31 August, 2011
Morris dancing is an old English country tradition dating back to the 15th century. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, hundreds of villages throughout England supported Morris teams and the dancers often competed from prizes at county fairs. While the interest in Morris dancing faded for a short time, it is now back full force and today there are many teams, or sides, dancing in England and over 200 cities in the United States.
The 36th Annual Tour of the American Travelling Morrice stopped in Hopkinton last week as they made their way through Massachusetts. The dancers performed at the Hopkinton State Park and HCAM News caught up with them as they danced in the parking lot at Cornell’s.
The men of the American Travelling Morrice were originally composed of men from Binghampton NY, but the group now includes dancers from across the nation as well as a few from England and Canada. They come together for one week each year to form the team.
The crowd was light due to the rain earlier in the day, but Hopkinton resident Mary Jo La Freniere, whose been a Morris dancing fan for a long time, was at Cornells’ to enjoy the show.
Watch the HCAM News video for the full story!
