Dancing around the maypole in Hong Kong: reviving morris dancing for May Day
A May Day carnival at the Kowloon cricket club aims to breathe life into the celebration of English folk dancing in Hong Kong
The quaint and jolly morris dance – a colourful throwback to the folk traditions of rural England – is aiming to secure a wider following in Hong Kong.
With around 15 local and expat members, the Hong Kong Morris – founded in 1972 – hopes to introduce new fans and performers to a staple of English culture with the revival of maypole dancing and the celebration of this year’s May Day holiday.
A carnival on May 2 at Kowloon Cricket Club in Jordan, which is co-organising the event by lending its premises, will feature both traditional dance forms.
John Leighton, a member of the Hong Kong Morris, said he hoped to see the traditional English dances flourish.
Watch: Morris dancing in Hong Kong
“Maypole dancing has not been done in Hong Kong for a while, and its really nice to be able to see people be able to take an interest in this again, to get others involved,” he said.