Facing up to a dancing debate An article by Katy Spicer

English Dance and Song Winter 2016

EDS, the magazine of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, is the world’s oldest magazine for folk music and dance. First published in 1936, EDS is essential reading for anyone with a passion for folk arts.

The following sample article is copyright. You are welcome to share it in the format supplied and accompanied by this title page, but you may not reproduce it, in full or in part, by any other means. www.efdss.org DANCE DANCE

References to morris sides or other customary The practice today References and bibliography practitioners blacking-up tend to proliferate A survey undertaken in 2014 identified • Ashman, G (1988). Custom in from mid- to late-19th century. Because of approximately a third of border and molly conflict: the morris dance in the this, and the use of certain instruments and sides performing with black faces, the Shrewsbury and Ironbridge area tunes (see Broseley morris tune5), many other two-thirds were choosing in equal of Shropshire. Traditional scholars link the addition of blackface in morris numbers to use colours and patterns, Dance, 5/6, pp135-151. dancers’ costume to the influence of blackface or no face paint (source: Jack Worth, • Buckland, T (1990). Black faces, minstrelsy6. Thomas D Rice’s highly popular www.morriscensus.uk, 2014). garlands, and coconuts: exotic blackface minstrelsy character, Jim Crow, Those dancers who continue to black-up dances on street and stage. rose to fame in the 1830s and popularised are usually unaware of the influence from Dance Research Journal, 22(2), blackface minstrelsy more generally blackface minstrelsy, and so wish to continue pp1-12. throughout the 19th century. Minstrel shows the tradition. Regardless of the origin of • Burne, C (1886). Shropshire and minstrel street performers were extremely blackface in morris or the intent of the dancers folk-lore: a sheaf of gleanings, popular and found a place in music hall, today, the fact is that blackface minstrelsy vol. 3. London: Trubner, variety shows, carnivals and parades and existed and was based clearly on racial pp477-502 were often adopted at a local level in village 5 stereotypes in the context of enslavement. • Cawte, E C (1963). The morris entertainment. Blackface minstrelsy continued Folk dancing does not take place in a cultural dance in Herefordshire, as ‘entertainment’ until the 1970s with shows vacuum and to ignore the modern cultural Shropshire and Worcestershire. Facing up to a such as The Black and White Minstrel Show context can be seen as offensive. Some sides Journal of the English Folk aired on BBC television. This stereotypical explain to their audience the origins of Dance & Song Society, 9(4), portrayal of black people is obviously now blackface as disguise, while other sides have pp197-212. offensive to modern tastes, and so is no dancing debate • 4Cutting, J (2005). History and now chosen to perform with other colours of longer practised generally. face paint or patterns which are more socially the morris dance: a look at acceptable. The Shropshire Bedlams recently morris dancing from its earliest In the light of public debate over the rights and wrongs of blackface morris, EFDSS’ Chief Executive opted to forego their black face paint in days until 1850. Hampshire: favour of eye masks. Dance Books. and Artistic Director Katy Spicer looks at the history of ‘blacking-up’ and its current status. • 3Dommett, R (2012). Blacking A big part of morris dance is about up and “Border” morris. Morris So what is ‘blacking-up’? The evidence Photos by Roswitha Chesher entertaining audiences and, over time, has Matters, 31(1), pp15-16. ‘Blacking-up’ is a practice occasionally found within It’s difficult to know the exact origins of blacking-up. evolved to stay relevant and entertaining – • Frampton, G (1991). More morris dance (particularly the border morris style Blackface was sometimes applied as part of hence the wonderful diversity of dance forms honoured in the breach than which uses sticks and tattered coats), molly dance, elaborate and exotic costumes at masques, courtly and customs that we have in England today. the observance: Plough Monday and mummers’ play performance. It’s the practice of entertainment and pageants in the 16th century. Most dance sides do not present morris customs of Cambridgeshire painting one’s face (and sometimes hands) with black Later, criminals (such as poachers) would sometimes dancing as a consciously authentic historical past and present. paint, burnt cork, or boot polish. Whilst the Britannia black-up as a form of camouflage. The Black Act of reconstruction, but as contemporary Unpublished typescript. Coconut Dancers have an unbroken tradition dating 1723 made this practice punishable by death and entertainment, and so are moving away • 2Jones, D (1988). The Welsh back to the 19th century, blackface in contemporary was not repealed until 1823. This Act would likely from black faces to ensure their performance border morris of Herefordshire, morris dance was revived in the 1970s by border have had an impact on the practice of blacking-up is relevant, entertaining and inclusive in the Worcestershire and Shropshire. 3 morris sides, the most influential being The in entertainment throughout the 18th century . 21st century. • 1Kirkpatrick, J (1979). Bordering 1 Shropshire Bedlams . on the insane: confession of a In early references to morris dance there are very Complaints about performances by blackface Shropshire Bedlam. EDS, XLI, Why is it done? few mentions of morris sides or dancers blacking teams have led to three festivals – Shrewsbury, 3 (1979), pp12-14. The sides that black-up now do so because they their faces. In a Latin dictionary published in 1743, Moseley and Lunar – to review their policy on • Metcalfe, C (2013). To black believe it’s a traditional part of morris and mummers’ Franz Junius writes of morris dancing and European engaging such teams for their festivals. EFDSS up or not black up? Morris play costume and wish to continue this tradition. A morescas (dances): “They generally smear their faces reviewed its policy some four years ago and Federation Newsletter, Winter, common belief (suggested by Dave Jones2 and held with soot and wear a foreign style of dress to take while we acknowledge the history of the form, pp6-9. by many contemporary performers) is that blacking- part in such spectacles so as to appear to be Moors, we have made a decision to no longer engage • 6Palmer, R (2004). The folklore up is related to disguise. For example, historically, or so that people think they have flown some blackface morris sides for EFDSS events, of Shropshire. Almeley: Logaston those performing morris, molly or mummers’ plays did considerable distance from a distant country and education projects or any other activities in Press, pp263-269. not want their employers to recognise them because brought with them a strange type of recreation”4. order to ensure that we remain an inclusive • Schofield, D (2005). A black and they were, in today’s terms, ‘busking’. Sometimes It is likely that his definition was based on literary organisation. white issue? English Dance & performers state that blacking-up shows a dance’s analysis rather than on direct observation, but if Song, Summer 2005, pp12-14. connection to coal miners or chimney sweeps who morris dancers were blacking-up at this time, we worked in the area. Contemporary performers see that the intent, as with other uses of blacking-up For articles demonstrating the links between therefore do not see the origins of the dance as in entertainment, was to appear ‘exotic’ and ‘foreign’ blackface in morris dance and the popularity having any racist connotations and certainly do (i.e. appropriating the darker skin of ‘Moors’), and of blackface minstrelsy, see Ashman, 1988; not intend to be offensive. not for purposes of hiding one’s identity. Buckland, 1990; Dommett, 2012; Metcalfe,

14 EDS WINTER 2016 efdss.org cecilsharphouse.org 2013; Palmer, 2004; and Schofield, 2005. EDS WINTER 2016 15