Morris dancing as seen by a morris dancer.
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The original and true Morris Dance steps The original and true Morris Dance steps
It was interesting talking to a fellow Morris Dancer that learnt his dance steps elsewhere.
We we going over the side step in Fieldtown. Now quite clearly to all of us that had been taught it by the same person over the last 40 years knew beyond doubt that our way of dancing this specific step was not only the right way but the only way and exactly how Cecil Sharp first observed it.
Interestingly this was also the view of the dancer I was talking to, but one that had learnt it in some foreign county North of the Thames. So we were in agreement.
Unfortunately his way of doing it was slightly (but significantly) different, so which of these was the version recorded by Cecil Sharp?
In reality probably neither. There is nobody alive now that went round with him so we can only surmise as to the accuracy of his recording. But even then whose version did he note down?
On the video clips I have put onto YouTube there are variations and even if you are able to differentiate between the learners and the so called experienced men then there are still variations. Anyone studying these clips in a hundred years time will be hard pushed to know which showed the version observed by Cecil Sharp.
This is the great thing about Morris Dancing, we all do it the same but the subtle (and at times not so subtle ) variations in itself makes Morris Dancing unique.
Whilst most teams will if they have any pride in themselves will generally dance in similar styles, the individual dancer will have his own minor variations.
This is just as Cecil Sharp would have seen Morris. All seemingly doing the same thing but when the finer detail was observed then no two men were doing the same thing.
posted on 7.2.07 by John 0 comments
Morris Dancing Fieldtown steps
Morris Dancing Fieldtown steps
I will be preparing a series of video clips on each part of Fieldtown, Pauls master class last Wednesday reaped a fine harvest of raw clips.
So over the next few weeks I will convert them into usable YouTube clips covering, sidesteps, galleys, capers and so on, let me know as they develop just how useful they are to you.
