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Ravensbourne Morris Men
The Ravensbourne Morris Men have performed Morris Dancing in Kent since 1946,
drawing their membership from the North West Kent area. The main purpose of
the club is to show the morris in its own locality, but their activities are
by no means limited to the Bromley area. The Ravensbourne Morris Men have
danced before the Queen and Royal Family at Buckingham Palace and at many
festivals at home and abroad.
The Dance itself is thought to be pagan in origin, with traditional use at
Whitsun and the winter solstice. Always performed by men, working either solo
or in teams, the Morris Dance is a mixture of dances, drawn from the varied
traditional styles around the country, including jigs and sword dances.
Distinctive costumes, sometimes with bell pads, ribbons and rosettes identify
dance teams from the different counties of England. Dancers are attended by
extra non-dancing characters, such as The Fool, The Betty or man-woman, the
Cake Bearer and the Collector. Taking around the hat lets the audience share
in the dance, this is said to bring good luck for the following year. The
money collected goes towards the running expenses of the club, with a donation
to the charities traditionally supported by Ravensbourne Morris Men.
The hobby horse also takes part in the dance and Ravensbourne have adopted the
hooden horse of Kent, originally a Christmas visitor around the Isle of
Thanet, to include in their display.
You can see the Ravensbourne Morris Men from May to July each year at pubs,
festivals and fairs in Bromley and North Kent and for over twentyfive years,
they have appeared at the Greyhound, Keston, on Boxing Day.
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