last update 11-Feb-2024

Pigsty Morris -Bristol UK

Book Us Now For Your Event! - Click Here For Details

We are a dance group based in Bishopston, Bristol, UK. Our dances are lively and energetic, designed to entertain and attract today's audiences, but with their roots in traditional English Morris dancing. We dance regularly in the Bristol area, but also perform at venues around the country and further afield.

 

* Why Morris dance?

Brandon Hill 04:30 at dawn Bristol (Brandon Hill 04:30 at dawn!! Tues 01 May 2018)

* New dancers .
* Where do Pigsty Morris perform?

* Programme.
* Would Pigsty dance at an event I'm organising?

* So what is Morris dancing?

Upton stick dance 2015
* Contact details
* Links to related sites

 

 

Pigsty Morris........ Pigsty Morris........ Pigsty Morris........ Pigsty Morris........ Pigsty Morris........ Pigsty Morris........ Pigsty Morris........ Pigsty Morris

 

Why Morris dance?

Morris dancing gives you a great opportunity to enjoy yourself while keeping fit, meeting other people, touring the country and getting involved in community events, festivals, street entertainment, television - you name it, Morris dancers have been there! Lots of people are natural dancers, but modern life may offer relatively few accessible dance opportunities - Morris is one. There are very few pastimes that combine a really good social life with a rewarding and challenging activity - the chance to travel and the option of getting involved in local events in your home area. Besides, if everyone knew about the free beer and the cut-price festival tickets...

 

New dancers:

Bradford on Avon 2023May 2023 Bradford-on-Avon Green Man Festival

If you enjoy ceilidhs, barndances or other forms of dance, then Morris dancing could be for you. We welcome new adult dancers with any amount of (including no) experience.

Best to wear loose or stretchy clothing and trainers. We are all vaccinated for covid-19. Weekly sub £3

--> For more information:Contact 07508 216811 or pigstymorrisBristol@gmail.com



Location: Kelvin Players Hall how we get our name which is at 'Pigsty Hill', Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY Map
Corner of Gloucester Road (A38) and Wesley Road, numerous buses to 'Hatherley Road' stop from south or 'Nevil Road' stop from north. Bikes can be left inside.

 

Dance events

Most of the events we perform at are in the Summer months (see our Programme for 2024 below). There's no such thing as a typical dance event. Every year, we dance at all or most of the following. People choose the ones they like and you can do as many or as few as you want: Local pubs - generally a relaxing Friday evening at a pub near Bristol - we know a lot of landlords and they welcome us every year. Festivals - these can be big events, where we are centre-stage, or smaller, community events where we just dance around the town. They can be anywhere in Britain - or further afield. Fetes - usually organised by schools or villages - a chance to get to know local groups and enjoy the events they have organised. Morris weekends - organised by other Morris groups in their area (or by us around Bristol) - an opportunity to see somewhere new, and meet old friends.

 

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Programme 2024

Most dancing takes place in the summer - our programme shows you our dance schedule for 2024.

We're currently taking bookings for 2024. If you would like to book us for an event, see our booking details below

Old Green Tree in BathApr 2023 Old Green Tree Pub Bath. Photo Marcus Good

Jan 2024

Sat 20 Jan 2024 Hillfields Fishponds Wassail. Hillfields Park, Thicket Ave. BS16 4EP. 13:00hrs Photo (Thanks Hillfields community garden)

Sat 20 Jan 2024 Horfield Orchard Wassail. Path by 22 Kings Drive BS7. 14:00-16:00hrs. Photo (Thanks Sean )

Sun 21 Jan 2024 Cancelled due to Storm Isha Woodcroft Community Orchard Wassail.

Feb 2024

Sun 4th Feb 2024 re-scheduled Woodcroft Community Orchard Wassail. 7 Woodcroft Rd Brislington BS4 4QW Photo

Mar 2024

Apr 2024

Tue 23 Apr 2024 Stoke Gifford Retirement village

Tue 23 Apr 2024 George&Dragon Pensford 19:30 tbc

May 2024

Sat 11 May 2024 Bradford on Avon Green Man

Sun 26 May 2024 Chippenham Folk Festival (all day)

Jun 2024

Sat 01 Jun 2024 Weymouth Folk Festival all day

Sun 01 Jun 2024 Weymouth Folk Festival all day

Jul 2024

Aug 2024

Sep 2024

Oct 2024

Nov 2024

Dec 2024

Wimborne festival 2015 by Steve and Helen Jones 2015

 

Bookings

We are always interested in dancing at any event - however big or small, and wherever it is located. Apart from events like fetes and festivals, we have performed at social and charity events, danced in schools and old folks' homes, danced in Trafalgar Square, Bath Abbey and street parties, just to name a selection! Please contact us at pigstymorrisBristol@gmail.com to see if we are available for your event, or ring 07508 216811 if you don't have e-mail access. We like as much notice as you can give us - so contact us now to avoid disappointment!

Horfield organic community orchard

Horfield community orchard apple day Jan 2023( Photo John Mildenhall)

 

What is Morris dancing?

Morris dancing is a general term for any of many sorts of traditional English ritual dance. The earliest records of Morris dancing are only a few hundred years old, though some would have you believe that it's definitely pagan. There are many theories regarding its origin - generally tenuous in nature. Whatever the origins of Morris are (and we may never know), the most important thing is that it does not become preserved as a 'museum piece', but lives and continues to evolve. Of the many forms of dance, Pigsty Morris dance Cotswold Morris - which is characterised by vigorous movements, accentuated by the waving of handkerchiefs, the clashing of sticks, and the ringing of bells tied to the legs.

One of earliest paintings:Dixton Harvesters Anon 1720 Cheltenham Museum One of earliest paintings:Detail from 'Dixton Harvesters' 1720 Anon, Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum

Much of the Morris dancing you see in Britain today has developed from the material collected about a century ago, which itself had evolved over centuries before that. The collected material made Morris widely accessible, and it spread from the people and areas where it had traditionally been performed. Without this revival, it is quite possible that English Morris would have died out completely. As regards women dancing (as they do with Pigsty Morris and in many other groups), there is evidence that women danced the Morris during the 1800s (as they may have also done before that time), and they were pivotal in its revival in the early 1900s. The widely held stereotype of the Morris dancer as a middle-aged, beer-swilling man has probably only developed since then, as Morris dancing between 1920 and 1970 was very much a male preserve. Hopefully the stereotype is fading; nowadays, men and women of all ages and backgrounds and from all walks of life take part in and enjoy Morris dancing. ps Most famous Morris dancer was Joseph Needham (1900-1995) Author of 24 vols of 'Science and Civilisation in China'.

 

Contact details

If you would like:

* information about Morris dancing in general
* to talk about joining us or other groups
* to enquire about booking us for any event

contact pigstymorrisBristol@gmail.com,
ring 07508 216811.

sidmouth20132013

 

Links to related sites

For some other Morris groups around Bristol, see Rag Morris (mixed group-Thursdays), Bristol Morris Men (Men-Thursdays) Winterbourn Down (mixed group-Mondays) and nonesuchmorris (mixed group-Wednesdays) (We at Pigsty Morris are mixed and practice Fridays) Kittiwake border morris (mixed group-) (We at Pigsty Morris are mixed and practice Fridays)

For general Morris information, see the Morris Federation, the Morris Ring and Open Morris

And for something completely different, try Kelvin Players - the theatre group whose hall
we've practiced in for all these years...

or even Swedish folk dance Swedish folk dance/music

 

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Pigsty Morris

Pigsty Morris

Pigsty Morris

Pigsty Morris

Pigsty Morris

Image Archive
Photos/video 2023- 


Sat 13 May 2023 Bradford on Avon Green Man festival - all day  Photo (Thanks John M) 

23 April 2023 15:00 The Old Green Tree in Bath, with Somerset Morris (St Georges Day) Photo (Thanks John M)

Sat 14th Jan 2023 Wassail: Horfield Organic Comunity Orchard (BS7 8JP) Photo (Thanks John M)

Photos/video 2016-2022 Sun 25 Sep 2022 Ashley Hill Allotment/ St Werburghs city farm allotment show 12:30pm. Photos thanks Kath and Sean Thurs 9th Jun 2022 Stoke Inn, Chew Stoke (70th jublilee celebration). Photo thanks Sean Sun 29th May 2022. Chippenham folk festival all day. Photos thanks John Mills and Sean Sat 30th April 2022. Bristol Folk Festival. Afternoon Photo thanks Sean Aug-Oct 2020 Covid-19 dance and zoom 2 Photos Tues 01 May 2018 Brandon Hill 04:30 at dawn!! Photo Sat 21 Jan 2017 Bedminster wassail. Photo Photos/video 2014/15 18-Jan-2014 Horfield Organic Comunity Orchard Wassail two Photos (Thanks Kath) (rag jacket kit) 04-May-2014 Bristol Folk Festival afternoon Photos (Thanks Sean) 31-May-2014 Wessex Folk Festival (Weymouth) Photos (Thanks Sean) 01-Jun-2014 Wessex Folk Festival (Weymouth)cont.photos link to flickr 06-Jun-2014 Boars Head Aust 7:45 for 8pm Photo (Thanks Sean) 27-Sep-2014 Stroud Folk Festival. Dancing in Stoud centre. Photo (by Tony Quigley) 01-May-2015 Dance at dawn (04:30 on) on Brandon hill Bristol with other sides. The two primary schools (private) Photo (Thanks Deb) 03-May-2015 Bristol Folk Festival. 12:00 Folk House, 12:45 St Georges, 15:00Corn Street.Central Bristol. Richard Toller's photos 09-May-2015 Horfield Community Orchard Spring Fair after 2pm Photo (Thanks Lucy Mitchell) 12 to 14-Jun-2015 Wimborne Folk Festival. Steve and Helen Jones dance photos 19-Jun 2015 the Druids Arms pub Stanton Drew 8PM Photo Photos/video 2012/13 14 Apr 2012 Our Day of Dance with nine other local and distant sides. Bristol city centre approx times: Galleries youtube link Centre Promenade youtube link 27 May 2012 Breast cancer charity event in Locking 3 photos Photos/video 2010/2011(red/green belt kit) 16 Jan 2010 wassail at Horfield allotment One Photo (rag jacket kit) 10 Apr 2010 Barton Hill Settlement Bristol. First photo in 2010 kit 23 Jul 2010 - Anchor at Oldbury 10 mins YouTube: Vandals Lolipop and London Pride (Rag) 17 Oct 2010 - Apple Day. Horfield Organic Community Orchard photo Photos/video from 2009 (red/green trouser kit) Note: videos below not recommended on dial-up Ring O Bells Pub, Priston, Bath new years day John M party Cardiff Ladies day of dance 3 dawn photos 1 May! YouTube Redland fair:Pigsty Grenadiers Vandals of Hammerwich Saturday Night YouTube DoD Glory of the West- Exeter Widders-Chepstow YouTube DoD Pigsty (Fieldtown Trunkles) (Lollipop Man) (Bluebells) YouTube DoD Pigsty (Three Jolly Sheepskins) and Widders YouTube DoD Pigsty (Saturday Night) Horfield Allotment Orchard Apple day Filton College Wise Campus 2pm Photos 2008(original kit) 3 photos Sat 7 Jun Wessex Folk Festival Weymouth 1 photo Sat 28 Jun 'Ragged and Old' day of dance, Near Stroud youtube: Basque Dance (lichfield) at Kings Head. Ragged and Old DoD 66 Photos. Sat 13 Sep Glory of the West' day of dance, Nr Exeter Photos 2007(original kit) 3 photos from Day of Dance in Bath with Priston Jubilee Morris 3 Photos from Two Rivers folk festival in Chepstow Photos 2006(original kit) 8 Photos from Cardiff Ladies' Morris Weekend of Dance 1 Photo from Eastville Park garden opening 1 Photo from Clifton Street Party 1 Photo from charity event on Frenchay common 3 Photos The Fox, Old Down, with Rag Morris and Winterbourne 1 Photo of Weekend of dance with Ironmen and 7 Guilders Photos 1987-2006(original kit) 20 'yearbook' photos 1987-2006

Photos from previous website 6 photos

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