The JMO Day of Dance celebrates Morris dancing in Exeter

Visitors to Exeter City Centre on Saturday (20 April) were in for a treat and could not fail to have noticed one of the many Morris dancing groups joyfully jingling their bells, shaking their handkerchiefs and clacking their sticks (apologies if there is a more technical term that I am unaware of) in celebration of the JMO Day of Dance. Hosted by the Exeter-based Great Western Morris on behalf of the Morris Federation, approximately 40 teams from three affiliations joined together to dance at around 12 sites within the city, delighting crowds of onlookers from the very young to the young at heart. Although some looked on slightly bemused at the spectacle, most were appreciative of a tradition held dear to the hearts of many people of Devon.

The Morris Federation reports that there is written evidence of morris dancing in England from the earlry 15th centrury, but nobody knows why, or where, it started.

According to Great Western Morris, "Morris developed and evolved over the years into the various forms and styles you can see today. Henry VIII was an enthusiastic dancer. An associate of William Shakespeare Morris danced from London to Norwich; a long distance record which still stands. But by the end of the 19th century Morris dancing was in danger of fading away as England consolidated its urban industrial economy.

"Whole teams were killed together in the first world war. Things were getting critical! Cecil Sharp and his colleagues did their best to write down what they could find, and what you see today is largely inspired by their turn of the century work. As a result, most teams dress in a sort of pastiche of 19th century agricultural labourer's clothing and commonly dance to Victorian tunes, with some more ancient ones thrown in."

There were certainly all manner of costumes on display on Saturday, from the more traditional garb of the Exeter Morris resplendent in green waistcoats, to the more modern pink attire with more than a touch of punk about them. For those not happy just to watch and enjoy, the Phoenix Arts centre hosted an hour's free Morris Taster Session for members of the public.