Category Archives: Dance Out

Yorktown Folk Festival

by in Border Morris, Border Morris Dancing, Dance Out, Morris Dancing, Uncategorized, Waterman's Museum, Yorktown and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

 

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Worcestershire, Shropshire, and Herefordshire (oddly they are all Leicestershires…)

 

Saturday, the 22nd found the drunken Weasels dancing out as part of the Yorktown Folk festival sponsored by our friends over at the Yorktown Waterman’s Museum.   While it might not seem apparent from the name, this museum is quite the friend to folk music and pleases Ron’s attachment to nautical history and Sea Shanties.

 

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Ron thinking of the sea (Photo by Victor Rosello)

 

 

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View from the Museum

 

It was a beautiful day, but by our second set the breeze let us down and the temperatures increased.  This was no doubt felt most severely by Mark who danced two sets with us and then immediately raced over to dance with his Irish Dancers, Rose and Sword.  Congratulations on that Feat Mark!

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Victor Rosello managed to capture some photographs of Tinner’s Rabbit.

 

And Kim did manage this fetching selfie!

 

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Kim’s selfie

 

Actually, except those otherwise attributed most of the photos on this page were taken by Kim.

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As I mentioned earlier, we danced two sets.  The first at the museum proper in the morning, and later in the afternoon at the Waterside Stage, just outside the Water Street Grill.  That was more than enough excuse to have Lunch at the Grill.

 

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Looks like Ron has had too many

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Audiences were a little light, but we all certainly enjoyed ourselves.  A pleasant day of Dance, Music, Comradery and lunch!

 

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Shropshire Morris (Photo by Victor Rosello)

 

Until next time, Morris On!!

 

Calling all Weasels!

by in Border Morris, Border Morris Dancing, Dance Out, Morris Dancing, musicians, recruiting, Williamsburg, VA and tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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Now that the summer is a cumen to a close, its time to shake out the bells and the legs and return to our dance practices for our Fall season.  with that in mind this is a great time for new Weasels to come out and see what the fun is all about!  We are currently looking for eager folk to come on out and hit sticks with us.  No experience is necessary, but if you are familiar with any country dancing you probably can already do this.  we also could use some fun loving musicians.

If you are interested please contact us.

 

Cheers,

Ron

Big weasel and Squire

 

May Day 2018

by in Border Morris, Border Morris Dancing, Dance Out, May Day, Morris Dancing and tagged , , , | Leave a comment

One of the “duties” of a working Morris dancer is to go out on May 1st to dance up the sun and we weasels have been fulfilling this task these last few years. Is not that the responsibility is so pressing, or that the work required is unpleasant, it the fact the sun refuses to wait to rise at a more sensible time.

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This year was again a challenge, it is far easier to convince Weasels to come out on the weekend mornings than before a busy day of work and Weasels of the drunken variety can hardly be expected to climb out of their comfy burrows in the early hours!  Nonetheless, three managed to stagger to our usual rendezvous.

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Judy prepares to knock the moon out of the sky…

We also were forced to rely on recorded music played on my car’s speakers, less than preferred.  our regular musicians insisted that they were unable to play for us due to a previously scheduled gig opposite our dance out.  I suspect they were lying….

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We danced a few three hand dances and then oddly ignoring any of our two hand dances we went straight to two of our favorite four hand in complete defiance of our lack of a fourth! If BrainTrust Morris can dance a six with five in traffic we can certainly dance a four with three in a parking space.

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Afterward, Judy killed King winter with her sword and we feasted, as is the tradition in these parts.

We did have a small audience of three, which is the largest we have had since the Weasels took up this responsibility.  Two of them, John and Cathy Millar saw us two years ago, apparently, that was enough time for them to recover and risk it again.  All the pictures on this post have been stolen without even so much as a by your leave from Cathy (thanks Cathy!).

Cheers until next time,

Dance on!

Easter Fools Ale 2018

by in Border Morris, Border Morris Dancing, Dance Out, Easter, Hudson and Clark, Morris Dancing, musicians and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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One of our annual traditions is joining with a number of our Morris friends for a day of dance at the Easter Un-Parade on Monument Avenue in Richmond.  Our hosts for this event in More of Less Morris from Richmond.

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More or Less Morris

 

The Un-Parade is a very popular event with large crowds of people and dogs showing off their Easter finery.  There is a carnival atmosphere which adds food, live music, and clowns.

This year the weather was perfect for our dance out.  Not overly hot like last year, nor raining as the year before.

Another aspect of this event that makes it a highlight of our admittedly limited Morris Calendar, is that we get to meet, dance and chat with members of several other local sides.

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More or Less in Rags

This year included not only the usual suspects, our hosts More or Less,  the formidable talents of the Albermarle Morris Men from Charlottesville and our Border Morris cousins from Sheppardsville, West Virginia, but this year we were also joined by the fabled Mason Dixon Morris from Maryland.

Mason Dixon, for those unaware are an ancient side whose origins are lost in the long shadows of time and legend.  There are some who believe that it was the Mason Dixon Morris whose bells were found in the archeology of Jamestown Fort!

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Mason Dixon Morris

Today they dance mostly Molly while wearing a kit inspired by Steam Punk.

As to the Weasels, we brought six of our dancers, and in an unusual situation for us, or OWN musicians! We owe a great debt of gratitude to our friends Hudson and Clark for having joined us and played for us.  I hope they do so again!29792258_1945393012147342_2952675527432102640_nWe owe a great debt of gratitude to our friends Hudson and Clark for having joined us and played for us.  I hope they do so again!

We danced most of our favorites, Shropshire Morris, Sheepskins, Not Not For Joes, etc, but we also added a new dance for the first time in public.  This was THE BURNING OF THE PIPER’S HUT by Breathless in Berthoud.

 

The event ended with two mass dances.  A Cotswold dance called Highland Mary and the traditional Border Dance Dilwyn.  The Dilwyn was particularly silly.

 

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Massed Dilwyn

 

 

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The Musicians Massed for Dilwyn

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A great deal of fun was had by all, and we look forward to next year!

Cheers!

 

2018 Easter Ale

by in Border Morris, Border Morris Dancing, Dance Out, Morris Dancing, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

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This Sunday we will once again be dancing out in Richmond in celebration of Easter.  This is a yearly event with our friends Albermarle Morris Men, Hicks With Sticks and the hosts More or Less Morris.  This year we will also be joined by newcomers Mason Dixon Morris.

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The Ale coincides with the Richmond Easter parade on Monument Avenue.  We will be dancing somewhere around the 2200-2300 blocks between 1 and 5 with the exception of a lunch break somewhere in there.

I hope we will see some of you there!

 

Morrispolooza is Here!!!

by in Border Morris, Border Morris Dancing, Dance Out, Endview Plantation, Harvest Faire, Newport News, Newport News Park, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

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This may not seem like much for our Morris cousins across the Atlantic, but the Weasels have a very busy two days before them

Tonight, October 6, we will be dancing out at the Harvest Faire at Endview.  Showtimes are 7:00 and 8:00.  Tomorrow we are the opening act of the day there at a cheery 9:30 in the morning.

Later, at 3:00 to 4:00, we will be dancing at the Children’s Stage at the Newport News Folk Like Festival at Newport News Park.  This is a very large event so allow yourselves plenty of time.

No rest for the wicked!  Hope we might see you there!