Banbury Cross Morris and Sword is a group of Boston-area children who perform
morris dancing, a centuries-old English folk tradition that has become popular
in the United States and many other parts of the world.
Banbury Cross meets during the school year (September to June) on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Payson Park Church, 365 Belmont Street, Belmont, Mass. Who can join:
What it costs:
Clothing needs:
For more information, contact Christine Day at christine@christinedenise.com or 781-696-5515. (Want to learn more about morris dancing?)
*May Day Celebration, Cambridge, Mass. One of the oldest, and most colorful, May Day events in the Northeast.
*Ginger Ale, May 9, Boston -- The Ginger Ale is an annual gathering of childrens' morris and sword teams from New England.
*Lilac Sunday, May 10, Arnold Arboretum -- Banbury Cross will join with many other morris dance teams from New England (and beyond) for a day of performances.
Click here to see a photo gallery of our 2008 season
*Ginger Ale, May 5, Boston
*May Day Celebration, Cambridge, Mass. Photos of May Day
*NEFFA, April 20-22, Mansfield, Mass. Photos More Photos of NEFFA
*Black and Green Celebration 2005 Banbury performed at this unique festival exploring the fusion of different cultures in Montserrat (Irish, British, African, and Caribbean). Photos of the performance
*Photos from Lilac Sunday 2005
*Dance-out with the Wayward Youths of Morris (see below).
Check back for updates.
(Left) The 2004 Ginger Ale. (Right) NEFFA 2004. (Left) May Day 2004. (Right) Ha'Penny Fall Harvest Tour, September 2003.
(Left) NEFFA 2003. (Right) The Ginger Ale 2002. More photos of Banbury Cross, and other Boston-area morris dance teams, can be found here.
From September to June, Banbury Cross meets for weekly practices and dances at
various events, including NEFFA, Lilac Sunday and the Ginger Ale, a gathering
of children's morris dance teams from New England, as well as the annual May Day
celebration in Cambridge. Banbury Cross members learn not only how to dance but
to appreciate the true "spirit of morris" and the fun and camaraderie
that goes along with it.
Founded in 1981, Banbury Cross has been around longer than any other young persons'
morris dance team in the US. Many of our alumni have continued morris dancing
into adulthood and become morris team leaders and teachers.
Banbury Cross invites children from fourth grade on up through high school to
become members. There is a fee to participate (see below), so prospective members
should consider attending a few practices before deciding to join. We try to
give everyone a chance to perform during our gigs, but it's important to come
to practice regularly.
Members pay dues for the fall and spring semesters. The exact amount depends
in part on how many current and active members there are, but it generally varies
between $100 and $125. Funds go to rent the practice space and to purchase materials
for the team's costume or "kit."
Each member also pays a one-time-only fee of $20 to cover the cost of a set
of morris bells, which becomes his or her property.
Banbury Cross members wear a baldrick and arm ribbons, which are supplied by
the team. Dancers also must wear white pants and white button-down shirts for
performances. If you have trouble finding either, we sometimes have extras available.
A good set of athletic shoes is needed for practices and gigs. Banbury Cross Schedule for 2009
*Commonwealth Morris Men Mid-Winter Celebration, Jan. 14, First Unitarian Society of Newton, West Newton, Mass.
*NEFFA, April 24-26, Mansfield, Mass. One of New England's oldest and largest festivals of folk and traditional music, dance and arts. Banbury Cross will perform on Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m. at the Main EntranceBanbury Cross performances during 2006-7
*Lilac Sunday, May 12, Arnold Arboretum Photos More Photos of Lilac SundayBanbury Cross performances in recent years
*NEFFA photos from 2006Banbury Cross Gallery
Banbury Cross videos (thanks to AJ Liuba)Click on thumbnails to see a larger version of each photo
Leaping Lizards! Er, make that Bounding Banburies! An uplifting moment from the Commonwealth Morris Men 2006 Mid-Winter Celebration. More photos here.
Banbury Cross at NEFFA 2006. More photos here.
Banbury Cross at the 2005 Mid-Winter Celebration. More photos here.
Banbury Cross Meets the Wayward Youths of Morris!
Banbury Cross at the 2004 Mid-Winter Celebration. More photos here.
We are extremely grateful to the late Sheldon Brown for his
years of service as the first Banbury Cross Webmaster, and for designing the
banner at the top of the page.