Saltaire Festival 2017
The Festival usually sees a number of folk dance teams dancing around the village. Above: Four Hundred Roses, a local dance side that fuses traditional English folk dance with tribal belly dancing. They always make a colourful sight and seem to be going from strength to strength in terms of numbers.
Below: Makara Morris, in their green 'tatters', hail all the way from the East coast resort of Bridlington. They are a traditional Border Morris side and their name links them to ancient 'green man' legends.
Leeds Morris Men (below) are more locally based and dance in the Cotswold Morris style. As is traditional, their side includes a fool, extravagantly dressed, who communicates with the audience, joking and explaining what's happening. He dances around and through the dances, often fooling with an inflated pig's bladder (balloon) attached to a stick, that he uses to swipe at the dancers. It takes great skill to 'fool' effectively without detracting from the dances themselves.
Thats a very colourful festival and a variety of folk dancers. I was amazed to hear about the fool who dances around with inflated pig's bladders on a stick. A very similar thing happens in Bill's hometown of Thun in Switzerland. They have a festival at this time of the year and a court jester runs through the town chasing people with inflated pigs bladders on a stick.
ReplyDeleteA very entertaining time around town!
ReplyDeleteThe clothing, especially in that first shot, is quite colourful!
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