Trafalgar Square was a blur of waving hankies, stick rattling, sword entwining and jangling bells on Saturday as the Westminster Morris Men led their annual Day of Dance.
Saturday’s event saw eleven teams of Morris men from around the country gather together to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Westminster Morris Men, who first performed on Coronation Day in 1953.
The Day Of Dance involves groups busting out their best Morris moves at various locations around central London, including St James’ Park Bandstand, Tate Britain, Victoria Embankment Steps, Westminster Cathedral and China Town.
I photographed some of the Morris teams performing in Trafalgar Square in the afternoon.
I would have got there earlier, but I was busy taking photos at the big NHS demo down the road.
All the music at the event was acoustic.
The Westminster Morris Men take their turn.
Greensleeves Morris Men in action. Founded in central London in 1926, the group moved to Wimbledon in 1980.
A volunteer from the audience is pulled into the ring…
..and hoisted aloft!
More from the Westminster Morris Men.
Greensleeves Morris Man.
Violin, tin whistle and drum accompaniment.
Greensleeves Morris performing a particularly energetic dance.
Introducing the next dance.
This was a particularly curious northern dance that involved the blokes intertwining themselves using long, bendy metal ‘knives’ before breaking out to do a little tap-dancing routine. I rather liked it.
Unexpected acrobatics in the dance!
A last look at Trafalgar Square with the Westminster Morris Men in action again.
More info: Westminster Morris Men
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Morris dancers mob Trafalgar Square
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The plinth, the artist and contortionist, Trafalgar Square, May 2011
