The styles of morris

There isn't one morris. There are at least seven.

Different regions of the British Isles invented their own ways of doing it. The kit, the music and the energy all change. A Cotswold side and a Border side look so unlike each other you'd be forgiven for thinking they were different art forms entirely.

Cotswold

Energy: Light to brisk

The 'classic' morris you've probably seen in your head: handkerchiefs in the air, side-steps and capers, lots of skipping and turning. Polished, joyful, technical.

Where it grew up: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire
Typical kit: White shirt, baldric, bells below the knee, handkerchiefs or sticks
What it feels like: Springy, ceremonial, a little bit gymnastic.

Border (Welsh Border)

Energy: Loud and high

Looser, rougher, more rhythmic than Cotswold. Big stick-clashing, low to the ground, often heard before seen. Modern Border sides have largely moved from blackface to coloured face paint or none.

Where it grew up: Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire
Typical kit: Tatter coat (strips of cloth), face paint (originally soot), bells, big sticks
What it feels like: Tribal, a bit wild, very fun to watch.

Northwest

Energy: Processional

Industrial-era origins: dancing through streets in processions, often led by a brass band, with clogs stamping out the rhythm. More uniform than Cotswold or Border.

Where it grew up: Lancashire, Cheshire, mill towns
Typical kit: Clogs, decorated bonnets or hats, neat uniform-style dress
What it feels like: Like a parade with footwork. Excellent in a market square.

Molly

Energy: Eccentric

Originally danced by farm labourers in midwinter to make a bit of money in the off-season. Modern Molly sides have a strong visual identity: graphic, theatrical, slightly otherworldly.

Where it grew up: Cambridgeshire, the Fens
Typical kit: Striking black-and-white or coloured face paint, idiosyncratic costumes - often one dancer dressed as a "Molly"
What it feels like: Cinematic. Slightly Wes Anderson.

Rapper sword

Energy: Fast and intricate

A short, fast, virtuosic indoor dance. Five dancers, one linked ring of swords, complex figures done in seconds. Often performed in a pub.

Where it grew up: Northumberland, Tyneside, mining villages
Typical kit: Five dancers, linked by flexible steel "rapper" swords forming a continuous ring
What it feels like: Like watching a precise machine made of people.

Longsword

Energy: Stately and patterned

Older, slower cousin of rapper. Patterns and locks formed from rigid swords. Ceremonial; often danced at Christmas or New Year.

Where it grew up: Yorkshire, South Durham
Typical kit: Six or eight dancers with rigid wooden or metal swords
What it feels like: Meditative geometry.

Clog

Energy: Percussive

Step-dancing in clogs. Originated in mill towns where workers tapped out rhythms during shifts. Highly percussive, sometimes danced in lines, sometimes solo.

Where it grew up: North of England, especially Lancashire
Typical kit: Wooden-soled clogs, otherwise plain dress
What it feels like: Tap dance's older, sturdier cousin.

Curious about a specific style? Try one of our friends.

Filter the side finder by style.

Search by style