We pride ourselves on having a strong dance theme at the Priddy Folk Festival, including morris and display dance groups, ceilidhs and workshops.
The Dance festival is free and open to all – come and join us!
Beltane Border Morris
Beltane Border Morris
Think Morris dancing is all bells and hankies and tea with the vicar? Think again.
Beltane welcome you to the Dark Side of Folk. With dances emerging from the myths, legends and wilds of Dartmoor, Beltane prove that morris dancing can be older than tradition. With shadowed inky faces and black tattered coats and hats, they dance a mostly self-penned repertoire to music drumming up the energy of the moor and share something ancient and mysterious with all who watch. Come find them and be amazed.
Glastonbury Border Morris
Glastonbury Border Morris
Glastonbury Border Morris Dancers formed in 2016. They embody the wild, theatrical, jovial side of the great Border Morris tradition. Their dances celebrate the turn of the seasons, the wild huntress and the crow ancestors. You can often find them at Glastonbury Market Cross and the surrounding streets, hills and orchards – they aim to entertain and to give you a taste of the infectious Morris magic, always good for a laugh! They are thrilled to perform at Priddy Folk Festival and dance alongside all the other superb Morris sides.
https://www.facebook.com/glastonburymorris
Great Western Morris
Great Western Morris are from Exeter. Formed in the late 1960s, they have been dancing continuously ever since. Great Western entertain with “The Morris” rather than simply morris dance, involving everyone in the morris magic at every opportunity. They work hard on dancing well and honouring a living tradition, but first and foremost set out to engage, amuse and have fun.
Over the decades Great Western has performed at festivals and events across the UK and Ireland, in the Czech Republic, France, Italy, the United States and Canada. Later in 2023, they’re looking forward to a return trip to La Fiera Della Birra at Monte St Vito, Italy.
Most of Great Western’s dances are based on two ’traditions’ from Oxfordshire —Fieldtown and Bampton. Some are historic and some they’ve written themselves based on the traditional styles. They do their best to make them entertaining.
https://sites.google.com/great-western-morris.com/great-western-morris
No Mean Feet
No Mean Feet are a long-established Appalachian dance team based in Somerset. They perform traditional flat footing, tap and Irish dances in a lively style, choreographed by past and present members, and sporting brightly coloured costumes and hard-soled shoes with taps. They dance to the music of the Shoestring Band on guitar, fiddle and banjo.
https://www.nomeanfeet.org.uk/
Off the Hoof
Off the Hoof was haphazardly formed in 2019 when step dancer Nickie Dailly brought her clogs to a student folk festival’s Morris tour on a whim, borrowed a willing musician from one of the teams, performed a few dances, and got invited to Priddy Folk Festival! Nickie has since danced at a number of folk events accompanied by whomever she can persuade to play music, and for Priddy 2023 is joined by dance musician and tunesmith MJ Searle. Expect a classy combination of captivating tunes and exciting percussive steps with a dash of playful spontaneity.
Pigsty Morris
Pigsty Morris
Pigsty Morris are a mixed Cotswold side from North Bristol, founded in 1988. They take their name from Pigsty Hill where they practise. Their repertoire is a mix of new and traditional dances mostly from the villages of Bampton, Bucknell, Adderbury, Fieldtown and Lichfield.
They dance out regularly in the Bristol area, but also perform at festivals and fairs around the country and further afield.
http://www.pigstymorris.org.uk/
Silver Flame Rapper
Silver Flame Rapper
Fresh off the back of a win at the Dancing England Rapper Tournament, Silver Flame can’t wait to be back at Priddy Folk Festival this year.
Fun and fast dancing with ferocious music – come and marvel at how tired they can make themselves.
https://www.facebook.com/silverflamerapper/
Somerset Morris
Somerset Morris
Somerset Morris perform Cotswold Morris dances in the traditions of Ilmington, Bampton and Ducklington.
They also perform stave dances. These are unusual dances which originate from the Friendly Societies of the local area. These self-help societies were based in the villages and were at their most active during the 19th century. Each dancer carries a two-metre stave, crowned with a distinctive brass stave head and decorated with ribbons. Somerset Morris’s staves carry a variety of original heads, each design being the emblem of one of the Village Societies.
https://www.somersetmorris.org.uk/
SomerStep
Somerstep
SomerStep is a group of musicians and step dancers, based near Crewkerne in Somerset, who aim to encourage social dancing and step dancing at informal occasions, using Dartmoor steps and freestyling Southern English Steps. The group also dances social dance reels using traditional steps collected during the mid-late 20th Century. They have musicians with an impressive repertoire of Dorset and Somerset traditional tunes.
And finally, don’t forget that as well as our Dance festival, we’re also hosting a lively Fringe festival with a strong focus on local folk musicians from around Somerset and the West Country.