The traditional English folk dance of Morris Dancing seems to be adapting to the 21st century, whilst retaining its traditions of accordions, being dressed in white, bells around the knees, white handkerchiefs and black hats topped with flowers. Morris Dancing, complete with skipping and hopping in time with the music, is a popular fixture at country fairs around England, being centuries old.
It seems Morris Dance has existed in some form in England for at least six hundred years, beginning in the court of Henry VII in 1500. Despite its history, there are changes taking place in the Morris community as the tradition is adapted to remain relevant in modern times, such as including women in performances and using up to date music. The inclusion of women has helped to slow the rates of decline of Morris Dance, and is continuing to build and enhance the tradition through other means. The diversity new members bring means the dance reaches even more audiences.
Morris Dance is similar to traditional Catalan and Basque dances, and has developed its own distinct forms and variations. Cotswold Morris is the most instantly recognisable form, performed by a group of six, accompanied by a musician and a fool, performing stick and handkerchief dances. Welsh Border Morris saw men dressed in dark rags, bright ribbons, hats, and blackened faces using sticks too. The blackened faces feature to make each dancer anonymous. In East Anglia, Molly Dancing was also performed with blackened faces, with local workers wearing women’s clothes to further hide their identity.
Despite recent changes, it seems maintaining Morris traditions has been a challenge for members since the early 20th century. Molly Dancing died out in the 1930s, and no Welsh Border groups survived past World War II, yet there are Cotswold groups still in existence that emerged in the 1800s. Other Morris Dance groups are much more recent, gaining prominence in the 1970s as folk music regained popularity.