by Nathaniel Smith
Maple Morris; photo by Sarah Pilzer
Maple Morris & Morris Offspring present Rootbound:
Celebrating the life of English folk dance in North America
with music by Ian Robb, Amelia Mason, Eric McDonald and Emily Troll
original lyrics by Susan Cooper
July 15, The Armory Performance Hall, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA
July 19, The Berkeley Church, 315 Queen St E., Toronto, Canada
Maple Morris (North America) and Morris Offspring (United Kingdom) are thrilled to invite you to their collaborative theatrical Morris dance production, Rootbound. A blend of vigorous dancing, musical exploration, vibrant costumes, and creative storytelling, Rootbound will tell the story of a dancer’s journey in the North American Morris dance community.
Morris is a surviving English traditional folk dance that has been performed since the 1400s and has been associated with seasonal and harvest rituals. The dance is vigorous and athletic and the high leaps are accented by the use of white handkerchiefs and bells. Laurel Swift of Morris Offspring describes Morris dancing as “a complex and energetic art form demanding athleticism, coordination, and musicality from its performers, expected to display both discipline and individuality at any moment. It is rich in material, forms and movement, rarely tapped by the wider arts world yet offering a unique source of artistic possibilities.”
Maple Morris is a community of young dancers from across North America who are dedicated to promoting creativity, leadership, and continued excellence in future generations of the North American Morris Revival. In 2011, Maple traveled to the UK to collaborate with England’s foremost innovators, Morris Offspring. The result was the production Must Come Down, a stage performance showcasing Morris dancing at its most inventive.
Morris Offspring; photo by Alan Cole
The return leg of this collaboration this summer will see Maple Morris joined by Morris Offspring in a brand new stage production in Boston and Toronto. Rootbound will feature music by the powerful singer Ian Robb (of the folk trio Finest Kind: www.ianrobb.com), Amelia Mason, Eric McDonald, and Emily Troll, words from acclaimed author Susan Cooper, and new Morris dance creations by Maple Morris and Morris Offspring.
Beer and wine will be available at both performances. Premium ($40) and general admission ($25) tickets are available at maplemorris.com/rootbound/.
For more information, visit our website: www.maplemorris.com
Rootbound is supported in part by the Country Dance and Song Society’s Outreach Funds.
Addendum: See the Boston Globe 7/11/13 online article about the event, http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2013/07/11/review-rootbound-maple-morris-and-morris-offspring/AVgLw9uZKjyldbKakqJeUI/story.html.