dances



Most of our dances come from Lancashire or the Cheshire Plain. The repertoire has included the following at one time or another:

Abram Circle DanceYouTubePru Boswell version
Alderley Edge  
Blackrod Street Dance  
Chorley  
ClitheroeYouTube 
Goostrey  
HorwichYouTube 
Holmes Chapel modified and now danced as St Bean's
KnutsfordYouTube 
Lancashire Dance devised by members of the side
Little LeverYouTuberesearched by a side member
Mallory's MarchYouTubedevised by the side for processions
MilnrowYouTube 
Mobberley  
Oldham  
Wigan  
Worth CloughYouTubemodified to be danced in 4s or 8s
Display dances:  
Scarborough Hop devised by the side, based on traditional clog steps
Plymouth ReelYouTubea "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.



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