Monthly Morris Sunday Sessions
These monthly sessions, led jointly and collaboratively by AJ Allen and Jonathan Burrows, are aimed at dancers either with some contemporary practice, some Morris practice or who have an interest in learning Morris. This programme with live musicians, explores Morris as a collective and collaborative dance form, which has become popular with a new generation of people looking to dance together with others.
Haven’t tried Morris? Now’s your chance!
It’s open level and gender non-specific.We suggest people wear light trainers (white soled trainers) or similar, but not ones you have been wearing straight off the street.
Thinking Morris is a skill you will never need?
We have come across a few auditions which specify Morris as an essential skill- so it’s a great tool to have in your toolkit.
Keeping it affordable: we ask that participants pay £5 per session, and we have 5 free places for Welcome Card holders
Session leader:
Anthony (AJ) Allen (he/him)
AJ was project director for Stepback and devised the workshop programme. He has danced the Cotswold Morris for fifty years but is retired from performance. He has been involved in several funded dance research projects including a week's joint residency at Cecil Sharp House with Kate Flatt. He taught Brighton Morris in its formative years as Sussex University Morris, and most recently danced with Shepherds Crown Morris, the Stepback Morris and Broken Ankles Appalachian. He will be assisted by Shepherd's Crown Morris.
Session leader: Jonathan Burrows (he/him)
Jonathan Burrows is a choreographer and Associate Professor at the Centre for Dance Research Coventry University, but he's been involved in the morris since a young age, danced with Westminster Morris and the Bow Street Rappers, and still regularly plays traditional music.
Musicians
The live music will be provided by Dan Quinn (he/him) (one of the finest English melodeon players, who has appeared with Flowers and Frolics, Gas Mark Five and
more, as well as being an experienced solo folk club performer and host), Keith Phillips (he/him) (fiddle player and long time Morris musician) and Jack Darach (he/him) (dancer, and woodwind and historical instrument maker), with occasional guest musicians from the traditional dance and music world.
This idea was originally developed some years ago as part of the Stepback Project, a three-year Arts Council funded project that taught Morris to practitioners and university dance students, and created stage shows using Morris, Appalachian and English Clog dance. Stepback also explored cross cultural dance and percussive links as well as collaborations between Traditional and Contemporary dancers. Shepherd's Crown Morris comprises both traditional and Contemporary dancers as a resource to explore Morris in contemporary practice.