This article was featured in the Morris Circular publication. The article certainly raises a few questions, though some of the points seem to me; unfair comparisons or lacking factual evidence. But still, it got people thinking just before the ARM. Below it, follows my response which is even more unfair, over the top and controversial. The Ring needs a bit of a kick up the arse now and then.


Food for thought from Yateley Morris

There are no new adult male members joining the vast majority of clubs; the few newcomers seen are generally circulating members of other sides, moving for business relocation, or just for a change (that must say something!) and occasionally a son of an existing dancer/musician - who usually quits when he is 12 or 13 years old, and Morris is "uncool".

The average age of Ring sides is about 50, and there is no new demographic boom to replace those who are now reaching the end of their public-display dancing years. As viewed at ARM and Ring meetings, the Ring comprises an eclectic and eccentric bunch of men, mostly grey-haired, pot-bellied and bearded - great if you like that sort of thing, but it is not mainstream public entertainment. The age of Ring sides is a great barrier to entry for most young men - why would a fit young twenty-something want to give up his football/cricket/tennis/golf/rugby/squash to put in the practice to learn the Morris, with a bunch of men old enough to be his father? Other sports all have the ability to fit in with or around work, and golf & tennis etc are often seen as extensions of work - there are no corporate brownie points in being a Morris man! You may be remembered, but not necessarily for the best reason.

Even if an older, forty-something comes along and expresses an interest, what teaching facilities are there, how is he welcomed, trained, retained?? The fitness of 40+ year olds is suspect, even without beer-bellies, and men no longer caper as well, as high, or in time with music and each other, (sticking in particular), so the standard of performance is falling; the public is not thrilled, excited, amazed by the dancing, no matter how good the music is (and it generally is), nor how much humour and fun is put in by Fools, Foremen, and Beasts.

Most sides are self-financing i.e. the costs of running the club, providing kit, transport to events and to practice, are all (or almost all) paid out of the members' pockets. While that goes for all of the sports above (most of which will be a lot more costly than Morris membership), Morris sets itself out to be an entertainment for the public, and at a professional standard, for which a charge is usually made, or at least the hat is put around for voluntary contributions.

A bare handful of the (many) pubs we visit give anything to the Morris, and with beer at approaching £2.60 a pint, and drink-drive laws being observed, the fun of a night out with the (middle-aged) lads is distinctly failing. The existing Morris men are paying more for fuel, running costs, travel by whatever means to any venue, and are getting less enjoyment, and less appreciation from a diminishing public. Men are out of pocket and feel that the level of public appreciation is too low to reward their winter practice. Morris as street entertainment is being restricted by imposition of Bylaws making drinking (or even carrying a tankard with beer in, from pub to pub) a criminal offence; a part-filled tankard in the car between pubs could be another item leading to Police action.

The number of pubs where any irregulars" exist who might appreciate the Morris is decreasing - witness the rise of the restaurant chain pub, where the members of the public are rooted to their seats and will not form any participating part of an audience. The progress of commercialisation of the "local" pub is instrumental in the shift away from live entertainment; the jukebox may have become in fact rather less common, but the omnipresent TV is even more of an attention killer, and Morris cannot compete with it. The number of pubs where there is suitable space, and a welcome from the Landlord and any part of the public for a music session (after dancing our last spot outside) is on the wane. Advance local publicity is hard work, or it is ineffective; communities do not gather at their "local' any more, so a couple of posters and programs there will hit only a couple of dozen punters, a handful of whom may watch (if there's nothing on TV). Men are noticing that the only audiences are often those generated by members themselves - family and work friends, and a very few dedicated "camp followers" or Regulars, who are perhaps entranced by the "whole Morris Thing", and too old or unfit to dance, but just can't get enough of the spectacle.

The failure or breakdown of community identity as a whole perhaps predicts failure of local Morris sides; no-one cares, except perhaps a few on the Town-twinning committee, who will have difficulty pairing a Hungarian/German/ /French folk dance troupe with an English one.... the Caledonian, Irish or West Indian communities can probably meet the call. The Music licence laws are going the same way, and we all risk punishment, or the Landlord risks a fine, if we perform in a pub without a licence for music - and the copyright / Performing Rights issues are another nightmare waiting to stop us singing or playing anything which may be "protected".

Technology is a double-edged sword, and while we may benefit from email circulars from the Ring, and within clubs, exhorting men to turn out to make a good show at this, and the next week's venues, the silver surfer, (50+) spends significant hours per week at the silver screen, and will neither be drawn out to the pub (as audience) or encouraged to learn the dance.

Street collections (ostensibly for charity) are tolerated outside pubs, but for bigger events (Day of Dance, etc) licences, local authority and Police approvals are necessary in many towns - legislation is bearing down on the Morris, and we ignore it only at risk of further alienating the law-abiding public.

Litigious public are at risk from flying Beasts, broken sticks, over-exuberant (and out of con- trol) Morris men (this sounds like fun, but it isn't), and it is only a matter of time before the Ring's insurance is tested and found wanting.

The less the Morris is performed in public the less willing will the public be to accept it as part of the English tradition. The public perception of Morris is at or close to an all-time low, as portrayed by the numerous (sometimes quite witty) "digs" by the likes of Rowan Atkinson (as Blackadder). When did you last see or hear a genuinely (and not tongue in cheek) positive media appreciation of the Morris?

As the number of good, reliable, professional Morris sides diminishes, so the demand (from school and village fete organisers, Wl, Town's Women's Guilds and the like) increases for those few sides in a locality. They are then over-taxed, and injuries become an issue, the absence of a proper "close season" tells, and membership/enjoyment levels decline - a vicious circle (or Rounds?).

There are almost certainly more people line-dancing (male and female) than involved in Morris today, from a standing start only a few years ago; it seems it was easy to learn, good exercise (you can do it even if significantly overweight), you can wear fancy costumes, and perform in public ... mostly indoors, out of our nasty English summer. You could take it up with your wife or girlfriend (and Sid and Jolene on the Archers probably had a shot at it too?). While not advocating dumbing down to an American lowest common denominator, there must be something to be learnt from line dancing for the benefit of the Morris it is mixed, simple, nationally organised, with meetings all over the place. There are probably other points people closer to line dancing can describe, with enthusiasm; where is that enthusiasm in the Morris? Where are those people?

If the Queen's Jubilee, (a once in a lifetime event for most of us), the Millennium (you remember, that load of new year fire-works and the damp squibs at Greenwich and in your computer), and the World Cup Football (was it only the quarter finals?) could not stir up the coals of patriotism of waiving a few St. George's Crosses, then what hope the Morris in 2010?

....and my response:

Taking the Ring out of the Box

As a dancer in my early 20's, starting when I was 10, and as one of the organisers of the Morris 18-30 weekend (read the review elsewhere in this edition) I feel qualified and compelled to reply to the suggestion that all male dancing will be gone by 2010. This article may offend, but then so does some of your pitiful attempts at dancing.

My immediate reply is well, err, yep. It may well be gone if changes are not made. I once heard it said that the biggest reason for atheism in the world today is Christians. Food for thought. The same may also be said about Morris; the best discouragement from dancing are the groups of boring, doddery old men you see dancing, no more like walking, no more like shuffling through a dance never once leaving the ground. Which is how the Ring is perceived by many. How do you know if your dance spot is flat? Ans: You dribble from both sides of you mouth.

The Morris is thriving now more than ever before, just not as we dance it. New sides are being formed all the time, probably faster than they are dying out. It's just that these sides are generally mixed or female, or they prefer the social culture of the Federation and Open organisations. It is purely the traditional all male Morris that is heading for extinction.

I personally do not have a problem with anyone of any gender dancing whatever they want, providing the individuals are having fun and that the dancing looks good (which many ring teams can't manage!). Anyone who storms off in a huff when a female Morris man enters their sight muttering "it's not right" is hindering all male Morris rather than encouraging it. Female and mixed teams are here to stay but hopefully not take over totally! If you have a real problem with that then clearly you're very old, probably have a big beard and wear sandals and maybe it's time you stopped dancing. Things are not the same as when you were a lad - your problem, get over it. You need to work with female and mixed teams not against them. Cliff said in Morris Circular no.42 "do you contact the Open and Fed teams in your area? we can all work together".

From organising the 18-30 weekend I found out that the simple fact of the matter is that on the whole young chaps don't see the point of the Ring and see it as a large Old Boys' club. Some hate the way local teams don't see eye to eye because thirty years ago used another side's stick and broke it. Or the neighbouring side's mascot trod on the dog at your local or some other petty dispute between two chaps who are probably now dead anyway. Another pet hate of mine is to see old guys at Ales who have decided not to dance (when they still dance for the paying public!) and instead wear a blazer and tie embroidered with the side's badge. What's that all about? This is the Morris Ring not Eton, or your local conservative club. It is not an institution, is a group of men who dance the Morris. Leave it that way.

How many Ring Sides does it take to change a lightbulb? Answer: Change? what's wrong with the old one?

I'm not going to dictate exactly what a side should do to appeal to younger dancers, because what works with my team may not work with yours - not all sides get thousands of students turning out on May morning for example. But also because what I enjoy in the Morris is not what all young guys enjoy in the Morris. The two of us from Icknield Way who organised the 18-30 weekend disagree on many things within the narrow constrains of Ring Morris. I do however, think it's very important to listen to any young chaps you have and seriously consider any ideas they have. It's pleasing to see some squires are in fact under thirty. Some, I'm told, were elected not simply because it's about time they took their turn, but specifically because they wanted young blood with fresh ideas in charge. There are some brilliant ideas being tried by some teams (please tell everyone about them in the Circular), it just takes a fresh approach. Thinking outside the box doesn't mean thinking outside the Ring.

The Ring has some plus points, beyond simply "all male dancing" which makes it appealing to me. The idea of dancing as a scratch team or massed dancing is, I am told, alien to Fed teams. This to me is a huge part of the enjoyment of the Morris. Being a member of a massed show in Trafalgar Square, or just at an Ale is magic. We need to draw on these strengths and promote them. Get involved with ALL you local teams and some further afield not just the three or four you're old mates with.

Many ceilidh bands stem from Morris teams or at the very least have dancing members. If you have a funky band in your team consider using them, or just the rhythm section along with the usual massed musicians at your Ale. After all, Morris On (& offspring) were/are so very popular. A guy on the 18-30 weekend had an electric bagpipe, which without a bag was more of a stick, but it sounded so cool.

I think I know why you are all afraid to try new ideas. Because if they turn out to be bad (and some inevitably will) then no-one will turn up for the next thirty years, I refer you back to somewhere above.

I know you are not all going to change overnight. The funny old guy who bores the pants off dancers, the public, dogs or anyone else who listens will still do so. If your knees are kippered then you are not going to dance higher or faster. But try to change some elements of your dance/program/general ethos even if it is not a majority decision. I have heard of young squires who select a display team on dancing ability and not years service who then cause offence to the old boys. Please understand why they are doing it; for your side and Morris as a whole.

I have been told that Icknield Way has changed in many ways over the past few years in response to the suggestions from the many young guys we have, and I thank them for it. I don't believe it's by luck that 9 teenagers have danced with IWMM in the last three years despite having no father in the Morris. But through the efforts of teachers who run school sides, men who go out of their way to help teenagers get to Morris each week and the general support and tolerance from the whole side.

I sincerely hope that I will have the wisdom to know when the time has come to sadly stop dancing (at least in public). When I'm a granddad with over half a century of dancing, music and great enjoyment behind me it will be very hard to hang up my bells. But I hope that I will for the sake of my Grandsons and their enjoyment. Morris On.