Morris Federation
Encyclopedia
The Morris Federation is one of the three existing umbrella organisations for morris dancing
sides in the United Kingdom
. It was officially founded as the Women's Morris Federation in 1975 as a direct response to the long-existing Morris Ring
which did not (and does not to this day) allow all-female or mixed sides to join and was, as the original name suggests, limited to all-female teams.
In 1980, the Federation opened its doors to mixed teams, and two years later adopted a policy of allowing any team to join, regardless of gender - it was at about this point that the third umbrella group was founded, the Open Morris
, which adopted this policy from the start.
The Morris Federation's aims are as follows...
The Federation is principally for practicing UK-based morris teams, but membership categories exist for interested individuals and overseas teams as well.
Morris dance
Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, handkerchiefs and bells may also be wielded by the dancers...
sides in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was officially founded as the Women's Morris Federation in 1975 as a direct response to the long-existing Morris Ring
Morris Ring
The Morris Ring is one of three umbrella groups for Morris dance sides in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1934 by 6 sides: Greensleeves, Cambridge, East Surrey, Letchworth, Oxford and Thaxted. They meet several times a year, each Ring Meeting being hosted by a different member side...
which did not (and does not to this day) allow all-female or mixed sides to join and was, as the original name suggests, limited to all-female teams.
In 1980, the Federation opened its doors to mixed teams, and two years later adopted a policy of allowing any team to join, regardless of gender - it was at about this point that the third umbrella group was founded, the Open Morris
Open Morris
Open Morris is one of the three umbrella groups for morris dance sides in England. It was formed primarily by members of Fenstanton Morris in the early 1980s as a response to the male-only policy of the Morris Ring and the female-only riposte of the Morris Federation Open Morris is one of the...
, which adopted this policy from the start.
The Morris Federation's aims are as follows...
- to encourage and maintain interest in the practice of morris dancing by men and women of all ages.
- to provide a channel of communication between member sides.
- to encourage the improvement of standards of dancing among its members.
The Federation is principally for practicing UK-based morris teams, but membership categories exist for interested individuals and overseas teams as well.