Biggest Ever Morris Dancing Fest in Bridlington at Old Town Festival Day on 29th June
Bridlington will see the biggest Morris Dancing display ever in the town at the Old Town Festival Day with 6 Morris Dancing Teams known as ‘Sides’ and their musicians, from York, Ripon, Beverley, Hull, Scarborough & Bridlington.
Bridlington’s Makara Morris has been invited By the Old Town Association to coordinate displays by all the teams at two main locations at the Festival – Behind the Bayle near Priory Green and at the top of Old Town Market Place, where there are adjacent food stalls.
The event on Sunday June 29th is part of the Yorkshire Festival 2014 fringe events programme, the first ever arts festival to precede the Grand Départ of the Tour De France in its 111 history.
Bridlington Town Crier David Hinde said: “Visitors to the Festival day will be greeted by a blaze of colours, flowers, garlands, traditional & unique costumes. Never before has Old Town seen such a concentration of Morris Dancers – it’s going to be fabulous!! We hope given the proximity of the Festival to the Hull Gateway that many overseas visitors coming through on their way to the Grand Départ Yorkshire will enjoy the old traditions of this beautiful part of England & its heritage.”
1. Rackaback are a mixed (men and women) Border Morris team based in Hull, East Yorkshire, Traditional Border Morris (big sticks!) Rackaback dance in black with purple and a splash of gold reflecting the association of past Royalty with Hull - Kingston Upon Hull, the Kings Town of Hull.
2. Ripon City Morris Dancers perform dances from the North West of England. This style is traditionally from Lancashire and the adjoining areas of Cheshire, Yorkshire and the Lake District. Ripon City Morris use fresh flowers in their hats, one of only a handful of teams to do so. The hats therefore have to be made up each time they perform and reflect the seasons of the year.
3. The Minster Strays based amidst the Howardian Hlls between York and Pickering. Wearing green, burgundy and gold waistcoats, and colourful tatters, they perform the dances of Old England including elegant dances from the Cotswolds with complex sequences of galleys and capers, together with wild, raucous displays from the Welsh borders.
4. Beverley Garland Dancers are a Beverley based Ladies Team who perform Flower Garland and stick dances from Lancashire and Cheshire along with clog dances from Lancashire and Cumberland.
5. Yorkshire Coast Morris A mixed team of Morris with danceouts around Scarborough and District, including such places as Whitby, Filey and Malton. Musical accompaniment is often from melodeon (an accordion type thing with buttons) but members play fiddles, banjo, whistle, and recorder
6. Makara Morris Bridlington’s own Border Morris Recognised by their distinctive kit of Green ‘Tatters’ which represent the legend of the Green Man –The name ‘Makara’ being part of the far history of the Green Man’ With sticks, hankies & bells Makara capture the spirit of the Lord Of The Dance.
Morris dancing has a long recorded history in England. By the early 1500’s Morris Dancing was a key part of Church festivals. Indeed in the Medieval period the churches brewed and sold ales which were used for many occasions for Christenings, brides ales and Whitsuntide ales. By the 1700’s The Morris became attached to village fetes, and the May Day celebrations. http://festival.yorkshire.com/events/bridlington-old-town-summer-festival
CONTACT David Hinde Tel 01262 851445
Visit www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk, Yorkshire Festival on Facebook or follow Yorkshire Festival 2014 on Twitter - YFest2014
ENDS
Yorkshire Festival 2014 is the first ever 100-day festival to precede the Grand Départ in its 111 year history. Nearly 50 events have been selected to be officially part of Yorkshire Festival 2014 which will also include hundreds of fringe events.
- ENDS - Images: Caption details Editors’ Notes:
• Yorkshire Festival 2014 is the first ever cultural festival to precede the Tour de France, the world’s biggest annual sporting event
• Yorkshire Festival 2014 will run from 27th March to the 6th July 2014
• Yorkshire Festival 2014 is backed by Welcome to Yorkshire, Yorkshire Water and the Arts Council England as well as Local Authorities across the county.
For further information contact:
Debbie Pett – Anita Morris Associates for Yorkshire Festival 2014 [email protected] Tel. 01943 603311 Mob. 07740 362861