Rattlejag Morris

Based in the market town of Retford, Nottinghamshire, Rattlejag Morris is a mixed dance side formed in January 2002 with the aim of reviving and developing a dance tradition based in their own local area. Using material collected by Paul Davenport from South Yorkshire as a starting point and also their own material from local research into dancing in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire they have set out to revive and then develop their own locally based dance tradition.

Local research shows that Morris dancing survived in parts of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire till late in the C19th, lasting longest in association with the winter Plough Monday celebrations.

Rattlejag Morris’ dancing is very different from that usually associated with most ‘morris dancing’. One feature is that they use a variety of rattles and shakers to give each dance its own distinctive sound. Other dances feature bellsticks to which long ribbons are attached. Their repertoire also now includes broom dances based on material from Lincolnshire and three dances developed by Retford’s Broadstone Morris. They now have eleven dances and are in the process of developing three more for next season.