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With the jingle-jangle of bells and jaunty jigs, a clash of sticks and a bit of hanky-waving, more than 100 Morris dancers treated locals to a highly energetic show at Mangawhai Historic Village on January 16.
Decked out in colourful costumes in the individual styles of each club – some reminiscent of steampunk – dancers swirled, skipped and leapt to the upbeat rhythm of flute, fiddle and drum through a long list of choreographic routines. Amid the hanky-waving and stick-clacking a sense of fun and energy prevailed, with dancers often breaking into song, joyful yelps and much laughter.
The dancers were welcomed by Mangawhai Museum manager Angela Cook and Mangawhai Historic Village Trust member John Phillis.
“I can tell by the smiles and the fun you’re having that you’re really enjoying yourselves, and you’ll always be welcome here in Mangawhai,” they said.
The show was part of an annual gathering of national Morris dancing clubs, as well as overseas groups from Australia and USA. This year’s event was hosted by the Whangarei Morris Dancers (WMD) who led the troupe on a ‘Pot Hole Tour’ of free events in Mangawhai, Waipu, One Tree Point and Whangarei.
The dancers also had a tour of the museum and Mangawhai’s old schooner, the Daring, before heading to the Mangawhai Tavern for lunch and another performance. WMD’s Julie Scott says the Mangawhai trip was a favourite of their guests.
“We were thrilled with the museum’s warm welcome and appreciated the ship volunteers giving their time. We had an excellent meal at the tavern and, of course, all our guests enjoyed the scenic drive through Langs and the Cove,” she says. “We’d like to thank Mangawhai for their warm hospitality.”
