This page is intended to assist a venue owner or manager in understanding what space considerations are required by the American Travelling Morrice to give a successful performance.

Morris dancing is an old English country tradition. Its origins have been forgotten, but there are references to morris dancing from the 15th century. The dances that we perform come from the rural villages near Oxford, England. Every year since 1976, the American Travelling Morrice comes together for one week and performs these dances in a specific area. In 2025, we’ll be visiting Syracuse NY and other nearby communities.

Here is a link to a video of our dancing:

What is the American Travelling Morrice looking for in a dance location?

• Space: 15 feet x 25 feet is good, although we can dance in slightly smaller spaces. We try to dance close to our audience and avoid stages and raised platforms.
• We prefer to dance outdoors, although an indoor space could be considered, and might be very welcome in inclement weather.
• Overhead clearance: roughly eight feet, preferably a bit more.
• Ground: these energetic dances require good footing – asphalt or concrete are usually best. Paving stones or wooden decks/floors can work, if they are even.
• Time: 20 – 30 minutes during the daytime or early evening.
• Traffic: a reasonable distance from automobile noise, but close to any pedestrian traffic.

What would the American Travelling Morrice need from you?

• Your organization’s name: this will be used for publicity (online, poster, handouts).
• Your address: an accurate street address is essential so that we and our audience can find you.
• Speaking of publicity, if you have a mailing list and are willing to help us this way, we can provide ready-to-distribute publicity materials.
• Permission to collect (optional): we don’t charge for our performances, but we like to pass the hat. This lets us talk with the audience and gives them a way to thank the dancers.