The 47th annual tour of the American Travelling Morrice, last in the area in 2012 will perform in the Raritan Valley in Hunterdon and Somerset counties, with excursions into Morris and Mercer counties as well as Bucks County and New York City.
Look for the “Morris Dancers” dancing in parks, at libraries and other locations.
Their schedule includes stops in Califon, N.J., and Princeton, N.J. on Sunday, July 21; Riegelsville and Lumberville, and Frenchtown, N.J., and Lambertville, N.J., on Tuesday, July 23; and Ringoes,N.J., Flemington, N.J., and Hopewell, N.J, on Friday, July 26.
The event is free and family friendly; the dancers will pass a hat around.
Morris Dancing is a living tradition of dance and music, ancient in its origins and passed down by word of mouth. Its roots can be found in England, and most surviving dances are from the Cotswold area west of London, though there are similar dances to be found in many European countries.
After nearly becoming extinct, the Morris saw a revival at the end the 19th century. Today, the dances flourish in England and elsewhere. Echoes of primitive fertility rites, celebrations of the passage of the seasons, hints of magic and the promise of good fortune are to be found in the dances.
For performance information, which is subject to change, visit https://www.americantravellingmorrice.org/atm.
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