Perhaps you’re thinking “Morris dancing? You’re having a laugh!”.

But that’s it. We are having a laugh and it’s not really what you think it is.

We dance a happy brand of Border and have a brisk style and some cheeky moves. We don’t wear face paint or masks but sunglasses are encouraged.

We write most of our own dances and have ‘adjusted’ a few Border standards like Upton on Severn stick dance, Worcester Hey and Brimfield to suit our style.

Our music is a mix of tunes written by us and arrangements of traditional ones, all heavily influenced by Reggae and Calypso rhythms…and we’re D/G friendly.

So come on then. Come and have a go

We practise monthly on Sundays in Plymouth from 10:30 – 13:30 but not on a set week in the month so please message through our Contact Page

Dancing makes you happy

• Dance is a combination of several activities that are each good for us in their own right: exercising, listening to music, and connecting with other people
• Dance is an antidote to stress and a way to combat negative emotions

This is a really good article – Four ways that dancing makes you happier

We’re all dancers. It’s just that some of us don’t know it yet

Many of the original Border Dances from the English side of the England/Wales border are often similar and seemed to vary from generation to generation. The same can also be said of the instrumentation used to accompany the dance. This has lead to many sides, including the world famous, Shropshire Bedlams, to re-invent dances to suit their dance style and the particular group of musicians that they have to hand. Mayhem are no different.

Traditional Border dances

• The Broomfield Stick Dance (Brimfield as was)
• Peopleton
• The Worcester Hey
• Not for Joe
• The Upton on Severn Stick Dance
• Skirmish – Cotswold, Jim, but not as we know it

Contemporary Border Dances

(written by Mayhem Border Morris)

• The White Hart
• Down in Demerara
• The Mayhem Long Dance
• Fishes Circle
• The Chocolat Schottische – The original dance. Accept no substitutes!
• Witches Three
• Mr Fox
• The Iron Duke
• Monument
• Knick Knacks (new for 2024)
• Bretonside (new for 2024)
• Derry’s Cross (new for 2024)

Mayhem Border Morris started life in Wellington Community Centre in White Hart Lane in 2015.

The first practice saw 6 of us dancing to 3 pre-recorded tracks on CD in the January of that year – Gordon couldn’t dance, teach and play all at the same time. We danced The White Hart, The Iron Duke and Witches Three and nearly filled the hall. It didn’t take much filling.

By the time summer came we had 8 dancers, 2 musicians, a program of 8 dances, a list of pubs to dance at and we finished our Summer Season at Sidmouth on our Wednesday dance-out night in a storm…..literally. Don’t believe us?…then click here.