Nantgarw tradition
Encyclopedia
Nantgarw tradition is a style of Morris dancing from the South and Valleys
regions of Wales
, specifically the small village
of Nantgarw
. The style encompasses both handkerchief
and stick dances. The dances call for eight dancers in four pairs. There are now five dances in the Nantgarw tradition: Y Gaseg Eira (The Snow Mare
), Hela'r Sgwarnog (Hunting the Hare
), Ty Coch Caerdydd (Red House of Cardiff
), Y Derwydd (The Druid
) and Y Goron (The Crown). They are most frequently performed by Cardiff
Morris. The style was first put into dance notation
by Dr. Ceinwen Thomas who wrote down what her mother, Margretta Thomas, could remember of the dances that had been danced locally when she was young.
of Rhondda Cynon Taf where they are said to have first been performed.
in Caerphilly
and at Nantgarw and Y Groes Wen. Due to the hostility of the local churches
to folk dancing, Margretta Thomas' own mother was not keen on her daughter going to see these dances, but Margretta was able to convince her father to take her along to witness the displays. The rise of Nonconformism
in Wales meant that by the time Margretta Thomas was in her teens folk dancing had practically been eradicated in Nantgarw.
she was discussing the tradition of dancing in Nantgarw with her mother. After Ceinwen Thomas had left college she met Walter Dowding of the Welsh National Folk Dance Society. She told him about her mother's recollections of folk dancing in Nantgarw. He put her in touch with Doris Freeman. Together Margretta Thomas, Ceinwen Thomas and Doris Freeman worked to notate the dance steps from the traditional dances that Margretta Thomas could remember. These notes were then passed on to the Welsh National Folk Dance Society by Ceinwen Thomas.
experienced a revival in folk dancing and Morris dancing in the 1960s. In Wales
this meant, in part, a resurgence in interest in the Nantgarw tradition from sides who were looking for Welsh dances to add to their English ones. Sides such as Cardiff
Morris Men began piecing together these traditional dances from the notes that had been written down by Ceinwen Thomas. After these 'original' dances had pieced back together sides began to create more dances that were 'in the style of' the Nantgarw tradition. Many of these new creations, such as Y Derwydd, are now held to be just as much a part of the Nantgarw tradition as the original dances.
can be summarised as Foot Up, Corners Change, Top Hey, Bottom Hey and Circular Hey, with usually a distinctive verse figure unique to each dance.
-style circular movements at waist level for the capers. In the 'chipping' sequences in Caseg Eira and Hunting the Hare the arms are raised in turn and in time with the single stepping which accompanies it.
dance has a pattern entirely peculiar to itself and was the first Nantgarw dance to see the light of day with the Cardiff Morris. The name of the dance is a Welsh
idiom
for a very large snowball
, and it is so named because at one point in the dance the hand waving movements resemble the movements of somebody rolling a large snowball. This is the original Nantgarw dance and was being danced by 1974.
dance.Current practise with the music
is to use hornpipe time
, which lends a lilt to the dance that some people find attractive. It had been addd to the Nantgarw repertoire by 1984.
-fashion (as in downhill
, not slalom or cross-country) and are brought up in front of the face to clash. It was being danced by 1984.
) until it was renamed after the tune it is danced to. There are only eight sticks in this dance and no clashing except in the chorus. The dance pattern is identical to that of Hunting the Hare, even down to the half-heys in the chorus, except that the corner figures are completely replaced with Stars. It was put together in 1991.
Welsh Affairs Editor Vaughan Roderick
wrote in a blog
in 2009 that he doubted the history of these dances. He questioned why only Margretta Thomas had any recollection of these dances being performed. He wrote that his great grandfather had been a minister in Nantgarw in the 1880s but had not seen these dances. He linked it to a romantic nationalist desire
to create a longstanding tradition in Wales even if one had not existed in reality.
It has been pointed out that there are similarities between the Welsh Nantgarw style of Morris dance and the English Lichfield
style of Morris dance. It is known that there were potteries
in Nantgarw and these were largely staffed by workers from Staffordshire
where Lichfield Morris was danced.
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
regions of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, specifically the small village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Nantgarw
Nantgarw
Nantgarw is a village in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, near Cardiff.From an electoral and administrative perspective Nantgarw falls within the ward of Taffs Well, a village some 2.5 miles south, but historically fell within the boundaries of Caerphilly, which is a major town...
. The style encompasses both handkerchief
Handkerchief
A handkerchief , also called a handkercher or hanky, is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse, and which is intended for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or face, or blowing one's nose...
and stick dances. The dances call for eight dancers in four pairs. There are now five dances in the Nantgarw tradition: Y Gaseg Eira (The Snow Mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
), Hela'r Sgwarnog (Hunting the Hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
), Ty Coch Caerdydd (Red House of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
), Y Derwydd (The Druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
) and Y Goron (The Crown). They are most frequently performed by Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
Morris. The style was first put into dance notation
Dance notation
Dance notation is the symbolic representation of dance movement. It is analogous to movement notation but can be limited to representing human movement and specific forms of dance such as Tap dance...
by Dr. Ceinwen Thomas who wrote down what her mother, Margretta Thomas, could remember of the dances that had been danced locally when she was young.
Etymology
The Nantgarw dances take their name from the village of Nantgarw in the county boroughCounty borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Rhondda Cynon Taf where they are said to have first been performed.
Origins
Catherine Margretta Thomas was born Catherine Margretta Davies in 1880 in the village of Nantgarw. Her parents were Daniel and Hannah Davies. As a child she enjoyed watching the local dances as they were performed in an open space below Twyn ChapelChapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
in Caerphilly
Caerphilly
Caerphilly is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is a commuter town of Cardiff and Newport, which are located some 7.5 miles and 12 miles away, respectively...
and at Nantgarw and Y Groes Wen. Due to the hostility of the local churches
Religion in Wales
Christianity is the largest religion in Wales. Until 1920 the established church was Anglican, although Wales has a strong tradition of nonconformism and Methodism....
to folk dancing, Margretta Thomas' own mother was not keen on her daughter going to see these dances, but Margretta was able to convince her father to take her along to witness the displays. The rise of Nonconformism
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
in Wales meant that by the time Margretta Thomas was in her teens folk dancing had practically been eradicated in Nantgarw.
The Welsh National Folk Dance Society
Dancing had died hard if inconsistently by the time Margretta Thomas' daughter, Ceinwen Thomas, was born. But the influence of Nonconformism waned and by the time Ceinwen Thomas was attending schoolSchool
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
she was discussing the tradition of dancing in Nantgarw with her mother. After Ceinwen Thomas had left college she met Walter Dowding of the Welsh National Folk Dance Society. She told him about her mother's recollections of folk dancing in Nantgarw. He put her in touch with Doris Freeman. Together Margretta Thomas, Ceinwen Thomas and Doris Freeman worked to notate the dance steps from the traditional dances that Margretta Thomas could remember. These notes were then passed on to the Welsh National Folk Dance Society by Ceinwen Thomas.
Revival
The United KingdomUnited 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...
experienced a revival in folk dancing and Morris dancing in the 1960s. In Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
this meant, in part, a resurgence in interest in the Nantgarw tradition from sides who were looking for Welsh dances to add to their English ones. Sides such as Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
Morris Men began piecing together these traditional dances from the notes that had been written down by Ceinwen Thomas. After these 'original' dances had pieced back together sides began to create more dances that were 'in the style of' the Nantgarw tradition. Many of these new creations, such as Y Derwydd, are now held to be just as much a part of the Nantgarw tradition as the original dances.
The Moves
Today there are five Morris dances that are commonly recognised as being a part of the Nantgarw tradition.Figures
The figuresDance move
Dance moves or dance steps are the building blocks of many dances.More complex dance moves are called dance patterns, dance figures or dance variations....
can be summarised as Foot Up, Corners Change, Top Hey, Bottom Hey and Circular Hey, with usually a distinctive verse figure unique to each dance.
Steps
There is double step throughout, except when 'chipping' (hopping in one spot whilst simultaneously rotating). The basic pattern is two double steps followed by four capers. There had been a tendency to truncate the second double step and leap straight into the capers, leading to a loss of balance and poise. The hand movements are straight up-and-down, with AdderburyAdderbury
Adderbury is a large village and civil parish in northern Oxfordshire, England. It is about south of Banbury and from Junction 10 of the M40 motorway. The village is divided in two by the Sor Brook. The village consists of two neighbourhoods: West Adderbury and East Adderbury...
-style circular movements at waist level for the capers. In the 'chipping' sequences in Caseg Eira and Hunting the Hare the arms are raised in turn and in time with the single stepping which accompanies it.
Y Gaseg Eira (The Snow Mare)
This handkerchiefHandkerchief
A handkerchief , also called a handkercher or hanky, is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse, and which is intended for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or face, or blowing one's nose...
dance has a pattern entirely peculiar to itself and was the first Nantgarw dance to see the light of day with the Cardiff Morris. The name of the dance is a Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
idiom
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
for a very large snowball
Snowball
A snowball is a spherical object made from snow, usually created by scooping snow with the hands, and compacting it into a roughly fist-sized ball. The snowball is often used to engage in games, such as snowball fights. Snowball fights are usually light-hearted and involve throwing snowballs at...
, and it is so named because at one point in the dance the hand waving movements resemble the movements of somebody rolling a large snowball. This is the original Nantgarw dance and was being danced by 1974.
Hela'r Sgwarnog (Hunting the Hare)
This is the first of three dances which conform to a standard pattern; which can, with a little care, be memorised and need, therefore, no calling. Like Caseg Eira it is a handkerchiefHandkerchief
A handkerchief , also called a handkercher or hanky, is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse, and which is intended for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or face, or blowing one's nose...
dance.Current practise with the music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
is to use hornpipe time
Hornpipe
The term hornpipe refers to any of several dance forms played and danced in Britain and elsewhere from the late 17th century until the present day. It is said that hornpipe as a dance began around the 16th century on English sailing vessels...
, which lends a lilt to the dance that some people find attractive. It had been addd to the Nantgarw repertoire by 1984.
Ty Coch Caerdydd (The Red House of Cardiff)
Sixteen sticks lend a certain weight to the stick bag, if not the proceedings. The sticks are held skiingSkiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
-fashion (as in downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
, not slalom or cross-country) and are brought up in front of the face to clash. It was being danced by 1984.
Y Derwydd (The Druid)
Previously known as Y Gamel (The CamelCamel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
) until it was renamed after the tune it is danced to. There are only eight sticks in this dance and no clashing except in the chorus. The dance pattern is identical to that of Hunting the Hare, even down to the half-heys in the chorus, except that the corner figures are completely replaced with Stars. It was put together in 1991.
Y Goron (The Crown)
This is a processional dance. Unlike the other dances which take place in one location this dance takes the dancers from one place to another.Practitioners
There are no hard and fast rules as to which Morris sides can perform dances from a tradition, but the original Nantgarw dance, Y Gaseg Eira, is considered to be a dance for the Welsh sides. Consequently it is often performed by the sides Isca Morris and Cardiff Morris. It was members of Cardiff Morris who developed the modern Nantgarw dances and so they are the most common performers of these dances.Criticism
There has been skepticism expressed over the claims by Dr. Ceinwen Jones that the dances which her mother recalled were authentic and original Welsh dances reflecting a long and integral Welsh culture of folk dancing. The BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Welsh Affairs Editor Vaughan Roderick
CF99
CF99 is a Welsh language politics programme on S4C named after the unique post code of the National Assembly for Wales from where the programme is broadcast live. The programme is presented by Bethan Rhys Roberts and Vaughan Roderick.- External links :*...
wrote in a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
in 2009 that he doubted the history of these dances. He questioned why only Margretta Thomas had any recollection of these dances being performed. He wrote that his great grandfather had been a minister in Nantgarw in the 1880s but had not seen these dances. He linked it to a romantic nationalist desire
Romantic nationalism
Romantic nationalism is the form of nationalism in which the state derives its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs...
to create a longstanding tradition in Wales even if one had not existed in reality.
It has been pointed out that there are similarities between the Welsh Nantgarw style of Morris dance and the English Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
style of Morris dance. It is known that there were potteries
Potteries
Potteries may refer to:* Pottery, or pottery manufacturing* The Stoke-on-Trent area, known as the Staffordshire Potteries after its once-important ceramics industry...
in Nantgarw and these were largely staffed by workers from Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
where Lichfield Morris was danced.