Welcome to the Sunset Duck Ale for 2004

A Southern California National Morris Dancing Ale

Sunset-Pennyroyal Association of Morris, a nonprofit corporation

For Particpant Info Please see the Yahoo Group

A Bit of History

When performing in the streets we are often asked, “What kind of dance is that?” Once we have thanked the person profusely for recognizing our flailing about as dancing, we usually mumble something about originating in England and being ancient which often times confuses the onlooker. No, it is not Irish dancing.

This explanation still provides little insight into what is being performed to those who have found themselves confronted by this strange phenomenon for the first time.

No one is quite sure of the origins of Morris. The following facts are generally agreed upon by all:

It is either 200 years old or 800
years old (or possibly older)

It originally developed in England (but may have come from somewhere else).

K Morris Dancing is fun.

Regardless of its history, Morris continues as a living tradition of folk dance throughout the world. Women and men deck themselves in ribbons and bells and, with hankies waving and sticks clashing, caper forth to bring a bit of amusement to those willing to watch.

The Watcher’s Guide to Morris Dance

Morris dance has existed in England for many centuries. Shakespeare refers to it in some of his plays, and even then it was considered old. Most forms of Morris dancing were associated with either the Church calendar or seasonal farming work (after the spring planting was done, farmers would take off for a few weeks, touring the countryside cadging for pennies or beer). In England today there are at least six regional variations and most are represented here this weekend:

Cotswold Morris, from the English villages of the Cotswold Hills west of London, is distinguished by its high leaping (or attempts to), flying hankies & clashing sticks. Dancers wear bells tied to their shins to accent the lively music. This particular style has different traditions within it, each one named for the village in which it evolved. Many of the teams you’ll see this weekend are dancing Cotswold.

Border Morris developed on the border of England and Wales and is characterized by simple, but wild and vigorous stepping, large sticks and unruly, raucous dancers. They also wear bells on their shins and quite often sport ragged coats and painted faces.

Northwest Morris comes from, you guessed it, the northwest of England. They’re easy to spot with their clogs accentuating the rhythm, and a short ribboned stick in each hand.

Longsword, from the Northeast, is identified by the long, metal sword heralded by each dancer. It is danced by six dancers linked together with their swords.

Rapper Sword, uses short, bendable steel swords and extremely fast footwork. It is also the most difficult to dance and often the most exciting to watch.

Saturday, April 24th

Sunset Tour (Doctors)
Oxnard Manor Convalescence 9:45 am
Ventura Harbour, Hornblower 10:30 am
Ventura Mission Plaza, Anacapa Brewing Co. 12:00, noon
Gardens of the World 2:45 pm
Malibu Pier, Malibu Inn 4:30 pm
Return to Camp Hess Kramer 6:00 pm

Sunset, Bedlam Bells, Berkeley, Goat Hill, Monarch Grove

Pennyroyal Tour (Masters)
Seviers Apartments 9:30 am
Channel Islands Harbour, Buon Appetit 10:30 am
Ventura Mission Plaza, Anacapa Brewing Co. 12:00, noon
Ventura Harbour, Hornblower 2:30 pm
Victoria Pub, Victora St., Ventura 4:00 pm
Return to Camp Hess Kramer 5:45 pm

Pennyroyal, Bridgetown, Faultline, Moreton Bay Fig, Wild Wood

Sunday, April 25th

Breakfast at Hess Kramer abt 8:00 am
Awards abt 9:00 am
Clean up camp, pack and transfer to 3rd Street abt 10:00 am
Third Street Promendade, Santa Monica 11:30 am
Depart for home throughout the day

SUNSET MORRIS PRESENTS

The Morris Sides (Teams)

Berkeley Morris
Berkeley, CA
Red waistcoats and white knee breeches.

Bedlam Bells Morris and Sword
Phoenix, AZ
White T-Shirts, black pants, black, white and red vests, and black ball caps.

Bridgetown Morris Men
Portland, OR
Black knee breeches and blue baldrics.

Faultline Morris
Hayward, CA
Black pants, white shirts, and orange sashes at the waist.

Goat Hill Morris
San Francisco, CA
White shirts and white pants.

Monarch Grove Morris
Santa Barbara, CA
White shirts and pants with black waistcoats.

Moreton Bay Fig Morris
San Diego, CA
Blue, yellow and green waistcoats, straw hats, black knee breeches and white shirts.

Pennyroyal Morris
Santa Monica, CA
Purple waistcoats, white tuxedo shirts and black pants.

Sunset Morris
Santa Monica, CA
Blue waistcoats with rainbow rosettes, white pants and shirts.

Wild Wood Morris
Long Beach, CA
Black shirts, pants and dresses, with ornately painted faces.

MORE TEAMS ARE ENROLLING

Contact Information

Paul Castillo, irvine673@AOL.com
Brian Smith, brian@isasi.com
Mike Jesch, mcjesch@pacbell.net