Carnival Morris
Carnival Morris
Where
Northwest England
Context
Carnival Morris (also known as Fluffy morris) evolved from the large town carnival movement which developed in the middle of the 19th century.
Some large teams such as Horwich Prize Medal dancers had a number of different branches which often included a girls ‘line’. The number of men doing this type of morris declined in the early 20th century and Carnival morris is now generally considered to be a female form of dance even though membership does not actively exclude male dancers.
Carnival morris used to be a regular feature of large town carnivals which included team competitions. Since the 1990s however the majority of performances are now for competitions alone which are held in large spaces such as gyms. Today the competition element in Carnival morris is very strong and teams train hard for large competitions. Carnival morris is danced to recorded music which is often re-mixes of popular songs. The dancers move as one large unit and their hand and leg positions are very precise.
Carnival morris dancers do not regularly perform at folk festivals but instead compete and socialise at a vibrant community level where the dance is an important team activity. Often the team is supported or trained by family members who have danced morris for several generations.
Clothing
Historically the women seem to have had more varied costumes than the men. In some teams the women wore velvet breeches like the boys whilst others wore the distinctive Zouave style jackets discussed earlier (Northwest morris). A 1901 team from Stockport wearing amber and black costumes was awarded third prize for the “neatest and most artistically dressed lady in any section”. White dresses with colourful sashes were popular until the 1920s. This might well have been an economical choice, white was a common dress colour and it was probably easier to achieve uniformity with white than with a colour of which there are many shades. Carnival morris was performed as part of wider parades and festivities where people would dress up, often in themed costume. By the 1920s women’s teams sometimes had special carnival style costumes, for example wearing little fairy costumes with pixie hats or American cowboy inspired costumes.
As early at 1910 there are images of teams wearing not a themed costume as such but a special costume worn by all the members of the team – a team costume. Throughout the 20th century Carnival morris dancers continued to wear a special team costume. In the 1960s many women wore short skirts (mini-skirts) and carnival dancers have continued to wear short above the knee skirts since then.
Costumes varied from team to team from simple outfits (a short coloured skirt and white blouse) to specially created costume sometimes designed around a theme such as military uniform with decorative braid. Sashes continued to be worn until the 1960s and until recently medals which were given out at performances were attached to the sash or team waistcoat. The costumes have always been smart – like the clean white dresses of the historical dancers the kit is well kept, often with pristine (very clean) white socks and white pumps. The dancer’s appearance is very important and even part of the judging criteria for the competitions. A small group of bells are attached to the feet of the dancer – a direct connection back to the 1890 Northwest morris when bells were attached to the bottom of the breeches or to the footwear of the dancers.
Over time, probably helped by increasingly larger competitions the costumes became standardised. Today a typical girl’s Carnival morris costume would be a dress which finishes above the knee with large full sleeves which are gathered or fitted to the wrist. The dresses are very decorative and sparkly with shiny fabrics used and often applied in bold patterns to a contrasting background. There is no limit to the patterns or materials used, but the costumes are designed to be eye-catching, attractive and fun for the dancers to wear.
Links
Photo: Silverdale Morris Dancers' Juniors, Silverdale (Newcastle under Lyme). Audlem Carnival, Cheshire, 2003.
