In the 13th-century Ye Old Salutation Inn in central Nottingham, Katherine Hurdley’s troupe is young and slick. They wear dark red long shorts and shirts with black socks and belts, and dance quickly.
“It’s fun, its fast and there’s a lot of team friendships,” the 20-year-old said. Her group Triskele, from Sheffield, perform set dances but she adds: “There’s always new things you can do with it, and everyone has an input.”
Across the city, Rebecca Kell, 25, insists the tradition and community spirit is an important part of the appeal — along with keeping active and of course the drinking, given that much of Morris dancing revolves around pubs.
“We want to be proud of it, it’s English culture, but mainly its fun and there’s a big folk family around the country,” she said.
In the city center, some of Morris’ youngest devotees from Ashley’s Rise in Bristol, southwest England, performed Border dances in colorful rag jackets, bells and sticks.
Tom, 15, says Morris dancing is “just brilliant,” while 10-year-old Courtenay admitted: “I really like banging sticks together.”
But skeptical teenage onlookers suggest Morris still has a serious image problem that it needs to overcome both to survive and to fulfill its hopes of taking part in the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics.
“I’m quite an eclectic dresser but I think even that’s pushing it for me,” said Daniel Joss, 16, as he eyed up the rag jackets.
“Some things are just unacceptable for people my age.”
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