Ripon City Morris Dancers were formed in 1982 when Hornblower Morris became short of members. The style of dancing changed from Cotswold to dances from the North West of England. This style is traditionally from Lancashire and the adjoining areas of Cheshire, Yorkshire and the Lake District. North-West Morris is essentially an urban, processional dance and aspects of its origins are still visible in the clogs and cotton slings. The kit is more flamboyant with much brighter colours and more adornments such as flowers, beads and sashes. We chose a kit based on the patriotic colours of red white and blue with added gold braid to match Ripon City civic colours. We also chose to use fresh flowers in our hats, one of only a handful of teams to do so. The hats therefore have to be made up each time we perform and reflect the seasons of the year.

The first practice took place in the middle of February, we have practiced at Quarry Moor, Spring Hill School, the Studley Hotel (sadly no longer there but one of our dances was written to commemorate the pub), the Golden Lion and now at the W.I. Hall in Bishop Monkton. Our first performance was on the 19th July in the car park of the Magdallens. We still have two of our founder members in Chas Marshall and Paul Freeman. Dances are usually performed in sets of eight with the Captain often dancing at the head of the set while calling out the figures. Music, provided by a variety of instruments such as melodeons, concertinas, clarinets, fiddles and drums, is vibrant, robust and rhythmic, accentuated by the sound of the clogs worn by the dancers.

Iain Thew danced out for the first time on 27th May 2001 at the Theakston's Brewery in Masham.

Peter Hills & Simon McCuddon

Ruth, Joyce, Heather, Jonathon, Cynthia, Hazel & Kathy Poulton-le-Fylde on our Roots Tour, 29th June 2002

We are members of the Morris Federation, an organisation which coordinates and promotes Morris Dancing.

We are also associate members of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS)

We are always looking for new dancers and musicians. If you require any further information please contact :-

Ted Dodsworth - Captain 01765 620374 email

Mike Poole - Vice Captain (bookings) 01765 605656 email

After practice on Monday evenings we can be found in the Golden Lion on Allhallowgate were we are very well looked after.

In August 2000 we were on the stage at Sidmouth.
Pictures of our Weekend of Dance 2001 with Ironmen, Jenny Geddes Clog and Betty Lupton's Ladle Laikers
Pictures of Saint Wilfrid's Procession 2001
Pictures of Morris Federation AGM 2002
Pictures of Saint Wilfrid's Procession 2006
Pictures of our 25th Anniversary Weekend of Dance 2007 with Anstey Royale Chalfont, Betty Lupton's Ladle Laikers, Persephone & Sheffield City Morris Men
Pictures of Saint Wilfrid's Procession 2007
Pictures of Whitby Folk Week 2007

Jeff Garner, on his first dance out (for Ripon City that is) 12th June 2000

The Morris Tradition Written references to "Moreys daunce" date back over 500 years. Sometimes accepted as an essential part of community life, subsidised by church funds, "For two dossin of Morres belles, 1s" from churchwarden's accounts, St. Helen's, Abingdon, 1560. All styles of dancing were attacked by the Puritans as in William Prynne's "Histrionix": "Dancing serves no necessary use, no profitable, laudable or pious end at all. It is used only from the inbred depravity, vanity, wantonness, incontinency, pride, profaneness or madness of men's depraved natures". At least six separate styles of traditional dance (Cotswold, North-West, Border, Molly, Longsword and Rapper) were recorded by folk dance collectors, including Cecil Sharp, around the turn of the century. Thanks to Sharp and his contemporaries, music and choreography were written down, published and taught in the lean years between the two world wars until the 1960's when a general revival in " folk music" started the current boom. As befits a living tradition, not only are old tunes and figures still being used, but new music and choreography is being written.

Painted by Anna Horsey 2002

Mike Poole and Andy West, 8th April 2003	Andrew Bodey, 20th March 2004	Steve Piearcey, 26th April 2004
Homi Tehrani, 24th July 2006	Peter Beckingham 2nd Dec 2006	Dave Blight, 23rd July 2007 (return)

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