Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-12
ENGLISH DANGERS
TO tour AMERICA
Morris Demonstrations, Popular
Across Atlantic, May interest
People of United States

LONDON. Dec 1.-THE old English
Morris dance, the revival of which is
fast capturing England, is now about
to subjugate America. That Is the
legitimate conclusion, at all events,
to be drawn from the fact learned
by the Westminster Gazette-that
America is about to be taught the
Morris dance.
In a few days time Miss Mary Nea,
the honorary secretary of the Esper-
ance Guild of Morris Dancers. viii
leave for New York, taking with her
Miss Florence Warren. the chief dane
ing instructress of the guild, and dur
ing four strenuous months New YORK,
Chicago. Boston and Philadelphia will
be invited to learn step and Fetch
Her." "Blue-Eyed Stranger" 'Rakes
of Mallow," "Sally Luker," the Liver
ly Jig" and as many more folk-dances
as they have time for. Perhaps MISS
Warren knows the exact number of
Morris dances and country dances, the
secret of which she is able to impart
but her friends lost count long ago.
MOVEMENT TO BE STARTED
The true>~method of passing on"
will be employed in the American Wis
it. When Miss Warren has done
with her pupils they will be fully
equipped to hand the dances on In the
real traditional manner. week VIII
be devoted to one district of a city,
during which time thirty-six people,
children for choice, will be taught,
and when Miss Neal moves to another
district she will have left the Morris
family established behind her. THAT
should start the movement in Amerl-
"a said Miss Neal tOdaX
This scheme has come about in a
most interesting manner. Some time
ago girls from the Esperance club
were giving a Morris demonstration
at Bridgewater house, and ticket was
sent to Mile. Genne, who, unable to
make use of it, gave the privilege to
two American women. These were
sufficiently interested by what they
saw to visit the office of the Esper-
ance guild the next day, and approach
Miss Neal as to the feasibility of in
PRODUCING the Morris to America
Nothing further happened for sew
eral months, and then Miss Neal re-
ceived a letter from Miss Burbank
of New York asking her whether she
would consider a plan by which she
could visit America ITO initiate folk
art revival on the lines she had fol-
lowed in England" Miss Neal was
ito cable Just YES" 1t was pro-
posed that the first demonstration
should be given on Christmas eve at
the Mcdowell club in New York, where
the teaching of Morris dancing should
form an interlude to the Christmas
festivities. Miss Neal cabled Eyes: "
LECTURES WILL BE GIVEN
Miss Neal, of course, will seek to
awaken interest in the revival by lee
lures, and Miss Warren will be the
practical demonstrator. There is GER
tainly no more Fascinating exposition
of the origin, evelopment and aims of
the movement than that Miss Neal
can give, and the stock of stories she
has gathered in her long work among
the girls, who hail her affectionately
as SISTER Mary" would humanize a
lecture upon a far less inspiring sub
ject than follx-dancing.
Coming back from the United States,
Miss Neal intends to visit Toronto,
for the very first boys to learn the
Morris dance under the Esperance
movement emigrated from Newbury to
Canada, and are there fostering the
Esperance traditions. In Toronto al
so, number of girls from the Esper-
ance club have started an institution
on lines similar to tohse of their old
home in Cumberland Market.