Big day for dancers as Sheffield's newest morris group goes public for first time
Latest group following famous dancing tradition
They’re Sheffield’s newest morris dancers - and they’ve just put in their first public performance.
The new Escafeld North West Morris put on their first public show at the Weston Park May Fayre on Sunday, to a big crowd in the city.
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Their name comes from one of Sheffield’s former names, in history and they have both grown up and junior members.
Dancer Rosie Hodgson told The Star after the show, in front of the museum: “We’ve just started in Sheffield, and this is our first dance out, today.
“We practice in Worrall Village Hall, but we’re from all over Sheffield. A lot of us live in Hillsborough so we’ve started out that way, but we dance all over.”
She said the first show was a bit nerve wracking for some of the newer members. She added: “For a lot of us, it was out first time dancing in a team out in front of other people, but it was good - we got through it.”
She said the best thing about morris dancing was the friends you make.
“I met my husband through it,” she said. “Lots of family and friends join in and you have a huge community of people, at the click of a finger.”
They were one of two morris dancing groups performing at the fayre, with Five Rivers Morris also taking part.
Some of those taking part are members of both groups, leaving them with the need for a quick costume change, in the best showbiz tradition!
Morris dancing is a traditional folk dance that is known to fate back at least records in England from the 15th century.