The American Morris Newsletter |
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April, 2007 -- Volume 27, Number 1 |
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Invitation to the Midwest Morris Ale
Gitry Heydebrand
St. Louis will host the 2007 Midwest Morris Ale on May 25 - 28, 2007. The host teams, The Capering Roisters (Cotswold) and Riverrats (Border) hope to welcome sides from all over the U.S. for this annual celebration, the 26th gathering since the first Ale in 1981. The Ale will be held at Camp Wyman, a Kiwannis camp about 35 minutes from downtown St. Louis. The camp has air-conditioned cabins with 12-14 beds each, a large dance hall with a wooden floor, and many smaller buildings for other activities. There are 200 beds available, as well as campgrounds for tents.
Tour stops will include several famous city landmarks. The mass dances selected this year will include several Border Morris dances such as the original version of the Upton on Severn Stick Dance, along with the usual Cotswold favorites. The Ale will also commemorate Cecil Sharp's visit to St. Louis in May of 1916. Sharp arranged a series of dances and songs for an elaborate historical pageant produced that year, including the first Morris dancing in the Midwest, and the host teams plan to highlight some of the key features from that occasion with events throughout the weekend, such as a presentation of Sellenger's Round, a May dance.
Other Ale activities will include workshops, an English country dance, and a Saturday night Contra dance featuring one of Missouri's best known old-time bands.
The cost for the weekend, including meals Friday night through Monday morning, is $179.00 Adult, cabin, before May 1, 2007, $179.00; Adult, tent, before May 1, 2007: $170.00. Children under 12: $155.00. Late Fee (after 5/1/07) $20.00.
The Midwest Morris Ale >>