Let’s be honest, Morris dancing still has an image problem. It’s an image problem which leads to a recruitment problem, which in turn only exacerbates the image problem. To break this vicious circle we need more younger people dancing; this has been the case for a number of years and it’s a situation only likely to get worse as the revival dancers of the ‘70s reach the end of their Morris careers.
The good news is that these younger dancers do exist. Up and down the country younger people are taking up sticks and hankies and finding the joy of waving them around in public. They’re not only forming new teams, but also joining existing sides; helping to change perceptions and, maybe, boost recruitment.
We spoke to a few dancers from around the UK to find out more about their motivation, experiences and attitudes towards Morris.
A modern Vice?
This isn’t the first time this topic has been covered, however. The inspiration for this article comes from a piece written almost 14 years ago when, in a somewhat curious turn of events, Vice Magazine attended Saddleworth Rushcart to speak to a group of raucous young Morris dancers.
The (then) youngsters were members of Earlsdon Morris of Coventry. Before we get on to our modern-day young dancers, we thought we’d catch up with one of the interviewees from 2010, Ross Grant. In addition to being a dancer with Earlsdon, Ross also plays violin with Inlay, Will Pound, the English Fiddle Ensemble and others, as well as providing fiddle lessons and helping to organise Warwick Folk Festival. It’s a wonder he’s got time for Morris dancing at all, frankly.
So Ross, back in 2010 you were 21 and had already been Morris dancing for 16 years. I know you are still an active member of Earlsdon Morris, which by my calculation means you’ve now been dancing for 30 years. You realise that means you’ve been dancing for longer than our other interviewees have been alive, don’t you?
Oh geez! Actually, I think Vice embellished some of the answers in the last interview – all in the name of a good article I’m sure, so it’s a little less than 30 years. I think I’m in my 27th or 28th year of dancing, but may have lost count. A great way to make me feel old anyway.
(Just to note, that’s still longer than our young interviewees have been alive).
Vice really talked up your raucous, boisterous nature. Have Earlsdon made any new rivalries in the past 14 years? Any more fights or other misdemeanours to add to your reputation?
No, our knees are all too broken from dancing for any of that sort of thing now. A good number are too busy pushing buggies or pinning sashes on tiny morris dancers these days to have time for misdemeanours.
Still drinking lager rather than real ale, or have tastes changed?
Again, I think Vice may have got my answer mixed up with my fellow dancers (we did all look similar in our hats to be fair). I spent my teenage years in the village of Bretforton, home to the famous Fleece Inn pub, so real ale was the only choice. From the age of 18(ish), you drank Pigs Ear, Wye Valley, etc, or you’d be disowned. It’s more as I’ve got older and moved to Bristol that I drink less real ale and more of the craft beer/hipster rubbish.
And what about film and music choices? City of God and dubstep still favourites?
City of God is still a classic. At the time of the Vice interview I’d just finished my music degree, so I listened to a fairly broad church of music. Dubstep seemed to be the genre they picked up on, probably because it wasn’t the choice they expected from a Morris dancer. I still listen to a very wide range of stuff, but music is music and there are connections everywhere. I went to see a favourite electronic artist of mine in Bristol last week, Barry Can’t Swim. Chatting to some of the band after the show, it turned out two of the musicians had played at Sidmouth Folk Week in a previous life.
Tell us what INLAY have been up to since you spoke to Vice.
We’ve taken a bit of a break as a band actually, as the three of us focus on other projects and commitments. I’m about to release an EP with the accordionist Hartwin Dhoore in May, have another exciting new duo with Gambian kora player Suntou Susso and have a pile of summer festivals with The English Fiddle Ensemble. So I’m definitely keeping busy in 2024.
Vice were pretty keen to ask all of the Earlsdon lads about their love life. Are you now happily settled down? Did being a Morris dancer help?
Well yes, I’m happily settled in Bristol with my partner and she dances too, with a rapper team. She absolutely loves everyone in the Earlsdon family, but I’m not sure she’ll be converting to North-West anytime soon.
How does Earlsdon feel about that article looking back? Glad to have been involved or embarrassed by it?
I don’t think Earlsdon have ever taken ourselves too seriously, and enjoyed it as a bit of a laugh. There was plenty taken out of context or misquoted, but we still had some fun with it all. I think, at the time, we saw it as slightly more positive exposure for Morris in the media than there had been at the time of the article.
It was definitely that. Are all those featured still in the team? Who has changed the most and the least since then?
We say that you never really leave Earlsdon, and there’s one member in the interview who doesn’t dance with us anymore as they have moved back to Romania. Another interviewee is training to be an officer in the army at Sandhurst. The remaining three of us will be out in kit at our first dance out of the year in Saddleworth, and will probably be the last three to be ready in kit. So, in that respect, very little has changed!
Did the article result in any new members, invites, enquiries, etc?
I think 2009/2010 onwards has been a really golden period for the team. Whether new members flocked in because of the Vice article, the jury is still out… But in all seriousness, we’ve been very lucky with recruitment over the last 15 years and feel in a very good place as a side, with some really great newer members.
What do you think has changed in Morris dancing since 2010?
Morris has been in a healthy place for a good few years now and I think it’s going from strength to strength. There’s been a really exciting evolution of Morris, with teams like Boss Morris and The Wad offering a fresh take on the tradition – it’s similar to how teams like Dog Rose and the Morris Offspring revolution did so before them. But furthermore, it’s great when you go to festivals like Bromyard, Warwick, Shrewsbury, etc, and see the brilliant standard of teams dancing at these events. Teams formed in the last 50/60 years, who are attracting lots of new members from a broad age range and are still dancing at such a high standard.
Do you have any Morris highlights or regrets in the last 14 years?
Well, two events that spring to mind are the ‘Stag Do’ of our Foreman in Luxembourg and the ‘Hag Do’ of two of our most loved members in Manchester. Nearly all the team went on both trips and most of our highlights and regrets happened over those two weekends alone…
Do you think you’ll still be dancing in 2038?
Not if my knees now are anything to go by! Hopefully I will be though. Earlsdon has been a big part of my life and I wouldn’t want that to change.
Thanks Ross. You were the future once, eh?
Stepping into the Future: Meet the next generation of Morris dancers
And so, on to the youth of today. We asked six Morris dancers of the next generation what it’s like being a young person on the scene today.
Introducing…
- Will Sartin (24)
- Hana Wilks (15)
- Grace Morton (19)
- Amelie Surridge (15)
- Billy Evans (21)
- Faye Dyke (21)
How long have you all been Morris dancing?
Will: About 5-6 months.
Hana: About a year and a half.
Grace: Around 10 years.
Amelie: A year.
Billy: I have been dancing properly for about 10 years, since I was 11.
Faye: Since I was 11, so about 10 years now.
Which team(s) do you dance with? Tell us a bit about them.
Will: Five Rivers Morris, in Sheffield. They’re a great group of guys, we have a great laugh, and we all share similar interests. On top of that they are, of course, great dancers.
Hana: I dance with Mayfly Morris, a mixed Cotswold side based in Whitchurch, Hampshire. We are very new to the scene, but we do try our best!
Grace: I dance with two sides: Sutton Masque, who are a mixed Border Morris side from Cambridgeshire, and Makeney Morris, who are a mixed Cotswold Morris side from Derbyshire.
Amelie: NYFTE (National Youth Folklore Troupe Of England) are an inclusive team for 10-18-year-olds that teach singing, playing, rapper, sword dancing and most styles of Morris dancing. I also dance with Grenoside Sword Dancers, a [long]sword dance team based in Grenoside, Sheffield, where they’ve been since the 1800s.
Billy: I dance with Thaxted Morris Men and Cambridge Morris, as well as pulling my weight in borrowed kit when need be. Thaxted is my home side, and I have a lot of love for it as there is not much else to do as a teenager in a very rural setting that doesn’t involve drugs. It all gets a bit Kerry and Kurtain otherwise.
Faye: I dance with Devizes Jubilee Morris. They do a bit of Cotswold and some Border. I also dance a little bit with the Belles of London City when I’m at university. They are a great group of ladies, always up for a fun time. They do lots of jigs, which was new territory for me when I joined.
What was your inspiration to start Morris dancing?
Will: I’ve always been very much on the musical performance side of folk music and thought it was time I broaden my skill set and get involved with a team.
Hana: I started Morris dancing because I always thought it looked super interesting; Rapper dancers are so talented, Border has so much energy and Cotswold seemed so fun. Another inspiration I had was Paul Sartin, who lived around the corner from me. He had wanted Whitchurch to have its own Morris team so I wanted to implement that as well.
Grace: I originally started Morris dancing because my parents went along to a Morris taster session and I was very quickly persuaded to join in. I have been dancing ever since.
Amelie: My parents both Morris dance and I thought it looked really fun to try.
Billy: I started because my dad did it, simply. Pure Morris nepo baby is I.
Faye: I live near Chippenham so I was taken as a child to the folk festival to hear the singing. I met the lady who worked at the office in my primary school dancing with her side. I thought it was so cool and she said I could come along to the pub to practice. I wasn’t from a folkie family and I remember it felt really grown up to go to the pub at 8 o’clock in the evening for practice!
What has been the highlight of your Morris career so far?
We were one of the first female teams… It felt so good to be trailblazers.
Faye Dyke
Will: Being told I will get my kit, meaning that I will be able to dance out with the team.
Hana: The highlight is the fact that I’m learning my very own jig. I won’t write the moves, but I will be performing it.
Grace: The highlight of my Morris experience so far, probably, was getting to be Foreman of my home team last year. This really boosted my confidence and helped me develop management skills.
Amelie: Winning the Stick and Bucket Dance Competition at Chippenham Folk Festival with a small group from NYFTE.
Billy: The highlight of my Morris career is a difficult one. I never entered any jig competitions so I don’t have an obvious answer. It’s all pretty good! Maybe the myriad of brilliant times I’ve had with the very close mates I’ve made?
Faye: I did the Thaxted Day of Dance last year with Belles. That was a blast! I got to meet so many young people in Morris, and we were one of the first female teams to go. It felt so good to be trailblazers.
Are there any specific challenges or benefits of being a young person in Morris?
People don’t expect Morris dancers to be “cool”, but we like to think we make it work.
Billy Evans
Will: I’d say, like with most things, being younger means I have less experience – but I have better knees, so…
Hana: The benefits to me are that it’s exercise, but not the exercise where you feel like everyone’s judging you when you go into the gym and you’re waiting ages for this one person to get off the treadmill. It’s fun exercise! The challenges are probably misinformation online, and probably all the judgemental people at school who just don’t quite get it.
Grace: It encourages other young people to join and it’s also a great way to develop social skills as you speak to all different people from such a wide variety of ages.
Billy: The benefits include plenty of free beer and food, although I’m not sure that’s exclusive to my age bracket. It feels great walking down the street as a young person, with your young mates next to you, all dressed in Morris gear. You turn heads, as people don’t expect Morris dancers to be “cool”, but we like to think we make it work.
Faye: Yes, absolutely! Challenges-wise, I remember throughout secondary school refusing to do any dance-outs remotely near my school for fear of judgement. In-fact, I still probably wouldn’t! But the benefits have far outweighed this; I’ve made friends for life of all ages and walks of life, and the confidence I’ve gained from dancing out has been incredible. I always think: if I can be a Morris dancer in front of so many people then I can do this much less embarrassing thing easily.
Do you think there are any trends of more younger people getting involved in Morris? If so, how are they changing it?
Will: Folk music and Morris dancing has always had a bit of a problem gaining traction with younger audiences. I’d say it’s sort of something you are born into, but over recent years I think there has been a small increase in young people getting involved and I think it’s really helping to keep the tradition alive.
Hana: I think younger people get involved if their friends get involved, as evidenced with my best friend joining the side. I also suggest to Mayfly what young people would think of the outfits.
Grace: Morris has definitely had an increase in younger people becoming involved. I think this has happened because of the spread of Morris dancing and the folk world on things like social media.
Amelie: I think groups like NYFTE are growing more prominent and really encourage younger people to do folk dancing.
Billy: Hard to say, really. Around my age group there seems to be a pretty sturdy base. If I think of the people I know from Sidmouth Folk Week, they’ve been my mates for years. I suppose the big positive, especially in my ring groups, is the transference of my generation’s values and morals to the Morris world. Namely, the inclusion of women and trans folk.
Faye: Yes, young people are definitely getting involved. I love the attention to detail that young people bring – the young Cotswold sides seem to be such crisp and graceful dancers. Also, a few years ago I went to Lewes Day of Dance and a side called Roses are Red danced a northwestern-style dance to ‘We Will Rock You’ and a Keane track with a big speaker. They were a secondary school side and I thought they were so cool.
What do your (non-folkie) friends think of your hobby of choice?
Once they knew it wasn’t actually a bunch of elderly men dressing up in blackface, they all think that it’s a fun hobby.
Hana Wilks
Will: I would say they find it funny and a bit strange. Morris dancing is a bit on the fringe so most people have either never heard of it or think it’s a bunch of old people.
Hana: My friends think it’s interesting. I’ve had to educate them on what they had originally thought Morris dancing was about. Once they knew it wasn’t actually a bunch of elderly men dressing up in blackface, they all think that it’s a fun hobby… that unfortunately they wouldn’t join in with.
Grace: My friends are and have always been really encouraging of me as a Morris dancer, especially my friends at university who have come along and watched me dancing out. It’s a lovely thing as it means you get to have two sides of your life brought together and, as Morris is such a big part of my life, it’s nice that I can show that to my friends.
Amelie: Most of them don’t care, but the ones that do think it’s cool.
Billy: As an extrovert who does quite enjoy being the centre of attention, I like the shocked faces of people as they find out I dance. They usually say it’s fairly left-field from an otherwise “punky” character, but little do they know folk and punk music are inherently similar in origin and often theme.
Faye: Predominantly, they think I’m absolutely crazy. One thing they do notice is that my folkie friends are all ages, so through secondary school and uni I’ve always been going to folkie friends’ 70ths and retirement parties (folkie parties are always so fun).
Have you persuaded any of them to give it a go?
Will: No. I’ve mentioned it but I don’t think it appeals to most people.
Hana: I have persuaded two! One left after two sessions, but that’s okay. The other is now officially the youngest member of Mayfly and he’s loving it.
Grace: One of my uni friends really enjoyed the dance-out and so she decided she would like to give Morris a go and has been coming along to the Makeney practices with me, which has been a lot of fun.
Amelie: I’ve managed to successfully introduce three of my friends to the concept, and they’ve enjoyed any videos and songs I’ve shown them.
Billy: Haha, no.
Faye: I’ve persuaded them to ceilidh and come to festivals, but not to Morris dance. I got one friend as far as a Cotswold workshop at a festival once!
What would you say to encourage other young people to try Morris dancing?
I find my team to be a men’s support group that also dances.
Will Sartin
Will: I’d say, while being part of a Morris team is about dancing, it’s also about being a group of friends who are there for each other, are always up for a pint, and who you know will have your back. I find my team to be a men’s support group that also dances.
Hana: I would say to young people that if they give it a shot and hate it, they hate it, but if they love it, they love it, and there are so many types of Morris dancing to choose from.
Grace: Just give it a go. You do not have to commit yourself to it and the majority of sides are very welcoming of younger dancers.
Amelie: It’s fun, it helps you stay healthy, you make new friends, it increases your confidence and there’s nothing quite like it.
Billy: I would say you get plenty of free beer, it makes you interesting, you gain invaluable friendships and also connections. I have a bed to stay in in almost any city in England because of the friends I’ve made dancing.
Faye: The Morris community is one of the most accepting in the world so don’t be scared to start. You’ll have so much fun and nobody will judge you.
Has Morris changed your life?
Morris has definitely changed my life so much. It has improved my confidence.
Grace Morton
Will: I don’t think it has changed my life but it is something I look forward to each week, and that helps a lot.
Hana: Morris has changed my life; I’ve picked up the violin again to learn more Morris tunes so that, if I’m tired, I won’t have to dance. But I also think that it has in the sense that I’m more active now, and socially, I’m less conscious about how I’m perceived.
Grace: Morris has definitely changed my life so much. It has improved my confidence both socially and on a performance level. It has also helped me meet so many great friends who I know I will have for life.
Amelie: I don’t think it has really changed my life as it’s been part of my life as long as I can remember! But I think if I were introduced to it for the first time now it would change my life.
Billy: Definitely! I think my love of music and even the English degree I’m studying is because of the lyrics and songs associated with the English folk movement. I got into uni on a personal statement where I talked about Blake, and his poems and art are so inspired by folk art and song that I would not have appreciated had I not been a dancer.
Faye: I have danced for about half my life now so I genuinely have no idea what it would be like without Morris. All my money goes on festivals or days of dance; it’s how I spend my summer. Not to mention all my ‘Morris friends’.
I was called a “weird fucking clown-looking thing” by a lady on the telephone in Peterborough once.
Billy Evans
Do you encounter any misconceptions when people see you Morris dancing or find out that you are a Morris dancer? How do they manifest and how do you deal with it?
Will: People often ask, ‘Isn’t that for old people?’, which can be quite annoying, but the folk scene has that reputation already and I’d say most of us are fairly used to it. I usually just show those people clips of great teams that I know so they can see that it’s for all ages and actually fun.
Hana: I think most people have their predetermined judgment on Morris dancing, and that’s not anything I can do much about. If I get the chance, I’d help educate them like I did with my friends, but unfortunately there are a lot of misconceptions out there and I am not mentally prepared to take on everyone. One at a time!
Grace: I think the only misconception I have faced from an outsider to Morris is that there are not many young people that dance and that it is mainly just older people.
Amelie: Most people don’t know what I’m talking about, but upon explanation some people do have a warped idea, having stumbled across it accidentally. The biggest misconceptions usually occur around sword dancing, as people tend to think I’m dancing with the same swords used for things like fencing.
Billy: The key is to not take yourself too seriously. If you own it proudly like I do then I’ve never had anybody I know take the piss properly. And when they do it’s usually quite funny; I can see how it can be ridiculous to somebody who isn’t acquainted. Rarely do you encounter philistines on the streets. Most characters are often pleased to see dancers. I was called a “weird fucking clown-looking thing” by a lady on the telephone in Peterborough once, though.
Faye: Mostly people are just interested in the tradition’s origins or why we are there. Occasionally, people ask about black Border facepaint and, although my side doesn’t wear facepaint, I explain the history of disguise but also make it clear that it doesn’t have a place in Morris anymore as it may cause offence, and so many other face painting alternatives are available. Quite often I’ll re-enforce this with photos of cool facepaint, like Boggarts Breakfast.
What do you do when you’re not Morris dancing? How do you balance Morris with it?
Will: I study mechatronics and robotics at the University of Sheffield. As practice is only once a week, I don’t find it too hard to make time for it.
Hana: Mayfly Morris sessions are every Monday night so, for school, it’s fine. Sometimes I’m especially tired after school but a quick power nap and I’m back ready.
Grace: Outside of Morris, I am a university student studying history. I find that Morris is a great way to give myself a break from studying. Also, being in a new place and getting used to university life is difficult and so having a Morris side up here has really helped me settle. Practices each week give me something to look forward to, and it gives me that connection to home.
Amelie: I struggle to get to Grenoside because of other hobbies, but I’m able to go to most NYFTE events as they’re all on the weekend or in the holidays.
Billy: As mentioned, I’m at uni, and sadly I only dance when I go home to Thaxted. I need to find a decent Bristol-based side.
Faye: I’m studying at conservatoire in London doing classical singing, which is predominantly opera. I am struggling at the moment to fit in time for Morris. I tend to do more in the holidays.
Do you have any Morris ambitions? Do you want to learn a certain style, dance with a particular team in the future, or attend a specific event?
I always wanted to do the Sidmouth jig contest… I might have a quarter-life crisis and do it!
Faye Dyke
Will: All I want is to be able to dance with the team at the festivals I go to over summer.
Hana: I would love our side to host the Sidmouth Morris Party in Blackmore Gardens, and whilst that’s well away from the stage we are at currently, I think it’s such a fun concept and I’ve already been thinking about themes and ideas for those themes.
Grace: I think that a Morris ambition for me for the future is to maybe enter a jig competition of some sort. I have only seen two before and they had some excellent dancers, so hopefully at some point in the future I will be confident enough to enter, too.
Amelie: I’d quite like to join Five Rivers Morris and Beltane and keep going to Sidmouth Folk Festival. In an ideal world, I’d like to do everything!
Billy: I would really like to do Thaxted’s version of the Abbott’s Bromley Horn Dance. Old bastards haven’t let me in ONCE! Maybe because I call them “old bastards”, now I come to think of it…
Faye: I always wanted to do the Sidmouth jig contest but I think perhaps that ship has sailed. Who knows – I might have a quarter-life crisis and do it!
Do you think you’ll be Morris dancing for the rest of your life?
Will: I’m honestly not sure. Probably in some capacity, and if not dancing then definitely playing for it.
Hana: I don’t think I’ll be dancing Morris in my 80s but you never know! Since I’m only 15, I believe I’ll be dancing for a while longer.
Grace: I definitely think that Morris and the folk world is always going to be a part of my life. I love the Morris family and all the different events I go to and I could not imagine my life any other way.
Amelie: Absolutely.
Billy: I’m certain I will do. When musing on my future location, it has to be somewhere with a decent Morris team and within an hour drive from caves.
Faye: I hope so.
Do you have any other hobbies?
Will: I play a few instruments and go to sessions, and I play snooker every week.
Hana: My hobbies are drawing, and writing. I love writing stories, even when they don’t get finished. Currently, I’m attempting to write a novel based on dystopian and fantasy ideas. I love drawing those characters as well. One other hobby that one day I’d love to turn into a career is acting; I did a play recently which was so incredible – even though there was a fire drill in the middle of the performance.
Grace: I use Morris quite a lot to explore photography, which has always been a great interest of mine, and it is a great way to reflect on past Morris events.
Amelie: Playing guitar and ocarina, non-folky dancing, singing, and climbing.
Billy: My other main hobby is caving. Interestingly enough, there are a lot of folk songs to be found in caving, with some even calling the emergence of specific “caving songs” from the Mendip hills of Somerset to be the “newest natural form of English folk tradition”.
Faye: I go horse riding when I get the time and obviously spend a lot of time playing music as that’s what I study.
Drink of choice?
Will: Guinness, without a doubt.
Hana: I’m only 15 so I can’t drink. When the other Mayflies suggest we do a beer jig, or something like that, me and my friend know that we can’t get in on that action. However, my current drink of choice would be a ginger ale – very refreshing and yummy.
Grace: Either a rhubarb and ginger gin with lemonade.
Amelie: Strawberry lemonade
Billy: Two words: Otter Bitter. Always reminds me of the best times of my life at Sidmouth.
Faye: I always go for a cider. If it’s a long evening at the pub for a session, or with friends, it’s the only thing that I can drink all night without getting far too drunk.
Favourite non-folk musician / band?
Will: Currently I’d say Gnoss
Hana: Either Alex G (alternative and indie) or Blur (which has gotten me a lot of ‘cool kids’ points with my dad and his friends).
Amelie: Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles
Billy: I love my punk and rock-y stuff: Subhumans, Gang of Four, Black MIDI are all very good. Moreover, a band called Langkamer from Bristol are pumping out really beautiful, folk-tinged indie rock. It’s smashing. Listen to “West Country”!
Faye: Post-punk band ‘Sports Team’ – they have good mosh pits.
Favourite TV show / movie?
Will: Movie/s would be Star Wars. TV show would have to be Brooklyn 99.
Hana: My favourite film would be Whisper of the Heart, a Ghibli movie which is absolutely amazing and so cute and funny and whimsical and all the positive adjectives in the world. It does make me feel incredibly single but I would rewatch it for the rest of my life.
Grace: My favourite TV show has to be Miranda and my favourite film is The Dig.
Amelie: Avengers, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Good Omens, The Owl House…
Billy: Big film nerd and all, I would have to go with The Wicker Man (1973, obviously) as my favourite film ever. Followed by Buffalo 66 and maybe Master and Commander.
Faye: Probably a crime drama like Law and Order or NCIS.
Thank you to Ross, Will, Hana, Grace, Amelie, Billy and Faye for taking part. We look forward to catching up with you in 15 years to talk about your Morris career.
If you’re a young (or not so young) person who’s been inspired by any of the issues raised in this article, support is available. Check out the Morris map to find your local side. Get in touch with them and get hanky-waving, stick-clashing and clog-stomping.
Really good article! I like the balance between Ross & the younger dancers. Fee x