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Categories of Dance Dance Traditions From the start, a clear distinction has been made between the Morrismen, performing all-male masculine ritual Morris and sword dances, and the folk Dance Club of men and women, performing the social country dances. Essential traditional characteristics of the respective dances have been respected and preserved. The dances are all authentic traditional folklore, a part of the rich fabric of life in the communities, preserved and handed on from generation to generation.
Ritual Dances of England The Morris and Sword Dances, for generations have only been danced by the men of the villages and as a result, they have evolved as virile, masculine dances. Morris Dances These originate from a wide area of England, stretching through the Midlands and into Lancashire in the north-west. Traditionally performed in the Spring or early Summer when the crops were beginning to grow. The jingling bells, the waving handkerchiefs and clashing sticks were believed to disperse evil spirits, while the leaping of the dancers encouraged the crops to grow. The Sword Dances and Mummers’ Play Found in the Yorkshire and the North East of England. They reflect the theme of death and resurrection, a very common theme in folklore, often symbolising the death of the old year and the re-birth of the sun for the new season of fertility. The “Father” and “Mother” characters as seen in some of the Rapper sword dances are remnants from the mummers’ plays which used to be part of the ceremony.
The picture above shows some of the key characters in the mumming play, namely the Clown, the Doctor, the King and the Musician, who has been killed off by the other dancers seen crouching in the back ground. In Yorkshire the dances are performed with long stiff swords. In Northumberland and Durham the swords are short and flexible and are called “Rapper” swords.
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