Image: Morris dancers in 1894 – but from where…?
Accompanying resources
This workshop has taken place. However for those interested in the topic the following resources related to this workshop are available:
- More morris than you can shake a stick (or handkerchief) at – video of talk
Talk – “More morris than you can shake a stick (or handkerchief) at” – Michael Heaney
Cecil Sharp rescued morris dancing from potential extinction, as a result of his meeting with William Kimber in Headington in 1899. We now know that it survived in other parts of the country too, but the extent and diversity of the ways in which people might encounter morris dancing in the decade running up to that momentous meeting are much broader than most people realise.
This talk draws on material from Mike’s new book The Ancient English Morris Dance to explore some of these neglected byways.
Approx timings: Talk – about 45 mins, followed by Q & A.
Your host
Mike Heaney has been researching morris dancing for over forty years. He worked with John Forrest to produce Annals of Early Morris in 1991, a listing and analysis of all the then known references to morris dancing in the UK to 1750. More recently he has edited and contributed to a book on the early Oxford collector of morris information, the Oxford antiquary Percy Manning, and also to the book of the 2017 conference organised by EFDSS and the Historical Dance Society, The Histories of the Morris in Britain. His new book The Ancient English Morris Dance brings together the fruits of his research to provide a comprehensive narrative history of morris dancing from its introduction to England in the fifteenth century to today.
To register
Please complete this online form: Register for the Talk – “More morris than you can shake a stick (or handkerchief) at” – Michael Heaney; you will receive a confirmation email immediately (check your spam/junk/promotions folder!). We will send you a Zoom link a couple of days before the event. Open to all – you don’t have to be a member of a team in The Morris Federation.
Buy the Book
If the talk has whetted your appetite, you can purchase a copy of his book The Ancient English Morris Dance from:
- UK – from Archaeopress: https://tinyurl.com/9781803273860-AP
- US – from ISD: https://tinyurl.com/9781803273860-ISD
£29.99/$40 NB: Voucher code for 20% discount by 31st May: 2285-22
Optional Donations
If you enjoy this event, then it would be wonderful if you could send a donation, small or large, to Michael’s chosen place – The Morris Federation. Click ‘Buy Now’ to donate by Paypal (opens in new window – enter “Michael Heaney” in the description, and close that window when finished). Or contact us (select Membership & Merchandise) for our BACS details – please use “Michael Heaney” as the reference for your donation.
