|
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. | |||||||||
| |||||||||
|
| |||||||||
| * New dancers welcome Autumn 2016 | |||||||||
| * 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 | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
 ........
........
........
........
........
........
........
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
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... | |||||||||
| |||||||||
|
|
If you enjoy ceilidhs, barndances or other forms of dance, then Morris dancing could be for you. We practice almost all Fridays from September to the end of April starting ~7:30 pm. Dancing lasts for a couple of hours before we retire to the pub (Sportsman Annex 5mins walk away). We welcome new dancers, of both sexes, and with any amount of (including no) experience. Best wear loose clothing and trainers. Next taster sessions Friday 30-Sep-2016 and Fri 7th-Oct-2016 both at 8pm-9:30pm. £3 each. At Kelvin Players Hall, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY. Details below.For more infomation: Contact Liz on 0117 9427926 or admin@pigstymorris.org.uk or just turn up. Location: Kelvin Players Hall 
Kelvin Players Hall, 'Pigsty Hill', Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY MapCorner of Gloucester Road and Wesley Road, entrance in Wesley road, numerous buses to 'Hatherley Road' stop from south or 'Nevil Road' stop from north. Bikes can be left inside. Ring bell marked 'Hall Activities' (oddly enough not the bell marked 'Morris room') | ||||||||
| |||||||||
|
Most of the events we perform at are in the Summer months (see our Programme for 2016 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. | |||||||||
| |||||||||
|
Click here if you'd like to return to top of page, otherwise carry on reading... | |||||||||
| |||||||||
|
Most dancing takes place in the summer - our programme shows you our dance schedule for 2016. We're currently taking bookings for 2016. If you would like to book us for an event, see our booking details below | |||||||||
|
| |||||||||
|
Jan 2016 Sat 16 Jan 2016 Horfield Organic Comunity Orchard Wassail photos link to community-orchard website Feb 2016 Mar 2016 Apr 2016 Sat 30-Apr-2016 Bristol Folk Festival May 2016 Sun 01-May-2016 Brandon Hill Bristol 04:30!! Sat 28-May-2016 Wedding private event Jun 2016 Fri 03-Jun-2016 The cottage Inn, Bristol Harbourside. 8pm Fri 10-Jun-2016 Lupercalia Ceilidh (half-time spot) , The Folk House Park Street, Bristol 7pm Mon 20-Jun-2016 Druids Arms Pub with Rag Morris. Stanton Drew. Sat/Sun 25/26 Jun 2016 Folk on the Quay, Poole Wed 29-Jun-2016 Beavers scout private lesson 6:30pm Jul 2016 Sat 02-Jul-2016 Keynsham Festival. 2.00 pm in Market Walk (in the new centre) 3pm at the bandstand in the park with Somerset Morris Mon 11-Jul-2016 with Winterbourne Down Boarder Morris 8pm The Wishing Well at Codrington BS37 6RY Fri 22-Jul-2016 Pub dance-out (probably with Nonesuch) at The Cottage by Bristol Floating Harbour Aug 2016 Sep 2016 Sat 24-Sep-2016 Stoud Folk Festival. Oct 2016 Fri 07-Oct-2016 Teaching Beavers 6pm Kings Drive Sun 09-Oct-2016 Dyrham House pm Sun 16-Oct-2016 AppleDay Horfield Allotments (Orchard) pm Nov 2016 Sat 05-Nov-2016 Littleton on Severn Apple event pm Sat 19-Nov-2016 Rag Morris day of dance Dec 2016
| |||||||||
|
| |||||||||
| 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 e-mail us to see if we are available for your event, or phone Liz on 0117 9427926 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! |
Stanton Drew 2013 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
|
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.  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'. | |||||||||
| |||||||||
|
If you would like: * information about Morris dancing in general please send us an e-mail, or |
| ||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
For children and adults to try Morris dancing, contact Great Caper Morris , also in Bristol 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) To find a Morris side in other parts of the UK (Denmark and Netherlands), just put in your post code here sidefinder 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 or even Swedish folk dance Swedish folk dance/music | |||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
Image Archive Photos/video 2014/15(baldrick kit) 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) 17-Jan-2015 Wassail Horfield Organic Allotment. photos link to community-orchard website 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(baldrick kit) 14 Jan 2012 Horfield Organic Comunity Orchard Wassail photos link to community-orchard website 15 Jan 2012 Shirehampton Wassail photos- link to thisisbristol 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 11 Jun 2012 The Cottage, Cumberland Basin with Priston Jubilee Morris photo Autumn 2012 Apple Day. photos link to Horfield community-orchard website 19 Jan 2013 Wassail at Horfield Community Orchard. photos link to community-orchard website 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 16 Oct 2011 Horfield Organic Comunity Orchard Apple Day One 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 Team outing to see Film 'Morris -a life with bells on' Cardiff Ladies day of dance 3 dawn photos 1 May! YouTube Redland Fare: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 (litchfield) 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 | |||||||||
last update 25-Sep-2016
report faults to webmaster
(Boars Head Aust 2014)
Jun 2013 Stone circle Stanton Drew
2014 Keep Sunday special
by Steve and Helen Jones 2015
2013