I am a Morris dancer, which means — in the eyes of the 17th century Puritan polemicist William Prynne — that I am a sinner, bound for Hell. His blast against dancing in his 1632 book Histriomastix is so wonderful it bears repeating here.
“Dancing, is, for the most part, attended with many amorous smiles, wanton compliments, unchaste kisses, scurrilous songs and sonnets, effeminate music, lust provoking attire, ridiculous love pranks, all which savour only of sensuality, of raging fleshly lusts. Therefore, it is wholly to be abandoned of all good Christians.
“Dancing serves no necessary use, no profitable, laudable, or pious end at all. It is only from the inbred pravity, vanity, wantonness, incontinency, pride, profaneness, or madness of man’s depraved nature. Therefore, it must needs be unlawful unto Christians.
“The way to heaven is too steep, too narrow for men to dance in and keep revel rout. No way is large or smooth enough for capering roisters, for jumping, skipping, dancing dames but that broad, beaten, pleasant road that leads to HELL. The gate of heaven is too narrow for whole rounds, whole troops of dancers to march in together.”
Guilty as charged — well, except I don’t think anyone would describe me or my attire as lust-provoking! And he didn’t even mention going to the pub afterwards!
I tell you this to warn those of you of a sensitive nature to avoid the front steps of the B.C. legislature on Saturday, June 15 at about 4 p.m. For those who are more bold, if you show up there, you will have a chance to see Canada’s oldest Morris side celebrating its 50th anniversary, along with the other two local Morris sides. (You have another chance, when we are joined by Sound and Fury Morris from Seattle on July 6 at 4 p.m. at the legislature.)
Morris dancing is a traditional English folk dance, and is first mentioned in 1448 in a record of payment to some Morris dancers. Today it is danced all over the world. Indeed, Morris dancers around the world get up to dance at dawn on May Day — May 1 — because if we don’t, the sun will not rise. Yes, you can thank us when you see us!
Hollytree Morris was established by David and Christine Winn in 1974. They had already co-founded the Saanich International Folk Dancers Association a few years earlier, having arrived here in 1969.
Interested in their own English cultural traditions, they were inspired to create Hollytree Morris, who first performed in Victoria (originally as the Victoria Morris Men) in 1974.
Since then, Hollytree Morris has danced at countless festivals and events throughout the region, across Canada and as far afield as the United States and England.
David, sadly, died in 2014, but Christine is still dancing, and dancing well, at 83, and we have dancers and musicians — yes, we are blessed with live music too — in their 80s, while many of us — including me — are in our 70s. So when I say Hollytree is the oldest Morris side in Canada, I mean that in both ways — longest established and probably oldest average age.
I have not been dancing quite that long, but I started Morris dancing with Green Fiddle Morris in Toronto in the late 1970s, and have enjoyed the benefits of Morris dancing ever since.
Those benefits include being physically active, with good balance, agility and strength, as well as the mental health benefits of having to create, learn and remember dances. Beyond that, there are also the social benefits of being with a group of friends every week.
On top of that, as a City of Victoria Proclamation for Folktoria (held June 1 and 2) and Hollytree’s Golden Jubilee notes, “an important purpose of international folk dance is to learn dances from other countries and traditions, and in doing so to learn about and celebrate them.
This celebration of many cultures is shared with the community through public performance, bringing pleasure to hundreds of dancers and thousands of audience members over the years.”
So if you don’t mind hanging out with a bunch of sinners, join us as we celebrate on June 15 or July 6.
Dr. Trevor Hancock is a retired professor and senior scholar at the University of Victoria’s School of Public Health and Social Policy.
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