The Shambles Dancers





Our kits are an amalgam of Border Morris tradition and our own particular style.They consist of black skirts, white shirts, the typical rag waistcoats with bells attached, black stockings, black shoes with bells, and straw hats decorated with flowers, feathers and ribbons. On cold occasions we sport long rag coats. Each dancer has her own individual colour and flower. The skirts each have the dancer's flower emboidered on them and are reversible, being lined with the dancer's particular colour. Halfway through a performance we take our skirts off and turn them inside out to show the coloured lining and then carry on dancing. The waistcoats are covered with rags of the dancer's colour and the hats have appropriately coloured flowers and ribbons. Bells are attached to the shoes with coloured laces. Instead of the usual face-blacking we paint our particular flowers on our left cheeks.

As you can imagine we can be seen (and heard) from a long way off.

Our musicians wear white shirts with black knee length trousers. Each have different colour socks to match in with the ladies' kits, and black hats decorated with flowers, ribbons and badges. They wear multi-coloured rag coats. They are all extremely fond of the odd pint or five.

We're always willing for new musicians to come and join us. Contact details are on the main page.




10th Anniversary Diary Gallery Border Morris Links