Most of our dances come from Lancashire or the Cheshire Plain. The repertoire has included the following at one time or another:
Abram Circle Dance | YouTube | Pru Boswell version |
Alderley Edge | ||
Blackrod Street Dance | ||
Chorley | ||
Clitheroe | YouTube | |
Goostrey | ||
Horwich | YouTube | |
Holmes Chapel | modified and now danced as St Bean's | |
Knutsford | YouTube | |
Lancashire Dance | devised by members of the side | |
Little Lever | YouTube | researched by a side member |
Mallory's March | YouTube | devised by the side for processions |
Milnrow | YouTube | |
Mobberley | ||
Oldham | ||
Wigan | ||
Worth Clough | YouTube | modified to be danced in 4s or 8s |
Display dances: | ||
Scarborough Hop | devised by the side, based on traditional clog steps | |
Plymouth Reel | YouTube | a "mass dance" popular with north-west side, suitable for any multiple of 3 dancers |
Founder members of the side tried to use the earliest sources and one dance in particular (Little Lever) was researched by a Ringheye dancer. Although we try to preserve the essential nature of each dance we are aware that changes creep in - inadvertently or by deliberate introduction. It is also clear that different people can make different interpretations of a single written notation. So it's not surprising that our version of a dance may bear little similarity to that of another side!
Ringheye Morris is a mixed side, welcoming both men and women performers, and at the time of its formation had slightly more men dancers than women. This probably accounts for the style of the side, which aims to dance in a forceful and energetic but disciplined manner. Although the majority of the dancers are now women, the style is still significantly different from some of the local all-women sides such as Poynton Jemmers.