All about Kesteven Morris

Kesteven Morris features a lively ensemble of seven male and seven female dancers, accompanied by skilled musicians playing melodeons, accordion, fiddle, guitar, and bodhran. They perform a variety of dance traditions including Bampton, Bledington, Moulton, Sheffield, Fieldtown, Lichfield, and Upton On Severn. Notably, they also showcase the renowned Sleaford dances—Lincwold, North West, Garland, and East Anglian Molly.

The Legacy of Morris Dancing

Morris dancing stands as one of the most vibrant and enduring traditional English customs. Through the ages, this ancient heritage has persevered despite numerous challenges: the early church's attempts to suppress pagan rituals, society's efforts to trivialize the dance into a mere game, the loss of dancers to wars, and modern indifference. Yet, Morris dancing thrives.

The tradition lives on in South Lincolnshire and the East Midlands, upheld by Kesteven Morris. Dedicated to showcasing the dance to as many people as possible, the group performs at an array of venues—from grand stately homes to quaint garden fetes, bustling country pubs to city centers—anywhere crowds gather.

Kesteven Morris ensures their spirited performances are both skilful and enthusiastic, never compromising the essence of this unique and powerful English tradition.

Kesteven is one of the three historical divisions that now form Lincolnshire county.

An iconic representation of Morris dancing can be found in the medieval Betley Window, now housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum. This stained glass piece, possibly dating back to the 15th century, features Morris dancers in vivid detail.

From the county records - Sleaford early 19th Century - "Morris Dances are still practised in this neighbourhood, though not with the zeal of former times. This pastime is a combination of the ancient pageants and the morisco dance; and maid Marion and the Fool are considered as indispensable appendages to the party. It is an antique piece of mummery performed at Christmas, as a garbled vestige of the sports which distinguished the Scandinavian Festival of Yule. The performers repeat a kind of dialogue in verse and prose which is intended to create mirth, and ends in a comic sword dance and a plentiful libation of ale."

I have seen the Kesteven Morris dance with grace and skill
Their steps are swift and rhythmic,
their movements smooth and still
They weave a spell of magic with their ribbons and their bells
They bring to life the legends of the land where they do dwell
Their costumes are a rainbow of the seasons and the flowers
Their music is a melody of ancient tunes and powers
They honour the traditions of their ancestors and kin
They celebrate the beauty of the world they live in
The Kesteven Morris are a joy to watch and to admire
They fill my heart with wonder and they set my soul on fire
They are the truest poets of the dance that I have known
They are the Kesteven Morris and make the earth their own

Kesteven Morris

Lincolnshire's premier Morris team