The Wessex Folk Festival’s pleased to present a wonderful array of Morris Dancing. These are a few of the the sides that appeared at the 2024 Festival.
Otter Border Morris
We are an energetic border morris side founded in 2016 and based in East Devon. We love what we do and can be recognised by our enthusiastic music and dance, clashing sticks, tatter coats in the colours of the oak tree, and our friendly cries of ‘Give it Some!’
Pigsty Morris
We are a mixed Cotswold side from north Bristol formed in 1986. The name comes from Pigsty Hill, Bishopston, which is where we practice. Once upon a time we wore green and red trousers but we swapped them for the current baldricks kit about fifteen years ago. We dance mainly Fieldtown, Lichfield, Adderbury with a bit of Bampton and Bucknell and other odds and ends occasionally.
Grimspound Border Morris
Grimspound Border Morris were formed around a pub table in Combeinteignhead in 1994, so 2024 is our 30th Anniversary! We have grown and evolved to the side we are now, with a number of new dances and refreshes to old dances ready to perform out this year. With clashing sticks, look out for our black tatters with a dash of purple as we dance our way through both days of the Wessex Folk Festival.
Anoymous Morris
Anonymous are a large, high-energy, Border Morris team. In their swirling purple tatters and top hats, they’re an unmissable sight at any festival.
Based in Poole, they accept dancers of any age from 8 upwards and welcome all-comers regardless of race/gender/religion sexual orientation, etc.
Beetlecrushers Clog and Step Dance Group
Founded in 1982 and based at Gurney Slade, Somerset, the group performs clog dances from the British Isles plus percussive steps and dances from Scotland, Isle of Man, Quebec and Cape Breton Island.
Their costume is based on that worn on Mendip in the early 1900s.
Wessex Morris Men
Wessex Morris Men were founded in 1957 by a group of young men out of The White Horse Morris Men. We are an all male side, dancing mainly in the Cotswold tradition. The side is an active member of the Morris Ring. During the summer months (St. George’s day onwards) we dance out on Monday evenings and also at shows, fetes and other public and private events around West Dorset and nearby.
Enigma Morris
Enigma Morris was started in 2014 in South Petherton. Moved to a larger hall as the side grew. Our kit is turquoise & black tatters, with mask & matching accessories.
West Somerset Morris
Originally formed in 1965 as a men’s Cotswold Morris dance side. In 2015 we also formed a mixed Border Morris dance side, which was amalgamated with the original Cotswold Morris side in 2018. Our colours are those of the local Brendon and Quantock Hills, green, yellow (gorse) and purple (heather). We perform throughout the West Somerset area, at fetes, and local Exmoor pubs as well as holiday parks,
Quayside Cloggies
The Quayside Cloggies, a mixed Clog-Morris side, are based in Wimborne, East Dorset. They
dance in the North-West Tradition. Their dances originate mainly in Cheshire and Lancashire but also include some garland dances. The team wear colourful costumes and clogs styled on traditional wear for the mill workers in the North of England during the nineteenth century.
Frome Valley Morris
Frome Valley Morris are a long-established Dorset team who have danced around the county and far beyond since 1978. Practices are held in the Old Town Hall, Weymouth DT4 8JH Thursday evenings from September to April. Frome Valley dance some innovative and adapted dances from the Dorset stave dance tradition and the Cotswold traditions of Adderbury, Ilmington and Badby.
