100808.102. Motley Morris. (THDS080810folkweek-40.)
Sunday 8th August 2010. - Broadstairs Folk Week, Annual event at various locations in Broadstairs Town. - Broadstairs, Thanet, Kent, UK. - Motley Morris Women and Girls from Dartford performing on the jetty, Broadstairs Harbour, Viking Bay. - Motley Morris are a black faced "Border Style" morris side formed in 1981, when several members of local Cotswold Morris teams decided to perform dances from the Welsh Borders on an occassional basis. The resulting Team was called Dartford Morris after the town where they practiced. It was decided to keep the side all male. After a short while they developed their own identity with their distinctive coloured tatter jackets and using tunes and dances found in Kent. Further development led to renaming the side to "Motley Morris" as motley also means multi-coloured, this name seemed particulaty appropriate to their style. No Hankies and Bells! Their style is more primative, rhythmic and involves stick clashing. The black faces were thought originally to be some form of disguise. Nowadays it is used to make them seem more fearsome. Contrary to popular belief they do not use burnt cork - but standard stage makeup.
100808.102. Motley Morris. (THDS080810folkweek-40.)
Sunday 8th August 2010. - Broadstairs Folk Week, Annual event at various locations in Broadstairs Town. - Broadstairs, Thanet, Kent, UK. - Motley Morris Women and Girls from Dartford performing on the jetty, Broadstairs Harbour, Viking Bay. - Motley Morris are a black faced "Border Style" morris side formed in 1981, when several members of local Cotswold Morris teams decided to perform dances from the Welsh Borders on an occassional basis. The resulting Team was called Dartford Morris after the town where they practiced. It was decided to keep the side all male. After a short while they developed their own identity with their distinctive coloured tatter jackets and using tunes and dances found in Kent. Further development led to renaming the side to "Motley Morris" as motley also means multi-coloured, this name seemed particulaty appropriate to their style. No Hankies and Bells! Their style is more primative, rhythmic and involves stick clashing. The black faces were thought originally to be some form of disguise. Nowadays it is used to make them seem more fearsome. Contrary to popular belief they do not use burnt cork - but standard stage makeup.