Morris dancers from 17 dance sides will converge on Weymouth quayside over the first weekend in June to add to the party atmosphere of the Wessex Folk Festival.
Resplendent in their colourful costumes, many of the sides dance in the Border and Cotswold traditions popular in the South West. In contrast, The Quayside Cloggies and Treacle Eater Clog will add the sound of clog dances from Lancashire and Cheshire. The Cloggies wear handmade costumes and clogs, based on those worn by 19th century mill workers in North West England.
Adding to the variety, Beetlecrusher Clog perform dances from Quebec as well as from all over Great Britain and Ireland, while No Mean Feat dance on boards in shoes with metal taps to bring the music and percussive American folk dance of the Appalachian Mountains to life.
A truly international flavour will be provided by Zdravets, a Bulgarian folk dance group founded in Southampton and Portsmouth, who have danced at festivals in England and abroad in their quest to preserve Bulgarian cultural heritage and bring the spirit of Bulgaria to different parts of the world.
The free festival also features performances by acclaimed folk musicians on two stages. Highlights will include Merry Hell and Reg Meuross on Saturday and Trials of Cato and Wight Hot Pipes on Sunday.
The Wessex Folk Festival takes place around Weymouth Harbour from June 2 to 4. Full details can be found on the festival website at www.wessexfolkfestival.com
The Wessex Folk Festival is supported by We Are Weymouth (BID).
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