Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Marlboro Ale

One more part of the Memorial Day Weekend was the Marlboro Ale. This is a gathering of about 16-18 Morris & Sword Dance teams from around the U.S. and Canada who stay at Marlboro College and dance all over the county through the weekend, culminating in a festival of all the teams at Newfane, VT late Sunday afternoon. It's a great event - these are top-notch teams, men and women, with a wide variety of styles of music and dancing, some quite funny, featuring the "fool" in the Morris Dance tradition, some with handkerchiefs, some with swords, almost all with leg bells.  Katie, Savanna, Brendon, Jim, Mary, Ellen and myself - we were all there. The weather cooperated - no rain.

Opening procession with musicians leading all the teams


A men's team

A brilliant women's team with a very funny "fool" at left

'kerchiefs galore!


A sword team with the traditional star formed by swords




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