The clash of wooden sticks and the jingle of leg bells drew shoppers out of Main Street stores on Saturday morning, as the Brattleboro Morris Men danced their way from the Brooks House to the town common for the group's annual spring procession.
Twenty dancers—ranging in age from 28 to 72—performed for roughly 90 minutes under overcast skies on May 4, marking the local side's 24th year of dancing in downtown Brattleboro. Dressed in white shirts, red-and-green baldrics crossed over their chests, and bells strapped to their shins, the group executed a series of set dances and processional pieces drawn from Cotswold and Border traditions.
A Dance Rooted in English History
Morris dancing traces its documented origins in England to the 15th century, though some scholars argue earlier folk roots run deeper. The tradition encompasses several regional styles: Cotswold Morris, characterized by handkerchiefs and sticks; Border Morris, known for its vigorous, often black-faced or tattered costumes; and Northwest processional dances, among others. Performances are typically accompanied by live instrumental music—accordion, fiddle, concertina, or pipe and tabor—rather than singing.
The Brattleboro Morris Men, founded in 2000, specialize in Cotswold and Border material. They dance year-round but reserve their largest public performance for the first Saturday in May, when Brattleboro's downtown foot traffic offers the best opportunity to introduce newcomers to the tradition.
"People Stop and They Stay"
Tom Fletcher, 61, who serves as the group's foreman, said the annual spring dance remains his favorite performance of the year.
"You get the skeptics at first—people walking past with coffee, trying not to make eye contact," Fletcher said. "Then the sticks start clashing, the bells get going, and you see them stop. And more importantly, they stay. By the third dance, we've usually got a semicircle of kids sitting on the curb."
Fletcher, a retired high school history teacher, joined the side in 2006 after stumbling across a practice session in the West River Park. He now coordinates the group's repertoire and trains new dancers in the footwork.
Musician Sarah Voss, who played accordion and concertina during Saturday's procession, has accompanied the Brattleboro Morris Men since 2015. She noted that the group's sound has evolved as younger members have brought influences from Irish and contra dance traditions.
"We're not purists," Voss said. "The steps stay traditional, but the tunes breathe a little differently now. It keeps it alive."
Crowds and Curiosity
By mid-morning, an estimated 80 to 100 spectators had gathered along Main Street and the town common. Several children attempted to mimic the dancers' hopping steps from the sidewalk. One onlooker, Brattleboro resident Elaine Okonkwo, 44, said she had never heard of Morris dancing before Saturday.
"I was just getting bagels, and then there were all these men with bells on their legs," Okonkwo said. "It's completely ridiculous and completely wonderful. I watched the whole set."
The dancers performed six dances in total, including "Shepherd's Hey," a stick dance from the Bledington tradition, and "Princess Royal," a slower processional piece. They concluded with an invitation to the audience to join a simplified group dance on the common, which roughly two dozen people accepted.
How to See Them Next
The Brattleboro Morris Men rehearse Thursday evenings at the Gibson-Aiken Center and welcome prospective dancers regardless of experience. Their next public performance is scheduled for June 21 at the Brattleboro Farmers' Market, where they will dance at 10 a.m. and noon as part of the market's summer solstice celebration.
More information, including rehearsal schedules and video from past performances, is available at brattleboromorrismen.org and on the group's Instagram and Facebook pages.
