Mayday tomorrow!

[galadhir]

I'm psyching myself up for Mayday tomorrow. First of May is the official start of morris dance-out season, when we go from practicing in our indoor practice hall to dancing out on the streets.

On Mayday itself we 'dance the sun up' - meaning that we aim to be dancing as the sun rises. This is at 5.15 in the morning. According to morris legend (that we just made up) if we do not perform this ritual, the sun will not rise for the year to come.

But we're hitting the ground running with morris events:

• Last Sunday was the St. George's Day Fair in the Fenland town known as March, and Ely & Littleport Riot danced the whole day there.
• Tomorrow is Mayday and we will be there at dawn.
• Then Saturday is the town of Ely's Eel Day festival, and the Riot will be dancing all day for that.
• And on the Monday Bank holiday the Riot will be dancing at Denny Abbey, where there will also be a maypole set up. We will undoubtedly also be helping the staff to teach maypole dancing to a horde of small children who've come for a day out.

DH will be dancing in all of these, and I will be playing pennywhistle among the musicians.

This has been an amazing surprise to me. When - as a young person - I pictured my life, I didn't think it would have so much dancing in it. I'm so glad it does!