Morris Dancers National Day of Dance in York

Over 50 Morris dance groups took to the streets of York dancing at various locations all within the city walls. This event takes place in a different part of the country each year and shows the variety of styles, traditions, costumes and music that make up Morris dancing. This year it was hosted by Minster Strays, one of the Morris groups local to York. Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. The earliest known and surviving English text mentioning Morris dancing goes back to 1448. Dancers usually wear brightly coloured clothes traditional to the areas they come from. They also wear bell pads on their shins and hold implements such as sticks, swords and handkerchiefs. I went along and photographed these amazing dancers showing of their skills in the streets of York.