Meetings of the Hastings Heart of the Sun Morris Dancers at Keirunga the Creative Hub have a strong social element. Contact us and come spend an hour learning about our craft.
The group meets weekly in the Homestead, for tuition and practice of Morris Dance routines. Outings for public performances and visits to other Morris groups are sometimes arranged.
Morris dancing was first recorded in a document from the 15th century, but its origins seem to be shrouded in mystery.
According to some, morris dance is connected to dance traditions from druidic times, for others, it comes from court dances that were first performed in Italy and were then embraced in English courts.
The name ‘Morris‘, according to some, comes from the word Moorish.
One of the reasons why this dance is connected to the word Moorish, maybe because of the fact that most dancers originally used to paint their faces in black (today only some still do and the tradition of blackening their faces may originate as a form of disguise for dancers or it could have been a reference to miners in later times). We don’t paint our faces black! For some, there may be a connection with dances of Moorish origin in the 15th century.
Whatever its origins, morris dance became very popular with the working classes and in rural areas from the 17th century (while it was previously mainly documented in court settings).
The modern revival of morris dancing started with the work of folklorists such as Cecil Sharp, Maud Karpeles, and Mary Neal, who organized the first revival performance in London with a group of young women.
Not long after, men groups also started and, since then, morris dancing experts have been disputing over whether morris dance should only be performed by men or by both genders.
Nowadays, there are groups that are men only, women only, or mixed genders.
For more information, please contact our Group Contact Person, Ann Williams at annhwilliams702@hotmail.com
Equipment & Materials
The group owns sticks, hankies, and garlands, but members normally provide their own outfits. We can guide you on how to obtain these.
Some members have their own musical instruments, which they bring to meetings and performances.
The group has a small library of books on Morris Dancing.
Membership costs
Please contact us for specific costs, which are made up of three parts:
- Membership to Keirunga Gardens Arts & Crafts Society Inc. ($50 + GST per annum)
- Group Facility Fee (variable)
- Additional group costs (variable)
Some groups may also have external affiliation charges.
Meetings times
Thursday evenings
7.15pm to 8.45pm
Occasional public performances at a variety of locations.
Group Contact, Ann Williams annhwilliams702@hotmail.com