It
is totally different in style from the later dances from Northwest
England, which it pre-dates by over 100 years. These later dances from the
region are processional in nature and were urban street dances that were
often performed in the local carnivals and were therefore quite colourful
and noisy, either accompanied by, or competing against, brass bands! |
|
Although
Abram became a mining community in the 19th century the dance
was well established in its agricultural setting long before the
pit-shafts were sunk. In fact one of the local mines was named “The
Maypole Colliery” after the morris dancers’ maypole which stood nearby
and was the scene of a tragic pit explosion in 1908 when 75 men were
killed. |