Dancing out

Our season traditionally begins with dancing outside the Town Hall at 0600 on May 1st, the date summer is supposed to start. But this year the Town Hall is a building site, so we’re dancing in the evening of May 1 in St Michael’s.

And just to be awkward, that will be the 3rd time we dance in public this summer. We’re at Caddington Village St George’s Day Celebration on Saturday 28 April and the Mayor’s Cream Tea on Sunday 29 April. With our final practice on Monday 30th, that’s 4 consecutive days we’ll have our hankies out!

At last night’s practice, for the first time in ages – certainly this decade and conceivably this millennium – we had enough for 2 full sets of 6 dancers and were well on the way to a third.

16 people danced at least some of the time, including 4 people new to us this winter. The 17th stuck to his pipe and tabor.

If you’ve ever fancied dancing, now’s a great time to start. Come along any Monday from 2000 to 4th Scout Hut, Riverside Road, St Albans AL1 1QW.

We always look forward to our day of dance on the last Saturday in September. It’s the culmination of our season and we invite other teams to come and enjoy the delights of St Albans and the surrounding area.
Here’s where we’re taking Blackheath and Coventry (plus an itinerant fool) on Saturday 24th September. Continue reading “Day of Dance 2017”

Many thanks to Christopher Lawley who took these fine videos of us dancing at Living Crafts at Hatfield House on 7 May.

But it’s not as good as seeing us in the flesh, so come along soon!

The season kicks off with our first ‘spot’ at the Bright Star, as part of Kimpton May Fayre. Vandalls is the first dance and it’s Emma and Callum’s first appearance in public.

They first came to a practice last October and now they are “dancing out” as we say. If you fancy doing the same, just ask any of the team at any event.

After the Bright Star we perform a second ‘spot’ at The Boot in Kimpton where amongst the audience invited to join in a dance are the Fayre’s May Queen and her attendants.

It may not feel like it from the weather, but the summer is almost here. Our dancing season traditionally starts on 1 May. The programme is now up on this website, but is as ever subject to change.

This season is a few days longer than usual – we’re starting at Kimpton on 30th April (because they asked us!) and finishing 5 months later with our day of dance on the last Saturday in September, this year as late as it can be on 30th September.

We always look forward to our day of dance on the last Saturday in September. It’s the culmination of our season and we invite other teams to come and enjoy the delights of St Albans and the surrounding area.
Here’s where we’re taking Blackheath, Coventry and Ripley on Saturday 24th September.

The approximate timetable for the day is as below. Not all teams will dance at each show.

10.30  – 11.00  Alban Arena

11.15 – 11.40 Clock Tower and Christopher Place

11.50 – 12.15 Christopher Place and Clock Tower

12.30 – 12.45 Lower Red Lion

14.30 – 15.00 Mosquito Museum

16.30 – 17.30 Bull, London Colney (Informal dancing )

18.00 onwards  White Hart Tap. We’re going to chill, have a little to eat and we might be persuaded to dance a bit more.

Morris dancing is fun! Why not come and try it? Women and men are welcome. It’s much more fun than going to the gym, you work as a team and you get to go to the pub afterwards.

Don’t be shy! No previous dancing experience is needed as our friendly teacher will get you moving in the right direction in no time at all.

The next taster evening is at 8pm on Monday 12th September at the Scout Hut in Riverside Road, St Albans AL1 1SE.

If you would like more details please phone Andrew on 01727 833028 or Trevor on 01707 883476

We’ve been looking forward to summer – this weekend it came with a bang.

We always enjoy the Living Crafts festival at Hatfield House, but it’s been a while since we had such glorious summer weather, so we were wearing more clothes than most of the audience. Continue reading “What a weekend!”

… not that you’d know it from the weather this April! Anyway, in the 13th century all the evidence they needed was a cuckoo.

Cuckoo or not, Morris dancers’ pulses quicken at the end of April, because we traditionally start dancing on the first of May, outside the Town Hall.

Continue reading “Sumer is Icumen in …”