ROOSTERS - ARTS ALIVE
Welcolme to
ARTS ALIVE 2025
ROOSTERS ARE BACK - Show Casing Morris Dancing
The Rampant Rooster Morris contributed to the Dorking Arts Alive Festival 2025 when they invited the audience to join in a dance at the Dorking Community Orchard Apple Day at Denbies. This was the largest crowd ever to join in the fun of Morris Dancing. Roosters showcase crowd pleaser 'Norbury Tunnel' got everyone of all ages participating in a Morris Dance. There are not many days in a year that you do something you have never done before and demonstrated the spirit of Arts Alive.
2005 - Rooster first Arts Alive Workshop
Rampant Roosters’ contributions to Arts Alive started with an open workshop in 2005, encouraging anyone to take up a stick and learn a couple of dances.
This was so successful that the Roosters continued to run these workshops up until 2015, at times combined with a folk music session when Rooster musicians started the evening with a few tunes and songs.
The workshops were much enjoyed by everyone, and had the added benefit of drawing new dancers into the Side who went on to become proficient dancers and even officers of the Side. We were also delighted to dance for the wider community in the hugely successful Street Parties/Celebrations.
A particular highlight was dancing for our Charlwood friends for their “Legends” evening: a great opportunity to combine with other Mole Valley performers.
ARTS ALIVE WORKSHOPS
In recent years we have contributed our early November gathering of morris sides to the Arts Alive programme. On the day after the Brockham Bonfire a usually large and colourful group of dancers performs outside the Royal Oak on the Green, then we process to the bonfire where a short ceremony takes place to accompany the Burning of the (old) morris sticks in the embers of the bonfire.
We will be running workshops for new musicians and dancers, so register your interest now.
