The Independent today (Sun 11 May o8) had their `New Review’ magazine part with a cover of Hunters Moon Morris at May dawning, under the title “Cudgels at dawn . . . meet the morris men with attitude . . . “.
Inside, a 4 page article described the “...secret revolution in Morris dancing” and described how “fresh rivalries are emerging, as younger men and women reinvent “the morris” in startling ways…” and went on to describe Hunters Moon (vigorous, noisy, saucy and pagan) as well as Wolfshead and Vixen (gothic) – with some great pictures.
The article contrasted these with `traditional’ morris and also had pix/comment on a Cotswold Side, Long Man Morris Men. The article did a fair job of the historical background and the variations of Morris but I wondered what others felt when they read it?
Having danced Morris for a good 30 years and loving all forms of it, I welcome any media profile raising as long as it is not derogatory – and this wasn’t. Slightly narrow in focus - yes, (didn’t mention any of the other multitude of Sides of all genders/ages/forms/types of morris) but the article was contrasting the newer part of the morris heritage (Border) with that of our older traditional Cotswold traditions. It did make an interesting read, and I think all 3 Sides in the article did a great job in raising the morris profile.
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