Morris Dancing FAQs

Gog Magog Molly Dances Notation: Gog Magog is a molly team from Cambridge. They maintain a set of dance notes for traditional dances that were recorded by Cyril Papworth.; • Dance Notation: <http://swaine.me.uk/molly/>; • Repertoire and Tunes: <http://www.cam.ac.uk/societies/molly/dances.htm>; • Maintainer: Andrew Swaine <andrew-webmaster@swaine.me.uk>; • Categories: Dance Notes : Molly : Music Sources

Molly Dances Performed by Vancouver Morris Men: Concise dance notes of Molly dances performed by the Vancouver Morris Men during their celebration of Plough Monday. Includes a short bibliography to key manuscript and published reference materials. Links to photos from past performances.; • Molly Dance page: <http://www.vancouvermorrismen.org/molly.html>; • Dance notation (PDF): <http://www.vancouvermorrismen.org/Molly_Dances.pdf>; • Maintainer: Graham Baldwin <grahamb@vancouvermorrismen.org>; • Categories: Bibliographies : Dance Notes : Molly

Molly Dancing and the Seven Champions: Postmodernism and the Re-invention of Tradition: by Elaine Bradtke
PhD Dissertation, University of Maryland, 1997
Dissertations Abstracts Order Number: 9729374; The English folk revival, in recent decades, has seen the revival and reinvention of genres which had been heretofore ignored. One of the most influential groups in the revival is the Seven Champions Molly Dancers. They are compared with pre-revival Molly dancers, as well as dancers from the late twentieth century Molly dance revival. This study is based on archival and field research conducted both in England and the United States, including, interviews, direct observation, participation, questionnaires, and the collection of video and audio taped performances and photographs. Dance and musical notations were made and analyzed. A modified version of John Forrest's "Model for Assessing and Comparing Ceremonial Dance Types" was developed to compare historical and contemporary Molly dancers, the latter divided into traditionalist and innovative categories.; • Available: <http://www.umi.com/hp/Products/DisExpress.html>; • Categories: Books : Molly

Seven Champions Molly Dancers 1977-1987: A history of the formation and development of the Seven Champions Molly Dancers as an scion of Headcorn Morris. Citing influences ranging from Ashley Hutchings "Rattlebones and Ploughjack" recording, John Kirkpatrick's Shropshire Bedlams border revival team seminal appearance at Sidmouth, and West Kent mumming traditions, the team researched traditional Molly dances before developing its own set of dances.; George E. Frampton, "Repertoire?-or Repartee? The Seven Champions Molly Dancers 1977-1987," Lore & Language 6(2):65-81 (1987); • Article: <http://www.mikelanng.com/champs/frampton.html>; • Maintainer: Mike Lanng <mike@lanng.demon.co.uk>; • Categories: History : Molly

Step Change: New views on traditional dance: edited by Georgina Boyes
Francis Boutle Publishers, 2001
ISBN 1-903427-09-6

The study of traditional dance has changed dramatically over the last ten years, bringing in previously unregarded types of dance and challenging the assumptions of the early Folk Dance Revival. Step Change introduces the enthusiast and the general reader alike to seven views of English traditonal dance, some controversial, that reflect this new approach: English sword dancing and the European context; Ladies' clog dance contests of the 1890s; ownership of the Britannia Coco-Nut dances of Bacup, Lancashire; the tradition of 'Molly' dances of East Anglian farm workers and its reinvention in the 1970s; the colourful life of nineteenth-century morris 'fool', William 'Old Mettle' Castle; the folk dance revival as seen through the Abbey School novels of Elsie J. Oxenham; and a fresh look at the achievements of folk dance collector, Maud Karpeles.; • Publisher: <http://www.francisboutle.demon.co.uk/>; • Available: <http://www.cdss.org/sales/english_dance.html>; • Available: <http://www.themorrisring.org/Shop.htm>; • Categories: Books : History : Molly

Truculent Rustics: Molly Dancing in East Anglia before 1940: by Elaine Bradtke
The Folklore Society, 1999, 40 pages, illustrated
ISBN 0-903515-180

What is Molly dancing? Where did it come from? Who performed it and why? What did it look like? And where did the name come from? These are just some of the questions addressed in Truculent Rustics. Although it has undergone a revival in the past twenty years, the history of this little-known English display dance form is not well documented. This publication is intended to fill that gap. A history of this boisterous display dance originating in East Anglia at the Plough Monday celebrations. With illustrations and appendix.; • Information: <http://www.folklore-society.com/fls_books.htm>; • Categories: Books : History : Molly