Northfields Morris
Northfields Morris was formed in September 2014 by a group of friends sharing an interest in continuing the old English tradition of Morris, with a more modern outlook that allowed for the inclusion of female dancers and practising on astroturf.
As most of the participants insisted that their children also take part it was to be called The Morris Minors: however following junior members' confusion about the origin of the pun the name of Northfields Morris was thought to be more suitable. Our youngest member is 15 and ages range upwards from there, with over 50% aged 18 and over. However, the youngest we have had is age 11! Any age is welcome.
The group meet every Saturday where we learn new dances or revisit and refresh older ones to keep them alive! We used to be taught by Elsie (who dances with Sharp Morris and the Belles of London City) and her excellent explanations of the figures are carried on with the enthusiastic participants who wave hankies and clash sticks in time (mostly) to the violin and accordion music provided by Nigel and Mary.
We've now made multiple public appearances, including the Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre and, more lyrically, the bluebell-filled wood in Perivale, where we harvested the hazel sticks we use in our dances. We have been delighted with the enthusiastic response from our audience, some of whom join us for our final jig, Shepherds Hey. We continue to receive invitations to dance from people who have watched us perform, and have recruited new members keen to understand exactly how it's done.
Check out our Diary section to see where we're next dancing.
Our side dances Cotswold Morris with some Border and our colours are dynamic red and purple. We hope to broaden our membership to others who would like to try this energetic and enjoyable activity, and all are welcome to come along and see if this strictly traditional style of dance is for them.
To book us, or find out about joining, drop us a line at northfieldsmorris@gmail.com