Tags
Border Morris dancing, Day of Dance 2019, folk dance, folk music, Folk Traditions, Halesworth, Molly dancing, Morris dancing, Mummers, Suffolk
Those of you who have kindly followed my intermittent ramblings for a few years might remember that Richard and I have attended the Day of Dance a couple of times before. One of the local Molly dance sides (teams) wished to celebrate an important anniversary in 2015 so invited other Morris and Molly dance sides to join them in Halesworth for the day, as a one-off. This was so successful that the Day of Dance has taken place each year since then and it has grown! Not only Morris Dancers, Border Morris dancers and Molly Dancers take part but also steam punk sides have joined in, belly dancers, buskers and mummers! Please follow the links if you are interested in finding out about Mollys and Mummers!
Below is a slideshow of some photos I took on the day. The Morris side wearing blue and white is Rumburgh Morris, our local team who were featured in Episode 4 of Alice Robert’s series ‘Britain’s Most Historic Towns’.
Here is a very short video I took of one of the sides. I have no idea of their name or where they came from but I thought they were fun.
Here follows a video I found on Youtube of the procession round the town at the start of the day. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog!
A Suffolk Lane 
I love your video! It looks like so much fun and they seem like such characters. Dancing is a wonderful way to show the joy of living. I hope you danced along with them!
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Thank you, Sheila. It was a really fun day but no, we didn’t dance we were merely spectators.
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Do you participate on the dancing, Clare? Looks like all enjoy their varied dances. 🙂
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Thank you, HJ. It was great fun but no, we didn’t dance. 😀
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What fun? Took a quick look and will watch again when things settle down.
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Thank you, Laurie, I know how busy you are and am grateful you took the time to look at my post and comment.
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My pleasure!
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Great stuff – no rapper dancers? Steve used to be a member of a local team about oooh, thirty years ago 🙂
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No, no rapper dancers 😀
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Superb event, the Day of Dance. Must try to visit it some day. Many thanks for sharing 🙂
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My pleasure!
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Joyful! Thank you
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Thank you, Reggie!
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Looks like a lot of fun, thank you for sharing your experiences.
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My pleasure and thank you, Susan.
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What a fun day! Thanks for sharing your outing and the video, Clare.
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It was a really fun day! Thank you, Jill
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❤ I'm glad you had a good time, Clare!
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❤
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People having lots of fun–what could be better?!
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Exactly, Kerry! Thank you. 🙂
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The joy of music and dance is simply wonderful, Clare. Thanks for posting and sharing with us.
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Thank you, Mary Ann – it is!
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It is good to know others who feel the same way. Music and dance make the world a happier place.
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You are so right. Unfortunately, music and dance are often the first things to go when educational cuts are being made.
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Agree. In this country as well. We found a private, independent school for our children where arts, music, dance and foreign languages were valued and taught from pre-K through grade 12. Small class sizes. We don’t regret the costs either. No one can take an education away from you!
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🙂
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^__^
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A well recorded cultural event
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Thank you very much, Derrick.
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How’s it to live somewhere famous?
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Hehe!
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I can’t think of anything here that even comes close, unless it’s the St. Patrick’s day parade in Boston.
But this seems like it would be a very old, maybe even an ancient tradition, and of course we don’t have much here with that kind of age.
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Actually much of the dancing is revived from traditions that had virtually died out during the last century. Fortunately, there are plenty of records (photos, films, and voice recordings) of the old songs and dances and a very few teams of dancers had kept going against the odds.
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Interesting. Thank you.
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Oh this looks fun! And from Arizona it looks so unique!
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Thank you, Luanne! It was fun!
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What a great time!
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🙂
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I really enjoyed your video for the dancing and the music but the expression on the face of the chap who walked in front of you and then stopped was the icing on the cake.
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Yes! I loved the look on his face too! that was one of the reasons I chose that video over another one. Thank you, Tom.
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I always enjoy watching local dances, and in your video everyone is looking happy and relaxed. It is such a good way to teach and pass on traditions to the next generation. I think we saw the Mummers on one of Michael Portillo’s shows.
Thanks for an interesting post Clare.
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My pleasure, Gerrie. It was a really happy experience especially as with our political and economic problems at present there isn’t too much to be happy about.
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Yes, we have family in the UK, and the uncertainty of the political situation is very stressful.
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Love that kind of thing, Clare – don’t see enough of it – so thank you. Mind you, a bit of rock ‘n’ roll is good too… (I’m just an old head-banger).
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Thank you, Mike. We enjoy this event as there are hardly any grumpy faces anywhere in the town, for the whole day.
My husband’s an old head-banger, too.
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It looks like a fun day for every one, for both dancers and watchers! I’m glad that they decided to make it an annual event, it will be something to look forward to each year.
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Thank you, Jerry. I am glad it’s an annual event too (they have already set the date for next year) and the town itself is very glad of the extra visitors.
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What a lovely procession.
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Thank you, Kevin.
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I love stuff like this, authentic and traditional and well worth keeping alive.
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Thank you, Ste J. Yes, it is worth keeping alive if only for the fun everyone who takes part seems to have!
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It sets us apart as well, in this globalised world protecting the traditions is so important.
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Fun music for the dancers! Thanks for sharing, Clare. It looks so fun!! 😁❤
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Thank you, Patsy. It was really good fun! 😀 ❤
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You’re welcome, Clare! I’m sure it was! 😁
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Wonderful, I have always thought we should honour our folk traditions more and should teach some of this in schools for fun. Although I know from a couple of scots who learnt Scottish country dancing and were not so impressed but hey they can join in. Good to see you posting and enjoying the spring.
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Thank you very much, Georgina. I remember learning a couple of dances in primary school but it was a regular thing. My husband had fairly regular folk dance classes in primary school and quite enjoyed them.
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I didn’t want to comment until I could make the time to watch that second video. I enjoyed all the dancing! Interesting how they all went down that alley – I found myself imagining they were headed into a pub nearby, but so many people could never fit into one, I wouldn’t think! And then I noticed it was a video from the beginning of the day – I don’t suppose they’d be looking for a pub that early. 😀 I enjoyed the costumes. Don’t see anything like it here.
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Thank you, Lisa. All the pubs were open and most of them had customers all day! The dance teams were parading round the town. They all met in the Market Place just a few yards up the road down which you saw them come in the video. The alleyway goes round the back of the town and past the river and comes out at the top of the Thoroughfare (the main shopping street through the town). The teams then danced all the way up the Thoroughfare and back to the Market Place. After that all the dance teams took it in turns to dance outside all the different pubs and cafes.
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I looks like you had an enjoyable time out along with all the participants, Clare!
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Thank you, Lavinia. We had a wonderful time!
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Clare, what a wonderful day of dance and I’ll have to note it down and try to visit next year! The music is always uplifting and a lot of fun to watch the various dancers and their types of dance! The videos are excellent and professional quality. Many thanks for sharing your day out! 😀
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You’re very kind, Annika – thank you! They have already set the date for next year’s Day of Dance and hope it will be bigger and better than this year.
I hope your son has coped alright with his A Levels. Has he finished?
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Clare, how sweet of you to remember about my son and his A-levels. They are over next Friday and so far going very well – big smiles each time I pick him up after his exams. He’s working very hard. Seriously, I would be interested in going to the Day of Dance, so please let me know the date for next year and I’ll note it down!
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I am so pleased that your son appears to be coping so well with his exams! Well done him! The next Halesworth Day of Dance is on Saturday 28th March 2020 and usually begins about 11.00 with a procession from the Market Place. xx
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It’s in my diary … the first event in there for 2020! 😀
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😀
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What a great tradition to start. It looks like such fun. Were you and Richard quietly kicking up your heels on the sidelines? C’mon, confess!
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Hehe! That would have been a sight! We love to watch them but don’t join in – it’s for the best!
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i love your video, it’s full of joy. Thank you for sharing this. Huge hugs and much ❤ flowing to you all. ❤ Xxxx
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Thank you, my dear Jane. It was a very joyful day. Hugs and love flowing back to you ❤ ❤
XXxxXX
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A fun day all round!
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It was! Thank you, Margaret.
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I loved seeing these pictures and videos, thank you so much for sharing them! When I was in primary school, in the last year, I took part in what was called ‘country dancing’. The music sounded the same as this accordian style music and the dancing was similar though we did it in pairs. I had never felt such an exciting buzz from any other form of dancing (not that I’ve done that much dancing). There was something so lovely about dancing and in a big group like that where you all get involved. I have to say I’ve missed it ever since primary school, but I haven’t seen any real clubs for it where I’ve been living, I need to visit your town, lol 😀
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Thank you, Cat! I am sure that there will be folk dancing or Morris dancing groups somewhere near you and they are always looking for new members. Try searching on the internet – I know that most of our local folk groups have their own websites. You may even find a Polish folk dance group if you’re interested in your family heritage. xx
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Yes I should look more on the internet, I’d definitely love to dance more polish folk dancing too, there’s not a big community where I live at the moment but I’ll look around. I don’t know if you’ve seen polish folk dress but I love it😊😊😊❤️
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Yes I have – it’s beautiful! I had a Polish uncle.
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Oh wow, that’s amazing 🙂 ❤
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🙂
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Looks like a fun day!
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It was! Thank you, Simon. 🙂
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Your video is very cool. Love it!
In a far away way, it makes me think of Square Dancing in the Canadian prairies.
Thank you for this taste of culture!
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Thank you very much, Resa. It does have similarities to square dancing, you are right!
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Beautiful tradition.
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Thank you, Laleh.
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My pleasure.
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Dear Clare, it was very interesting for me to read about the wonderful “day of dance” that takes place in your area once a year. This is a great event that will surely bring joy to many visitors and, above all, dancers. I think that many people are disappointed that this wonderful festival cannot take place at the moment. Yes, there are so many things that we are all missing right now…
Have a nice and sunny day, Clare! 🌞
Rosie
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Thank you so much for commenting on this post, Rosie! We have now missed two Days of Dance – I do hope they are able to hold the festival again next year!
We did have some sunshine today but also some much-needed rain as well!
Best wishes and love,
Clare 🙂
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♥️
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