Day of Dance marks 40 years of morris side

The morris dancers, based in Worthing, and the museum in Amberley are both celebrating 40 years this season.

The Day of Dance on Saturday, March 17, from 11am to 4pm brings together four morris sides from the area, plus a Cornish side, so there will be more than 100 dancers and musicians involved.

Lyn Thomas, from Sompting Village Morris, said: “We believe it should be quite a spectacular event.”

Sompting Village Morris has a men’s team, ladies’ team and a variety of talented musicians.

Fishbourne Mill Morris is a mixed team, dancing mostly in the Cotswold tradition. The team was founded 30 years ago by Helen Floyd, who is still the squire and one of the lead dancers.

Magog Morris is a ladies’ team based in Horsham, formed in 1974. The varied dance repertoire includes stave dances, clog and north-west dances, and attractive garland dances.

Temporary Measured is a women’s morris team based in Washington. The dances are done in clogs, in the north-west tradition, which has its origins in the mill towns of Lancashire and Cheshire. The dances are done in multiples of four dancers in two long lines, with a leader at the front of the set.

Sun Oak Clog is an English step side who dances Lancashire, Westmorland and other styles of dancing.

Tywardreath Morris from Cornwall was formed in 2010. It is a traditional morris side for both men and women performing dances from the Cotswold tradition.