Molly Dancing
Molly dancing is one of the traditional dances of East Anglia. Historically it was performed by farm-workers on a day called Plough Monday. Plough Monday was the first Monday after Epiphany (or twelfth night) and was the first day after Christmas that farm-workers were meant to return to work, so they didn’t! Instead they decorated a plough and pushed it round the village, calling at the houses of the well-off villagers to beg for money. If the householders weren’t forthcoming with donations then they threatened to plough up the garden, or if there wasn’t a garden, the doorstep. In Cambridgeshire and Norfolk in particular the ploughboys performed a dance known as molly dancing.
The most experienced teachers of molly dance in the country we offer workshops ranging from a half day session to longer projects of a term or more in length. Workshops are usually performance based, with most Year 5/6 children producing a high quality performance of 2 or 3 dances after 3 or 4 half-day sessions. We usually leave the school with resources to conduct follow up work and many of the schools we have worked with are still dancing.
Molly dancing was performed by East Anglian farmworkers in the middle of winter. The style of dance we teach is therefore heavy, earthy and powerful, based on a simple "step-hop", ideally danced in heavy work-boots. The original "ploughboys" blackened their faces as a disguise to escape recognition and the consequences of their mischievous actions. We always use live music in our sessions, usually with a diatonic accordion (melodeon). Our musical style has evolved from the playing of The Ouse Washes Molly Dancers with a syncopated beat.
The main dances we teach to children are:
Cross Hand Polka. A traditional dance based on the teachings of Cyril Papworth who was "the last molly dancer".
Birds A Building. Another traditional dance based on the teachings of Cyril Papworth.
The Mississippi Mud Dance. A "revival" dance composed in the late 1980's by Gordon Phillips and The Ouse Washes Molly Dancers.
The Broom Dance. A traditional competitive dance for 2 or 4 people.
Please see our Molly Dance Costume Page for advice on what children can wear.
The most experienced teachers of molly dance in the country we offer workshops ranging from a half day session to longer projects of a term or more in length. Workshops are usually performance based, with most Year 5/6 children producing a high quality performance of 2 or 3 dances after 3 or 4 half-day sessions. We usually leave the school with resources to conduct follow up work and many of the schools we have worked with are still dancing.
Molly dancing was performed by East Anglian farmworkers in the middle of winter. The style of dance we teach is therefore heavy, earthy and powerful, based on a simple "step-hop", ideally danced in heavy work-boots. The original "ploughboys" blackened their faces as a disguise to escape recognition and the consequences of their mischievous actions. We always use live music in our sessions, usually with a diatonic accordion (melodeon). Our musical style has evolved from the playing of The Ouse Washes Molly Dancers with a syncopated beat.
The main dances we teach to children are:
Cross Hand Polka. A traditional dance based on the teachings of Cyril Papworth who was "the last molly dancer".
Birds A Building. Another traditional dance based on the teachings of Cyril Papworth.
The Mississippi Mud Dance. A "revival" dance composed in the late 1980's by Gordon Phillips and The Ouse Washes Molly Dancers.
The Broom Dance. A traditional competitive dance for 2 or 4 people.
Please see our Molly Dance Costume Page for advice on what children can wear.
