How (and why) to join the Foggy Bottom Morris Men
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But how much of a time commitment is it?
Dancing events and festivals are often opportunities to get together with other Morris teams - men's, women's, or mixed. A popular form of dance event is the Morris "Ale," a day or weekend of dancing tours followed by feasting, singing, social dancing, and general carousing. We attend at least one per season, and we often host our own. |
Do I have to be a dancer already to join?
All are welcome to come to a practice and try it out. Those in good physical condition and with a good sense of rhythm will learn faster than those without. Though we do have many musicians, more musicians are always welcome! |
Great! I'm interested! Where do you practice?Click here to get directions to our weekly Thursday practice. We recommend that you contact us first to make sure we are having regular practice the night you wish to attend. And check out our calendar to find out more information about our practices and performances. |
Why? Because it is tons of fun. Morris dancing, when it is done "on the
street" is not so much entertainment as guerrilla theatre. When we appear,
we cause heads to turn in surprise and confusion. Eyes light up with delight
and amusement as we begin to perform. Children dance on the sidelines. Adults
ask "what is this?" Soon they are buying us beers. Ladies glance at our
bulging calf muscles and say "Hmmmm, cute trousers!", inspiring us to leap
higher and clash sticks harder for their admiration.
The time commitment need not be heavy, and not all members attend every gig.
We go to festivals and dance events once or twice a month from fall through
spring. We practice for a couple of hours every Thursday evening September
through June, and generally end up at a drinking establishment following each
gig or practice. Belonging to a morris team is much like belonging to an
amateur sports team or musical group. Our members enjoy social aspects of
dance events as well as the excitement of public performance.
Our members are regular folks from many walks of life and of all ages. We
have: an architect, a printer, an FDA researcher, a cartoonist, a computer
technician, a chemist, a music producer, an astronomer, a bank assistant,
a student, and so on. Our age range is from teens to sixties. We live in
and around the Washington, DC metropolitan area: from Sterling, Va, to
Ellicott City, Md!