Silurian Border Morrismen vote to ditch 500-year tradition of dancing with blacked up faces – and switch to green paint instead
- The Joint Morris Organisation have voted to stop dancing with blacked up faces
- Instead they will switch to green paint, ditching a tradition around for 500 years
- The Silurian Border Morrismen said they wanted to ‘be on the right side of things’
It’s a tradition which dates back more than 500 years.
But the Silurian Border Morrismen have voted to stop dancing with blacked up faces – and switch to green paint instead.
Last year the Joint Morris Organisation, which represents the country’s 800 groups, ruled members must stop using black paint in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Yesterday Silurian Morris, from Ledbury in Herefordshire, said it ‘wanted to be on the right side of things’ and is trying to settle on a shade of green which ‘doesn’t make us look like the Incredible Hulk’.
The Silurian Border Morrismen have voted to stop dancing with blacked up faces – and switch to green paint instead (pictured, the Bacup Coconut Dancers)
The move comes amid growing controversy around white people painting their faces black.
Black face paint was historically used in theatre to dehumanise black characters.
It is thought that Morris Dancers originally blackened their faces with charcoal so that they could beg for money without being identified.
Silurian foreman Ian Craigan said: ‘We’re often asked why we wear blackface but in all my time we have never been challenged by anyone on the grounds of it being racist.
‘But we are aware of sides who have experienced antagonism.
‘We want to be a side that can turn up and dance and everyone feels comfortable watching and welcome new members from every spectrum.’
Last year the Joint Morris Organisation, which represents the country’s 800 groups, ruled members must stop using black paint in response to the Black Lives Matter movement
The Silurian side was inspired to take the decision following the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Their dances are original repertoires from historical records and first hand accounts of dancers from the 1920s.
Morris dancing is a form of English folk dancing to music that is dated back to the mid 1400s.