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Welcome to Phoenix Morris |
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Phoenix Morris Dances
The dances of Phoenix Morris come in two types, traditional Cotswold dances from a number of “Traditions” within the Cotswold style and our own dances based on the Cotswold style.
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STRETTON UNDER FOSSE |
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| SHEPHERDS HEY | STICK |
| MOLLY OXFORD | HANKIE |
| MAID OF THE MILL | HANKIE |
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ADDERBURY |
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| BLACK JOKE | HANKIE |
| THE BELL | HANKIE |
| BETTY WINDSOR | HANKIE |
| CONSTANT BILLY | STICK |
| LADS A BUNCHEM | STICK |
| SHOOTING | STICK |
| POSTMANS KNOCK | STICK |
| BLUEBELLS | STICK |
| BLEDINGTON | |
| YOUNG COLLINS | STICK |
| BLACK JOKER | STICK |
| 3 MUSKETEERS | STICK (Written by Minnesota) |
| PARK LODGE | STICK |
| SATURDAY NIGHT | HANKIE |
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DUCKLINGTON |
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| LOLLIPOP MAN | HANKIE |
| BAMPTON | |
| HIGHLAND MARY | HANKIE |
| OVER THE HILL |
HANKIE (Written by GREENWOOD MORRIS) |
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BUCKNELL |
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| SATURDAY NIGHT | HANKIE |
| UPTON ON SEVERN | |
| UPTON ON SEVERN | STICK |
| UPTON ON SEVERN | HANKIE |
| LICHFIELD | |
| VANDALS OF HAMMERWICH | STICK |
| RING O’BELLS | 2 STICKS |
| PHOENIX DANCES | |
| BALANCE THE STRAW | STICK * Danced in the style of FIELDTOWN |
| BATCHWORTH STICK | 2 STICKS |
| SPEED THE PHOENIX | 2 STICKS |
| STOMP | STICK |
| STOMP | HANKIE |
| PORTSMOUTH | HANKIE |
| PHOENIX WAVES | HANKIE |
| ORDER OF THE PHOENIX | STICK |
| ODDS AND S* | |
| LINCOLNSHIRE POACHER | STICK (Written by Ooze William Morris) |
| NORTH 21 | STICK (Written by Great Northern Eclectics) |
THE DANCES OF PHOENIX MORRIS
The dances from Phoenix Morris are comprised of dances from Cotswold Traditions collected by Cecil Sharp and adapted to our own style. We also have several of our own dances and a few dances collected from other Sides, forming the modern element of our repertoire.
We have a collection of approximately 32 dances but we do not use them all. We like to have a choice so that we can vary our repertoire from time to time. Some of these dances are dropped and occasionally new ones added and also we reintroduce existing ones we have not danced for a while.
STRETTON UNDER FOSSE
This tradition was collected by Cecil Sharp but never published by him probably because they were fairly similar to another tradition. However, the dances were discovered by John Cutting, at the time foreman of Lord Pagets Morris of Uxbridge, whilst looking through some manuscripts at Cecil Sharp House when doing some research into the Morris History. He choreographed these dances originally for Lord Pagets who were a Border Morris Side. These were never used so eventually he kindly offered these dances to Phoenix as they were really a Cotswold Tradition. Since then, Grand Union Morris have also started dancing this tradition.
The Stretton Dances are Shepherds Hey a stick dance, Old Molly Oxford & Maid of the Mill & Black Joke Hankie Dances and The Buffoon (a knee Slapping Dance)
At present we perform the first three of these dances.
BLEDINGTON
The Bledington Tradition is one that the mixed Cotswold Sides in the area tried to standardise in the 1980’s so that they could be danced by all Sides on mass at joint events.
In some ways Morris is evolving rapidly and we are trying to achieve some form of compatibility between Sides.
Regular Bledington Style dances now performed by Phoenix are Black Joker and Young Collins, which are traditional stick dances. Then 2 dances based on the Bledington Tradition which are Three Musketeers collected by us from a visiting American Side one of our own dances Park Lodge. The only hankie dance we now occasionally perform is Saturday night Bledington.
Other Bledington dances Phoenix have performed in the past are William & Nancy, Cuckoo’s Nest and Idbury Hill, but at present these are not in our repertoire.
ADDERBURY
The Adderbury tradition dances that have been performed by Phoenix over the years includes Black Joke, Betty Windsor and The Bell which are hankie dances, Beaux of London City (aka “shooting”), Bluebells of Scotland, Lads a Buncham, Postman’s Knock and Constant Billy these are all stick dances.
The Bell is a dance which was adapted by Phoenix in the 70’s and then improved upon in the early 90’s to make it a very attractive and popular dance.
Adderbury forms the largest collection in our dance list.
BAMPTON
The Bampton Tradition comes from Bampton-in-the-Bush to the South West of Oxford.
The only dance we perform at present is Over the Hill which is danced in quite an unusual style we collected it from Greenwood Morris. This dance was performed by Halfcut Morris and was one of the dances that came with them.
The other dances we have performed in this tradition are Highland Mary (aka Pram Pushing or Chicken Chasing) and Bonny Green Garters but neither of these are danced at present. They are both from the Grand Union Style.
In the past we have performed other dances from this tradition such as Shave the Donkey and Constant Billy.
UPTON UPON SEVERN
These dances are in fact originally Border Dances.
Cotswold versions were devised many years ago and Phoenix dance both the stick and hankie version.
LICHFIELD
We do two dances in this tradition, Ring o’Bells & Vandals of Longborough
We can dance these for 6 or 8 dancers having adapted a six person version by introducing a revised hey.
PHOENIX DANCES
The only “Fieldtown” dance that is performed by Phoenix at present is Balance the Straw which was written in the style of Fieldtown by the original Phoenix in 1955. We used to dance Dearest Dickey from the Fieldtown tradition but this was dropped in the 1980’s before the Side became mixed.
The “Batchworth” dances these are a collection of our own dances, they are not a tradition as such as the dances do not follow the same pattern.
Based on Cotswold Morris Lines, the following dances are performed.
A three person 2 stick dance called Speed the Phoenix an eight person 2 stick dance called Batchworth Stick. A 6 person stick dance called the Stomp .
Hankie dances which can be done by any multiple of 4 people, one is called Portsmouth and the other Phoenix Waves. Our most recent dances to be added to the Batchworth collection are The Stomp Hankie dance based on the stick dance but with a different chorus, and finally Order of Phoenix a 6 person stick dance.
Park Lodge, although one of our own dances, is danced in the style of Bleddington.
Although Portsmouth and
the Stomp stick dance were choreographed by Phoenix they are danced by other
Sides throughout the Country.
ODDS & S…!
Finally our repertoire is added to by individual dances taken from different traditions collected from other Morris Sides, in the main these are: Lollipop Man from the Ducklington Tradition. Saturday night a circle dance adapted from the Bucknell Tradition, Lincolnshire Poacher collected from Ouse William Morris and North 21 a stick dance from Great Northern Eclectics.