JMO 20th Anniversary – Regional Day of Dance 2023 (London)
In 2023 the Joint Morris Organisations are running a series of regional days of dance to celebrate 20 years since the national Day of Dance in Trafalgar Square on Sunday 2nd November 2003 which was held to celebrate the exemption of “morris dancing” from the Licensing Act 2003. For the background to the exemption, see: Tradfolk article: Celebrating 20 years since Morris dancing was rescued from the Licensing Act
These regional events are hosted by a collaboration of members of teams of all three morris organisations in the UK – The Morris Federation, The Morris Ring, and Open Morris.
The regional event for the South East, and finale of these events, is in London on Sat 21st October 2023. Any queries please email: bag@newesp.org.uk
Programme
See here for the full Programme: JMO London Day of Dance 2023 Programme. The outline plan is:
- 10:30-11:30 Teams tour locally to their arrival station
- 12:00-15:00 Trafalgar Square. All teams – 2 separate dance spaces. Speech by Lord Redesdale at 12:30.
- 15:00-18:30 Tours of central London until dusk
Details of teams booked are listed below.
#JMO20TH
In 2003, over 50 teams attended the original day of dance. Our records show that these teams were booked:
- (Morris Federation) Beetlecrushers, Berkshire Bedlam, Boojum, Bullnose, Buttercross Belles, Chinewrde, Ditchling, East Saxon Sword, Elephant up a Pole, Fleur de Lys, Grimspound, Hammersmith, Iron Men & Severn Gilders, Jackstraws, Knockhundred Shuttles, Knots of May, Mayflower, Morris Offspring, Mortimers, New Esperance, Pigsty, Rampant Rooster, Samhain, Seven Champions, Sompting Village, Wild Hunt.
- (Morris Ring) Coventry, Devil’s Dyke, Earlsdon, East Kent, Horwich, Jockey, Kennet, King John’s, The King’s Men, Red Leicester (Leicester MM), Morris 18-30, Royal Liberty, Thaxted, Westminster, Yateley.
- (Open Morris) Alford Morris, Bunnies from Hell, Eryri Morris, Gog Magog Molly, Golden Star, Lagabag, Ouse Washes Molly, Shinfield Shambles, Wharfedale Wayzgoose, Yorkshire Chandelier.
- (all 3 orgs!) Phoenix (Rickmansworth)
- Invited guests: EFDSS country dancers
In 2023, 40 teams are booked:
| Team | In 2003? | Area | Dance style | Web site | Member of |
| Baldock Midnight Morris | Hertfordshire | Cotswold, Border | https://www.baldockmidnightmorris.org.uk/ | Morris Federation | |
| Belles of London City | London | Cotswold | http://www.bellesoflondoncity.com/ | Morris Federation | |
| Black Swan Morris | Surrey | Border | http://www.blackswanbordermorris.co.uk/ | Morris Federation | |
| Box Hill Bedlam | Surrey | Border | Box Hill Bedlam’s Facebook site | Morris Federation | |
| Brixton Tatterjacks | London | Border | Brixton Tatterjacks’s Facebook Site | Open Morris | |
| Bunnies from Hell | y | Various | Cotswold | Bunnies from Hell’s Facebook site | Open Morris |
| Chiltern Hundreds | Hertfordshire | North West | http://www.chilternhundredsmorris.co.uk/ | Morris Federation | |
| Dacre Morris | London | Cotswold | http://dacremorris.smallcogs.com/ | Morris Federation | |
| Ditchling Morris | y | West Sussex | Cotswold | http://www.ditchlingmorris.org/ | Morris Federation |
| Garston Gallopers | Berkshire | Cotswold, Border | http://www.garstongallopers.co.uk/ | Morris Federation | |
| Hammersmith Morris | y | London | Cotswold | http://hammersmithmorris.org.uk/ | Morris Federation |
| Hemlock Morris | Bedfordshire | Cotswold, Border | http://www.hemlockmorris.com/ | Morris Federation | |
| Holt Ridge Morris | East Anglia | Cotswold | Holt Ridge Morris’ Facebook site | Open Morris | |
| Huginn and Muninn | London | Border | Huginn and Muninn’s Facebook site | Morris Federation | |
| Iron Spring Morris | Kent | Border | Iron Spring Morris’s Facebook site | Open Morris | |
| Kennet Morris Men | y | Berkshire | Cotswold | http://www.kennetmorrismen.co.uk/ | Morris Ring |
| Knights of King Ina | Somerset | Cotswold Jig | http://www.koki.org.uk/ | Morris Federation | |
| Knots of May Morris | y | East Sussex | North West, Garland | http://www.knotsofmay.org.uk/ | Morris Federation |
| Letchworth Morris | Hertfordshire | Cotswold | https://www.letchworthmorris.org.uk/ | Morris Ring | |
| London Pride Morris | London | Cotswold | http://www.londonpridemorris.org/ | Morris Ring | |
| Lyme Morris | Dorset | Cotswold | https://www.facebook.com/LymeMorris/ | Morris Ring | |
| Madder Mill Molly | Surrey | Molly | http://www.maddermolly.co.uk/ | Morris Federation | |
| New Esperance | y | London | Cotswold | https://newesperance.wordpress.com/ | Morris Federation |
| North Wood Morris | Surrey | Cotswold | https://northwoodmorris.co.uk/ | Morris Ring | |
| Northfields Morris | London | Cotswold, Border | http://www.northfieldsmorris.com/ | Morris Federation | |
| Old Palace Clog | London | North West, Garland | https://oldpalaceclog.wixsite.com/home | Morris Federation | |
| Outside Capering Crew | Oxfordshire | Cotswold, Broom | http://www.caperingcr.eu/ | Morris Federation | |
| Pecsaetan Morris | South Yorkshire | Cotswold | http://www.pecsaetan.co.uk/ | Morris Federation | |
| Phoenix Morris | y | Hertfordshire | Cotswold | https://phoenixmorrisdancers.com/ | Morris Federation, Morris Ring, Open Morris |
| Pump House Clog Morris | Hertfordshire | North West | http://www.pumphouseclogmorris.co.uk/ | Morris Federation | |
| Royal Liberty Morris | y | Essex | Cotswold, Border, Molly | Royal Liberty’s Facebook site | Morris Federation |
| Seven Champions Molly | y | Kent | Molly | Seven Champions Molly’s Facebook site | Morris Federation |
| Seven Sisters Molly | Kent | Molly | Seven Sisters Molly’s Facebook site | Morris Federation | |
| St Albans Morris | Hertfordshire | Cotswold | https://stalbansmorris.org.uk/ | Morris Ring | |
| Thaxted Morris | y | Essex | Cotswold | http://www.thaxtedmorris.org/ | Morris Ring |
| Wantsum Morris | Kent | Cotswold | https://wantsum-morris.org.uk/ | Morris Ring | |
| Wantsum Women | Kent | Cotswold | Wantsum Women’s facebook site | Morris Federation | |
| Westminster | y | London | Cotswold | http://westminstermorris.org/ | Morris Ring, Morris Federation |
| Whitethorn Morris | London | North West | https://whitethornmorris.com/ | Morris Federation | |
| Wild Hunt | y | Surrey | Border | http://wildhunt.org.uk/ | Morris Federation |
