Morris Traditions

Cotswold Northwest and Border Sword Dancing

North West Morris

Predominantly danced in clogs, North west Morris was one of the stars of the revival of the 1970s. Although there are many well established, traditional men's sides, a large number of women's and mixed sides have grown up over the last thirty years or so. Its roots are, believe it or not, in the industrial northwest of England, mostly from within Lancashire and Cheshire.

North West dances are usually made up of a polka step, known as ranting, mixed with some single step (step hop), with the occasional bit of intricate stepping. Whereas a Cotswold sides are happy dancing with a single musician, North West teams prefer as big a band as possible, with brass, drums, strings, wind and Melodeons. The lot.

Border Morris

Border Morris originates from around the English/Welsh borderlands; the counties of Shropshire, Cheshire and Hereford. Border sides are the scary ones that black up and dress in black clothes with bells and ribbons to taste. Again, border sides lean towards a large band, and dance single step dances with some intricate figures.

Many Cotswold sides will also dance Border, some of them even change their entire repertoire in winter to an all border set, with traditions such as Litchfield and Upton Upon Severn having a distinct border feel to them.

Many sides have chosen to use Border as the root for new variations on the Morris dancing theme, with some concentrating on the brightness of the stepping and intricate movements, some accentuating the darkness of the attire, and some blooming in the daft side.