunes, but only the ones in minor keys!  When it comes to the dancing, though, it just doesn't do for me what Cotswold does, especially Bledington and Fieldtown (which also have the best tunes).

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Lester

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #75 on: October 08, 2009, 05:06:38 PM »

<snip>
I have been doing Border for a few years now. There are many things I like about it, especially the freedom to do what you like, write your own dances, use any tunes you like,
I have written many Cotswold dances to tunes I like. They, on the whole, remain connected to the Costwold traditional style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM_NliSIWWw

Quote
and basically make up the rules as you go along. I also love the tunes, but only the ones in minor keys!  When it comes to the dancing, though, it just doesn't do for me what Cotswold does, especially Bledington and Fieldtown (which also have the best tunes).

Have you not done Sherborne then, by far the best dances and tunes!

Ollie

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #76 on: October 08, 2009, 05:24:38 PM »

I also dance and play for Cotswold

and basically make up the rules as you go along. I also love the tunes, but only the ones in minor keys!  When it comes to the dancing, though, it just doesn't do for me what Cotswold does, especially Bledington and Fieldtown (which also have the best tunes).

Have you not done Sherborne then, by far the best dances and tunes!

That'll explain why you like Sherborne then! We've just started learning Sherborne with Cambridge; at the moment the stepping makes my brain ache, but I think I've nearly got it. One of the things I like about the way we do it is the circular waves in the handmovements (a la Dogrose with the Demon Barbers), as opposed to the up-down-up-down that most other sides do.
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Owen Woods

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #77 on: October 08, 2009, 05:44:35 PM »

That'll explain why you like Sherborne then! We've just started learning Sherborne with Cambridge; at the moment the stepping makes my brain ache, but I think I've nearly got it. One of the things I like about the way we do it is the circular waves in the handmovements (a la Dogrose with the Demon Barbers), as opposed to the up-down-up-down that most other sides do.

When I get there I think that I shall try to play for Sherborne rather than dance it. I looked up the steps on the internet and it made my brain hurt just reading it :P
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Ollie

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #78 on: October 08, 2009, 07:21:06 PM »

That'll explain why you like Sherborne then! We've just started learning Sherborne with Cambridge; at the moment the stepping makes my brain ache, but I think I've nearly got it. One of the things I like about the way we do it is the circular waves in the handmovements (a la Dogrose with the Demon Barbers), as opposed to the up-down-up-down that most other sides do.

When I get there I think that I shall try to play for Sherborne rather than dance it. I looked up the steps on the internet and it made my brain hurt just reading it :P

Yeah, it is certainly not a newbie tradition! It's not too complecated, like normal stepping but its RHLR rather than RLRH. I think the fact that it is so similar makes it all the more confusing! Btw, we're also concentrating on Adderbury.
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Martin Duffy

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Re: Morris!
« Reply #79 on: October 08, 2009, 07:41:41 PM »

I dance & play with a masked Border side (Mythago - hence my profile pic!), and although I personally have always preferred Border, I think both are fantastic when danced well, it's just Cotswold has never set my world on fire!  I think it's the attention to detail that makes the difference, hence we practice 2 hours every week all through the year...it helps to dance off all the scrumpy!
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