Introduction to The Morris

This section includes instructions on how to do 4 stick dances, 2 handkerchief dances and 2 hand-clapping dances which can also be done while holding handerchiefs.                      

Giving instructions on how to dance The Morris is asking for trouble. There are as many different opinions as to how the different dances should be done as there are people involved in Morris Dancing and it seems that those involved in Morris Dancing hold their views strongly.  

The dances described here are interpretations and include many adaptations which we have found work well with children of Primary School age as well as novice dancers. They are all based on genuine dances from the Cotswold tradition and follow fairly closely the notation recorded by Cecil sharp (and others).  

One major change we have introduced is to substitute a Whole Cast for the Morris Hey as the hey is a difficult movement for most children to understand. However, instructions for doing a Morris Hey are given below  

FIRST (1) & (2) face up and cast to middle place while (3) & (4) face up and dance between (1) & (2) and (5) & (6) face down and cast out and away from each other		SECOND (1) & (2) dance between   (5) & (6) towards bottom while (3) & (4) ,(now at the top) face up and  cast out and away from each other and (5) & (6) dance outside (1) & (2) to middle place
THIRD (1) & (2)  dance between (5) & (6)  to bottom while (3) & (4) dance outside (5) & (6)  to middle and (5) & (6)dance between (3) & (4) to top		FOURTH (1) & (2) now at bottom (3) & (4) now in middle (5) & (6) now at top   This is a half hey   Continue the pattern to complete a whole hey

Each dancer will move in a figure of eight, weaving between the other dancers in their own line
Top and bottom dancers will finish at the other end: middle dancers  will finish in original place
To complete the hey, end dancers will cast out and middle dancers will face down to start.