Morris dance group to perform in Princeton area
By Keith Loria, Special Writer
Morris dancing has been popular since the days of William Shakespeare, with its roots harking back to medieval street theater. This traditional English dancing has been kept alive by the American Travelling Morrice, an international ensemble of dancers and musicians that has come together each summer over the past 37 years to offer authentic presentations of the ritual dances of the English Cotswolds in performances.
Tucked away in a private locale in New Jersey this month, white-clad members of the ATM can be found working on intricate patterns of the dance —ringing bells, clashing wooden sticks and waving handkerchiefs — in time to lively folk tunes played on accordion, fiddle, or the traditional pipe and tabor, as they get ready for their new tour.
The American Travelling Morrice will be performing a weeklong series of shows, July 29-Aug. 4, throughout Bucks, Mercer and Hunterdon counties, concluding with two Princeton performances on its final day. The group will dance at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4 at Nassau Hall; concluding its weeklong dancing at 6 p.m. on the plaza of the Princeton Public Library.
”It’s always in a different part of the country, and on occasion we go over to England,” says Jamie Watson of Plainsboro who has been Morris dancing since 1979 and serves as the squire (or leader) of ATM on this tour. “I’ve been working to get the tour to this area for a while and am happy people in the area will be able to experience it. Plus, it gives the members an opportunity to see a different area every summer.”
Mr. Watson is part of an invitation-only all-star team of Morris dancers in the tri-state area as well as a Princeton group that allows men and women. He first became interested in Morris dancing while living in Philadelphia.
”A lot of these people are into the folklore, so many of them went over to England,” he says. “The thing that I like is that it’s a non-competitive, very athletic, mental activity. The guys dance in a very masculine way and there’s a great energy that men achieve with Morris that is not achieved on the women side or a mixed side.”
Watson’s 22-year-old son Casey is also a member of ATM and the proud dad is happy that his kin is keeping with the family tradition.
”I had him on a boy’s team when we lived in Philadelphia and he will be dancing with us for the first time this year,” Mr. Watson says. “We have another father-son team from Massachusetts taking part. We’re trying to open it up to a younger set. I could never dance at the energy level that these young guys perform at and it’s thrilling to have them be part of the team.”
For those taking part, tradition is very important. Each team or side has its own costume, which becomes its trademark. The white represents springtime and the renewal of life after the dormant darkness of winter.
”We call the costume our kit and every Morris side has its own to delineate one team from another. Some English teams wear knickers or you might see a team with a double sash over both shoulders,” Mr. Watson says. “Our side wears navy blue suspenders with rosettes.”
Also, part of the costume is the wearing of the bells, where each team member wears a bell pad on each leg with 25 bells. The bells are said to ward off evil spirits and gloomy thoughts, and the fierce clashing of sticks may survive as a vestige of the pagan rituals of much earlier times.
Another big part of the tradition is the so-called passing of the hat, which is a custom that allows the audience to share in the dance and express gratitude to the dancers. It has often been said that dropping a coin in the upturned hat of a Morris man brings the donor good luck and prosperity “for a year and a day.”
”The thing about Morris is it’s best to perform and view in the round,” Mr. Watson says. “We want people to observe the dancers from all sides. Usually when that occurs, someone will be walking along the perimeter passing out flyers and have an upturned hat.”
Overall, 25 to 30 men will be taking part on the tour, with a set of six doing each dance. All performances are free. The performance schedule is:
Sunday, July 29 – Howell Living History Farm as part of the Mercer County 4-H Fair at 11 a.m.; Wells Fargo Bank, Lambertville, at 2:30 p.m.; East Ferry and Main streets, New Hope, Pa. at 3:30 p.m.; Logan Inn, New Hope, at 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 31 – Riegelsville Inn, 11 a.m.; Ship Inn in Milford at 12:30 p.m.; Frenchtown Inn at 3 p.m.; and Lumberville General Store at 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 31 – Riegelsville Inn, Riegelsville, Pa., at 11 a.m.; The Ship Inn, Milford, 12:30 p.m.; Bridge and Front streets, Frenchtown, 3 p.m.; Lumberville General Store at 4:30 p.m.; Stockton Inn at 6 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 2 – Trenton Farmers’ Market at 11 a.m.; Grounds for Sculpture at 2 p.m.; and Douglas Plaza in Trenton at 8 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 3 – Peddler’s Village in Lahaska, Pa., at 11 a.m.; Fonthill Castle in Doylestown, Pa. at 1 p.m.; Mercer Museum in Doylestown at 4 p.m.; Doylestown downtown at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 4 – Honey Brook Organic Farm, Pennington, at 10 a.m.; Washington Crossing Park at noon; Nassau Hall, Princeton, 3 p.m.; and Princeton Public Library at 6 p.m.

