The British Isles have many regional country dances : in England perhaps the most famous is Morris dancing, which takes place everywhere, although different regions have their own particular traditions; Garland dancing is mainly a ladies' and children's dance, also a northern tradition, and is closely related to Morris; Clog dancing is yet another a north of England custom, clogs being the footwear of the mill and factory workers in the past; Stick dancing is another variant of Clog Morris and tends to be very localised. These types of dance are perfomed by teams of dancers who practice rigorously and regularly; the other end of the spectrum is English Country Dance - once the popular dancing of all classes of society - which is danced with gusto by complete amateurs at many social occasions.
Scotland has its own dancing traditions: reels, flings (as in "Highland Fling") and sword dances; Irish dancing is very distinctive and although it has always been danced in Ireland and Irish clubs and societies on the mainland, it has enjoyed a recent resurgence after the Riverdance company was chosen as the "fill-in" for the Eurovision Song Contest and went on to achieve world-wide fame.
MORRIS DANCING is English in origin : there is a common belief that the name is a corruption of "Moorish" but one wonders how north African dances got to England and why Morris dancing bears no resemblance to the dances of north Africa and Spain, which were definitely influenced by the Moors. A more likely derivation is from the Latin mores, meaning tradition or custom. Whatever the derivation of the name, it is certainly very old - Shakespeare described it as "ancient" back in the 16th century. Many of the stories enacted have their roots in Celtic tradition and myth, and the practice of (usually) all-male dancers leaping and prancing with bells and ribbons etc. is highly reminiscent of early ceremonies to drive out evil and ensure food fortune.
Green Ginger Morris, from Hull, Yorkshire
GARLAND DANCING is characterised by the teams (usually, but not always, women, girls or mixed boys and girls) dancing in pairs with garlands of flowers between them, often in the form of a semicircular hoop. It is less "robust" than Morris (to which it is related) and is very attractive to watch.
CLOG DANCING is similar to Morris but the dancers wear clogs instead of boots or shoes: these clogs were once worn by miners, millworkers, factory workers and fish bobbers (men who unloaded the fishing boats) as they are extremely hard-wearing. They consist of a strong leather upper fastened to a thick carved wooden sole, usually with decorative brass nails, and make a loud and distinctive noise as they strike the floor. Clog dances are ofetn processional rather than being danced in static sets, and are mainly a tradition of the north of England (where clogs were mostly worn.) The interest in clog-dancing has been the saving of some of the specialist clog-manufacturers, who would otherwise have gone out of business!
STICK DANCING is another form of Morris where instead of carrying hankies in each hand the dancers carry a stick, which at intervals is clashed vigorously against another dancer's stick; it is believed that this form is derived from ancient ceremonies to frighten away evil spirits.
Sword dancing (English, not Scottish style) uses blunt "swords" which are interwoven during the dance and usually end with the final woven "star" being held aloft by one of the dancers.
ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCING used to be taught in all schools and is still on the curriculum of many. Unlike all the different forms of Morris dance, which are ritualised performance dances, with specialist dancers watched by the rest of the population, country dancing is for everyone and anyone to join in. Country dances, or "Barn Dances" are still a regular feature of country life and occasionally are held in towns too. The usual venue is the Village Hall although I have been to Barn Dances in real barns, complete with bales of hay.
Nearly all dances are danced with a partner, in "sets" (if the men won't dance, the women dance together) but there are also some circle dances, notably Circassian Circle which is easy, everybody knows it, and is always on the list of dances at every barn dance. Many of the popular dances are of north country or border (Scottish) origin as can be seen by their names - Cumberland Square Eight (danced in sets of four pairs in a square) or the Gay Gordons (a Highland regiment.) The musical accompaniment is usually provided by a band of fiddler, accordion, tabor (small hand drum) and possibly fife or penny whistle although some old records of country dance music are still around which have hopefully been copied onto tape. Not everyone who goes to a Barn Dance will know all the dances off by heart so the first "set" of each dance is usually walked through, and if a "caller" is available to shout instructions as the dance progresses it is a great help (although an instruction to "Strip the Willow!" or "Basket!" needs an explanation in itself!) Even so, it is quite normal for at least one set to make a complete hash of every dance and still enjoy themselves enormously.
Yorkshire - Country Dancing in the Village Hall, 1999 :
the dancers are all female because they happen to be the local Guide unit.
the most comprehensive list of Morris and associated dance links on the net can be found here
The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, Irish Set Dance, Irish Step Dance, and
the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) all have websites worth a visit.