AS many people may have noticed, the topic of Morris dancing was mentioned in the BBC news last week. Not only was this unusual, but it raised the issue that the Morris may 'die out' in 20 years' time, due to a lack of younger dancers.
However, I feel that this is far from the case. I dance with Dartmoor Border, a local side, who pride themselves on being a 'side-for-all', with emphasis put on families and younger people joining. We have a number of young dancers and, if anything, we have had more join us in the past year!
If Morris is dying out, then it must be 'up country', as we seem to be doing very well in Devon!
There has been much talk of Morris dancing at the 2012 Olympics: I cannot think of a better way to promote this wonderful tradition to people, and I hope that this talk may soon become a reality.
Lara Pollard
Crapstone