Summary: Vol. 33 Issue 1

Published: January 2014

Table of contents

• Historicism and Modernity: English Folk Dance Costumes for Clog and Sword Dancing. Bath Spa University (MA Investigating Fashion Design) by Chloe Metcalfe 
• The Great Morris Exchange by Laurel Swift 
• Guise Dancing in St Ives and West Penwith by George Frampton 
• The Flag and Bone Gang: 15 Years On by Chas Marshall 
• The Lions Part – Twelfth Night by Sally Wearing 
• Morris with Tweens by Jan Elliott 
• If You Think Sunshine Makes You Happy, You Have Never Danced In The Rain! Sarum Morris visit Helsinki by Lynne Dominy and Antony Shaw 
• The Morris TV Channel by Andy Hilditch 
• American Travelling Morrice Tour in Yorkshire, July/August 2013 and Some Other Things by John Dexter 
• And so to 2014 by Long Lankin 
• Folk Dancing by The English Folk Dance Society A Display in The Bishop’s Garden, Norwich 1926 by Jonathan Hooton

Editorial

I hope by the time this reaches you that the worst of our storms are over and you can arrive at practices without driving through floods. Traditional dance has been in the news with the resurgence of the row over whether the Bacup Easter Saturday performance by Britannia Coconut Dancers will be able to go ahead – it was suggested the event can only go ahead with the band and dancers performing on the pavement! As I write I understand the team intends to go ahead regardless but this may change.

Chloe Metcalfe – when not writing her thesis about costume (read on) – has been stirring up debate in various media, most recently in the Morris Federation Newsletter, over the issue of blacking up and the issue of disguise or not. I have just returned from Whittlesey Straw Bear festival where there were plenty of black and other coloured faces, but what struck me this time was the number of teams who are making their kit winter-appropriate and were wearing matching kit-coloured woolly gloves! Interestingly the festival seems to be attracting more non-Molly or Plough teams who are prepared to brave our winter climate.

Looking to the future we have perspectives on younger dancers and exchange visits within UK, Scandinavia and North America, including Jan Elliott talking about her experiences teaching all sorts of dance in the US while Laurel Swift continues to work on folk projects, most recently with Maple Morris and Morris Offspring (to whom she officially bid farewell at Sidmouth in August 2013!). Thanks to Andy Hilditch for excelling himself on cartoon contributions.

I was saddened to read on the Morris Ring website of the death last month of Steve Adamson – former treasurer of the Ring for many years. I met him aeons ago through being on the Morris Federation committee and found him to be a sympathetic and amusing character. He will be missed by many.