November 01, 2019
Practice season brings record turn-outs
For the second time this season, enough dancers last night for two sets up and three musicians. We added a new dance to our repertoire: the famous Riggs of Doom, a dance in the style of Bampton written by Utrecht Morris Men to a lovely original tune - one to look out for next summer!
And, it you're thinking of joining, it's still not too late - just come along to Kingston-on-Soar Village Hall on a Thursday evening, or contact:
Martin on 07599 969731
or email
Nick or Dave
September 14, 2019
Fancy joining us? Now's the perfect time
The practise season is now well underway and we welcome new recruits (dancers, musicians or both). You will have the whole of the winter to get up to speed with Dolphin dancing style and could be dancing out with us by May 2020.
Dolphin practice every Thursday until the end of April at Kingston on Soar Village Hall.
Jigs, basic stepping, points of style etc. from 7:30. This tends to allow more personal instructions.
Set dances from about 8:00.
We then recover from the ordeal with a drink at a local pub and often have music and song sessions as part of that.
We are a Cotswold Morris side for male dancers. New dancers or experienced adult male dancers are welcome to join us as well as musician of either sex. We are also happy to put you in touch with other local sides that are all male, all female, or mixed, and which dance Cotswold or any of the other various Morris traditions.
If you want to chat with someone before you come, call
Martin on 07599 969731
or email
Nick or Dave
August 05, 2019
Toby Melville, superbly played for by dad Jon, won this years single jig competition in Sidmouth with a superbly athletic and stylish performance. Well done Toby, amazing leaps! Excellent.
August 01, 2019
The final month of the 2019 dancing-out season saw Dolphin at the following venues:
Thursday 18th July
The Cross Keys at Burton Joyce was a regular stop on the Gate to Southwell in years gone by. A very enthusiastic and raucous audience made for an an excellent show.. We then moved to the Black Horse at Caythorpe, with a smaller crowd consisting of the same people who turn up every year and are a very good audience, chips from the landlady and singing in the bar.
Thursday 25th
The final Dolphin tour of the season at the Waterside Inn and The Swan Inn, Mountsorrel
Sunday 28th
Deerstock festival, East Bridgford as band-change entertainment
Wednesday 31st
Finishing off as guests of Leicester Morris at the Three Crowns, Wymeswold and Anchor Inn, Walton on the Wolds
Practise season starts again early September, call or check here for details
July 17, 2019
With two Thursday night tours to go before the end of the "season" here follows a brief summary of what we've been up to since the last update.
June 20th Kings Head Sutton Bonington. Our annual midsummer massed displays of dancers and dance traditions. This year's friends with us were Black Pig Border, Chip of the Old, First Class Stamp, Maids of Clifton and Dawn Dawson.
June 27th 5 Bells, Claypole followed by Royal Oak Long Bennington, after which a record eleven songs were sung by eleven different dancers with all the dancers out that evening singing one song each. With many of our regular singers away, Dolphin should be proud.
July 4th Plough at Hickling, where a huge and very appreciative audience contributed to a most successful start to the evening. A few people came out at the Plough at Cropwell Butler and there was singing and music afterwards.
July 11th. Practice of the butchers' dance at Bunkers Hill was followed by a performance of this and traditional Morris at City Arts as interval entertainment. The evening finished off at the VAT and Fiddle
Weekend of 12,13,14 July. Annual Chipperfield weekend with Greensleeves and Thelwall Morris
Full 2019 tours information available here or see events diary to the right.
June 13, 2019
A busy month ...
May 23rd saw us at the Dragon and the Boardwalk in Willington with our friends Uttoxeter Heart of Oak Morris. Probably nearer their territory this one, but as two of our members live at the Marina, it was our tour!
May 30th Annual visit to Bradmore Village, the home of the Bradmore Dancers who, in 1618, were jailed (and indeed excommunicated) for profaning the Sabbath by dancing on that day. This was followed by a visit to Ruddington Beer Festival at the Framebreakers Arms
June 2nd. 1620's house in Donington Le Heath. This being a Sunday in 1622 we of course danced, but also performed the play (written by Bob Hine) which demonstrated that the Bradmore men had in fact been wrongly convicted by the Church authorities. Listen to the full story here.
Practise, lunch and dancing at the Old Thatched Inn, Stanton under Bardon prior to this.
June 6th The Dead Poets, Holbrook and The Holly Bush, Makeney. A tour organised by Dolphin to the home of the invited side Makeney Morris who are definitely one of the best of the many excellent young sides around. We used to be young once you know!
June 13th. Many Dolphins attended the funeral/celebration of the life of Edward Bellaby (formerly Ted Hutchby), erstwhile Squire and one-time Fool of Dolphin Morris.
June 13th. Our Download-warm-up tour of Castle Donington. With the weather soggy, and the fact that many Dolphins had been at a funeral all day, this could have been a wash out. However the Download crowds were superb, plentiful and in very good humour. All three pubs (we danced at the Chequered Flag, Cross Keys and Jolly Potters) were crammed full of enthusiastic rock fans and this was one of the best Thursday tours for a while. We finished back at the Chequered Flag for singing and music.
Next event is the "Come all ye" midsummer's evening at the Kings Head, Sutton Bonington (Thursday 20th June) where there will be a variety of sides showcasing the diversity of traditions and styles that make up the Morris as we know it today.
On the Wednesday prior (19th June) some men will be going to the Rose Inn, Baxterley (near Atherton, Warwickshire) as guests of Anker Morris for their midsummer celebrations. A beautiful pub and an excellent evening, so well worth the trip if you are able.
Full 2019 tours information available here
Dolphin is a men's Cotswold Morris side
Women musicians are very welcome, but we are a single-sex (male) dancing side.
Sorry Ladies! Do call us though and we can put you in touch with loads of good
ladies' or mixed sides, if you wish.
We dance a number of traditions (including Adderbury, Fieldtown, Headington Quarry, Bledington, Bampton, Ilmington and
Lichfield) and have members who hail from all over Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.
From September to April we practise at Kingston-on-Soar Village Hall
(near J24 of the M1) and recover from the ordeal with a pint and, usually, a few tunes and songs in a local pub.
In January we generally perform a Plough play and throughout May, June and July we dance out at pubs and events around Nottinghamshire, as well as the Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire borders; after which we usually like to try and get a good singing and music session going.
NEWMEMBERSAREALWAYS
VERYWELCOME