(Image: Andrew Matthews/PA) A GROUP of Morris dancers have changed their face paint from black to blue following concerns over racism – in what they describe as “by far and away the biggest change” in their 30-year history. Members of the Hook Eagle Morris Men performed near the village of Hook, Hampshire, to mark the May Day dawn on Saturday, in their first show since January 2020. In June 2020, cross-county group the Joint Morris Organisations issued a statement calling for dancing groups to eliminate the use of full-face black makeup in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. Hook Eagle Morris dancer John Ellis, 70, from the nearby village of Fleet, has been with the local dance troupe since its inception as a church group in 1991.
A group of Morris dancers have changed their face paint from black to blue following concerns over racism – in what they describe as “by far and away the biggest change” in their 30-year history.
Members of the Hook Eagle Morris Men performed near the village of Hook, Hampshire, to mark the May Day dawn on Saturday, in their first show since January 2020.
In June 2020, cross-county group the Joint Morris Organisations issued a statement calling for dancing groups to eliminate the use of full-face black makeup in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Hook Eagle Morris dancer John Ellis, 70, from the nearby village of Fleet, has been with the local dance troupe since its inception as a church group in 1991.
Morris dancers change face paint from black to blue after racism concerns A group of Morris dancers have changed their face paint from black to blue following concerns over racism – in what they describe as “by far and away the biggest change” in their 30-year history. Members of the Hook Eagle Morris Men performed near the village of Hook, Hampshire, to mark the May Day dawn on Saturday, in their first show since January 2020. In June 2020, cross-county group the Joint Morris Organisations issued a statement calling for dancing groups to eliminate the use of full-face black makeup in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Cross-county group Joint Morris Organisations called for end to use of full-face black makeup in 2020
Members of the Hook Eagle Morris Men perform outside the Shack Cafe near to Hook in Hampshire as they see in the May Day dawn. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA
Members of the Hook Eagle Morris Men perform outside the Shack Cafe near to Hook in Hampshire as they see in the May Day dawn. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA
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Sat 1 May 2021 14.25 EDT
Last modified on Sat 1 May 2021 14.40 EDT
A group of Morris dancers have changed their face paint from black to blue following concerns over racism.