2 ~ Looking back to 1974; Bean Setting; et ceteraI thank Norman Stanfield who, finding that the issue containing my article was missing from the AMN website, had successfully pressed for it to be found, scanned, and put on line. He saved me much extra work and delays, for I had mislaid that AMN issue, and my original text. AMERICAN MORRIS
NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 68, NUMBER 2 [1984] Notes from the Editors AMN is proud to initiate a new feature section in our pages. The concept of "The History of Morris in North America" is to recount the process of how Morris dancing, in all its forms, was introduced, how it spread, and how it has developed across this continent. The project was initiated in the Fall of I982 while I was on sabbatical in London, England. So while all the archives, diaries, letters of correspondance and lost unpublished autobiographies are found and analyzed, we start the series by recounting the more recent history of the establishment of today's North American sides. In this, our maiden presentation, we take note of one of our oldest, most western and most northern of sides -- Hollytree Morris from Victoria, British Columbia. Your comments about the progress of these features are always welcomed -- J.C.B. [Jim Brickwedde] History of Morris in North America Project
Hollytree Morris Dancers Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 1974-1984: a History by David Winn Anyone looking for Victoria on the map will
notice that our city ~ the
capital of BC, but with a population only a fifth of
Vancouver's ~ is eccentric and insular. This geography is reflected in
our Morris activities.
Victoria is a cosmopolitan city with numerous
active ethnic clubs,
many of which have dance teams. English traditions were not
represented,
however, and partly with the aim of filling this gap, my wife Christine
and I decided to expand our involvement in international folkdancing
and tackle dances of our native land. On a return visit to England in
1973, we obtained some literature and recordings from Cecil Sharp
House. Using this sparse material, plus books in the public library, I
reconstructed two Headington dances (inaccurately, as I later
discovered).
(An example of From our folkdance club we recruited enough men
for one side. Christine organized the wives in
costume-making (the
Forest
of Dean multi-coloured patch vest, as worn also by the Beaux of
London City); the other gear includes straw hat, long-sleeved
white shirt, and white trousers; individuals choose their colours
for ribbons on hats, arms, and bellpads, and pile decorations and
souvenirs on their hats according to their own fancy.
We found ready-made jumbo-sized handkerchiefs in a local store, but in blue & white and red & white patterns, which hence became part of our standard kit. Frequent stick breakage caused interesting random effects at performances until my employer's chief forester arranged a supply of superior specimens for us. (He advised us to use a long-fibred species, I think some kind of maple, for strength, and on a company field trip they found for us a bunch of cuttings. So far they have lasted three decades, and they have a beautiful piercing ring, when held with a relaxed grip, and aimed at a meeting point for the clash, rather than swung like a golf club.) Our first appearance was in 1974, a stage
performance in a
program of folk dances. Lacking a musician, we depended on recordings.
For a couple of years we continued with occasional practices and
performances. We did not exclude women, but few
were interested in participating except as stand-ins; when they
would wear the men's costume.
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Bean Setting(Karen, one of our early women dancers, wrote this in 1974 on the eve of our first public performance. "Newcombe" was the Auditorium at the Provincial Museum; but I forget what "V.A.R.O.O.M." was supposed to stand for.) I'll never forget I bean-set in my sleep (Chorus) David wants us to put lots of muscle I should stop playing this tune soon. |
(1976, after two years, Bean Setting, Market Square; from
left,
Don, David
Taylor, me, Valin)
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