May Day is traditionally the first day of the English Morris Dancing season, and Morris Dance troupes will be performing at the many spring festivals. Here is a light hearted variation on their usual dances.
It was posted by FiddlerNick, who writes, "Man to man combat with beer trays. I think it is Dogrose Morris and Bryony Griffiths on fiddle. Thanks to Rich Keen for original footage." The performance was filmed at Warwick Folk Fest.
The Cornish are a fiecely patriotic people and they certainly do not consider themselves to be English. With Celtic blood running through their veins, they keep alive many pagan traditions.
Every year on the 8 May, the small town of Helston, Cornwall, UK, celebrates one such traddition, welcoming the return of spring. For hundeds of years, revellers dance from dawn to dusk, in what is known as the Furry Dance, Probably better known to people outside Cornwall as the Cornish Floral Dance.
Zooidpix, who posted this video, informs us that "Throughout the Flora Day, the population perform the Furry (or Faddy) Dance in long procession through the banks, shops, houses and streets, all decorated with greenery and flowers, following the town silver and brass band as they endlessly repeat their unique, mesmerising tune from 7am to about 7pm when the final dance ends."
Here's a video to give you a taste of what to expect on Saturday, when the world record attempt for simultaneous dancing occurs.
It shows 1,500 plus CPDRC inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, Philippines at practice! Byronfgarcia, who posted the video, comments that this is not the final routine, and definitely not a punishment! just a teaser.
Here is a nice event for Halloween. At 6:00 PM on Sat. Oct. 27, 2007, in Toronto, Canada and simultaneously around the world, there will be an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the Largest Simultaneous Dance. Of course, being Halloween, the dance routine has to be the famous Michael Jackson's 'Thriller', which appropriately celebrates its 25th anniversary this year; doesn't time fly when your a Zombie.
Thousands of people in cities around the world are learning the 'Thriller' dance and if your not already involved, you can check out a participating event near you by going to the Thrill The World website.
The current record is 197,569 young students doing the Hokey-Pokey at 681 locations across Canada in April 2002.
