Open Morris facts for kids

Open Morris is a special group that helps connect different morris dance teams across the United Kingdom. Think of it like a big club for morris dancers! It's one of three main groups that support morris dancing in the country.

What is Open Morris?

Open Morris is an "umbrella group" for morris dance teams. This means it brings many different dance teams together under one organization. It helps them share ideas, organize events, and keep the tradition of morris dancing alive.

Why Was Open Morris Started?

Open Morris was formed in 1979 by dancers, mainly from a team called Fenstanton Morris in East Anglia. At that time, some other big morris dance groups had rules about who could dance together. For example, one group, the Morris Ring, was only for male dancers. Another group, the Morris Federation, was first only for female dancers. Later, the Morris Federation changed its rules to allow teams with both male and female dancers, but they still didn't allow men and women to dance together in the same set.

Because of these rules, a small number of teams that wanted men and women to dance together in the same group felt they needed their own organization. So, Open Morris was created to be a welcoming place for all dancers, no matter their gender, to dance together in mixed teams.

Open Morris Today

Today, Open Morris has grown a lot and includes many morris dance teams. It works well with the other main morris dance groups as part of the Joint Morris Organisation. This organization helps all the different morris dance groups work together.

Open Morris and its members believe that morris dance is a "living tradition." This means they want to keep the dance exciting and fresh, allowing it to change and grow over time, rather than always sticking to old rules. They are known for being "non-traditional" in a good way, always looking for new ways to enjoy and share morris dancing.