Next month, dozens of rapper dancers and musicians will be coming to Kendal for an unique event. This is a major competition, which has nothing to do with rap-music of our times, but is a celebration of the 19th century sword dances, that originated in the North East coalfields and to keep up the pit-village tradition.
The Dancing England Rapper Tournament for 2017 will be hosted in Kendal, Cumbria, also home-town to a local team of enthusiastic dancers, called Crook Morris, who perform dressed in hoggers or breeches, with sashes and shirts. The history of rapper sword dancing is a little vague, says Sam Mason of team Cook Morris. It is thought the strips of sprung steel with handles or swords, were used to clean dirt from the back of the miners’ pit-ponies. The dance has intricate moves, nearly acrobatic, featuring twists, loops, knots and circles.
On 8th April (Saturday), free performances for the public, by 18 teams taking part in the contest ,will be held between 11am and 4pm, at different venues. They are- the Bridge Hotel in Stramongate, Factory Tap on Aynam Road, the Bootleggers on Finkle Street, at Ruskins Bar, Yard 2, off Stricklandgate and Burgundy’s Brewhouse on Lowther Street. The daytime events on Saturday has free entry and is open to watch, but there will be entry fee, to watch at Kendal Leisure Centre, for the evening showcase.
