truly odd and original thing

[anotheranon]

Found over at wendyzski's journal: Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there are such things as leather morris dancers!

There is nothing I can possibly add except... wow... I would never have thought of that! And maybe that I'm wondering whether I should ever have thought of that...

Comments

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Wow! I've always liked Morris dancing (and, whenever possible, used to go to watch the local group perform while I was at college in London ... the boyfriend was buddies with the head Morrisman). Maybe this is the way to teach me to be into leather ***grin***.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

You'll let us dangle bells from piercings in your arms? KEWL!!!

This just intrigues me because morris dancing is something I think of as so... quaint, and traditional, that I couldn't concieve of doing something this inspired and..stimulating.... with it :P It's just kind of cool in a daring, zany way. I like it :)

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

LOL!!!!! No, I think I'll stick to the tradition of bells on leather straps, tied just below the knee.

Mebbe it's because I've observed rehearsals and performances from very close up, but I've never thought of morris dancing as quaint. Traditional, yes ... it's very very old. But knowing that one person being even a fraction of a second off in their timing could result in broken fingers for somebody else (those staves are HEAVY), I tend to perceive it as an amazing exercise in precision and trust (in the other guy's ability to count ***grin***).

It can be exhilarating, though...

[shemhazai.livejournal.com]

I spent a couple of months learning a medieval sword dance, Buffins, that involved much bouncing about and whacking of sticks. No bells, though. But once you got up to speed, it was really something. It felt like being part of a big, inexorable clockwork machine.

Re: It can be exhilarating, though...

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Ooooo! Sounds as if both dance styles share a common origin (the stick whacking, the clockwork style, the acceleration as the patterns repeat ... now you've got me wondering if the rhythmic sound of the bells in Morris dancing replace an original ringing sound of real swords (instead of staves) clashing against each other as part of the dance ...

Mmmmm ... something else to research ...

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

Why am I not shocked and stunned that they can found in San Francisco? :)

[geekchick]

Heh. What does it mean that before I even clicked the link I thought "bet that's the White Rats"? ;)