Arlington Northwest Morris
The Team:

A group of women who get together for weekly practices, regular performances, events with other Morris dancers, periodic parades and general good times.  Based in Arlington, Virgina and drawing from the entire Washington, DC metropolitan area, we are always looking for new members; email for information .
Spring, 2009

April 25: Southern Maryland Celtic Festival, Prince Frederick, Maryland
May 1 with the fabulous Foggy Bottom Morris Men: dawn at the Takoma Park, MD gazebo, various locations in central Washington DC
May 2:  Mayday celebration in Shepherdstown, W. Va.
May 9: in and around Charlottesville, Va with the Albermarle Morris Men
May 31: Washington Folk Festival, Glen Echo Park, Bethesda MD
July 4: Barcroft community parade, Arlington VA

Contact us:
Forman: Laura Parsons
Squire:  Suzanne Nealon
General Information

We welcome new dancers. No experience necessary, just a willingness to spend a couple of hours every Monday night learning and practicing the dances and commit to periodic performances.

We practice at the Arlington Unitarian Universalist Church: 4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, Virginia 22204

Click here for directions. Practice starts at 7:30 sharp, give or take
The Style:

A style of dancing traditional in the mill towns of Northwestern England -- hence the "Northwest"   in our name.  We wear clogs, which give the dance a percussive feel.  Each dance consists of repeating choruses and different figures in a complex pattern that requires precision, agility and timing.


The Dances:

Our current (September, 2008) dances include:
The Lancaster Processional
Garstang
Colne Royal
Marsten
Godley Hill
The Solstice Processional

The Music

We dance to traditional English tunes -- lively jigs, reels and polkas -- played
on various squeezeboxes, sometimes accompanied by
drums, horns, fiddles and other noisemakers.

Teams we've danced with and other Morris Dance links

Foggy Bottom Morris Men
Rock Creek Morris Women
Albermarle Morris Men
Shepherdstown Hicks with Sticks/Northwest
Charm City Rapper
Dread Pirate Rapper
More or Less Morris

Directory of Morris Dance sides worldwide
Last update: 4/17/09.  Comments about the site? Email Jim Besser. Also visit our Facebook page and become a fan!
Upcoming Performances
Please sign our Guest Book
Dancing at Thirsty Bernies, Arlington, Va., 10-25-08.  Thanks to a very tolerant staff  for putting up with several hours of dancing and singing!
Dancing at Alexandria's Torpedo Factory -- in the pouring rain. 10-25-08

A double Colne Royal, with members of the Rock Creek Morris Women and Shepherdstown's Hicks with Sticks joining Arlington Northwest Morris at the Day of Dance feast, 10-25-08
Photo credits:  Good pictures - Richard Rodriguez;  Mediocre pictures - Jim Besser
Video: Steven Garron (Thanks!)
What is Morris dancing, you ask: This Smithsonian video -- featuring the Arlington Northwest Morris Women and the
Foggy Bottom Morris Men --answers the question
Washington Folk Festival, 5-07, at Glen Echo Park

       Fsgw minifest, Feb. 7, 2009 -- 65 degrees in Feb.!