The dancers
Swanage Folk Festival – the UK’s biggest dance festival.
Swanage fills up with Morris sides and traditional folk from the UK, Ireland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
Scroll down for details of the dance sides who will be here this year.
Swanage Folk Festival – the UK’s biggest dance festival.
Swanage fills up with Morris sides and traditional folk from the UK, Ireland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
Click here to go straight to the details of the dance sides who will be here this year.
Our traditional sea dance
Procession
Scroll down for details of all the dance sides who will be here this year.
“This is where Rappers meet Mollies and Fools flirt with belly dancers, dancers in clogs performing step dances, and Cotswold dancers from Dorset rub shoulders with traditional Slovak dancers, swords are drawn and sticks primed for a procession through town.” (Dorset Life, 2017).
The dance displays are free to enjoy throughout the weekend.
Swanage Folk Festival is a volunteer-run, non-profit festival, so if you enjoy the dancing please drop some change into the collection buckets to help us keep filling the town with music and dance each September.
Dance Programme 2026
The detailed dance programme is here to download (and print). Click here to download.
Who’s dancing at the Swanage Folk Festival?
| Dance side (click for more info) | Dance style | About | Photo (click to enlarge) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alton Morris | Border | Alton Morris are a fun and lively mixed border side from Alton in Hampshire. They are easily identified by their red and green faces, tatter jackets. |  |
| Anderida Border Morris | Border | Are a border Morris side from Pevensey who wear tatter jackets of black, blue, green and yellow. |  |
| Anonymous Morris | Border | Anonymous Morris are an energetic team from Poole, who dance in purple tatter jackets and black top hats. |  |
| Baharah Dance | Belly | Baharah Dance are a Swanage based belly dance/Egyptian dance group. We can be spotted from afar in our colourful outfits and jingly hip belts. |  |
| Basingclog Morris | North West | Basingclog Morris are a mixed side that dance the North West style of clog dances. They wear black, white and red costume for a colourful display. |  |
| Blackrock Irish Dancers | Irish dancing | Blackrock Irish Dancers are traditional Irish dance group based in Somerset, aged between 3 and 18. |  |
| Borderline Border Morris (Devon) | Border | Borderline are a mixed Border morris side, from North Devon, who dance who represent the colours of the Devon Flag in their raggy jackets. |  |
| Bourne River Morris | Cotswold | Mixed traditional Cotswold side from SE Dorset. White kit with red gold & blue ribbons & baldrics, fishes or dolphin motif & bowler hats (men) |  |
| Brixton Tatterjacks Morris | Border | The Brixton Tatterjacks are a Border Morris side from London; wear black waistcoats and trousers/skirts over white shirts, with green and red ribbons. |  |
| Cynewulf Morris | Cotswold | Cynewulf Morris are a diverse, Cotswold side based in West Dorset/East Devon. Members wear black top hats and the main colours are a plum and orange. |  |
| Dorset Buttons | North West | A traditional Morris side who wear red and green dresses and hats covered in Dorset Buttons |  |
| Dr Turbervilles | Cotswold | We’re likely to be found dressed as pirates when by the sea. In such situations, our resident penguin is prone to dressing as a parrot. |  |
| Ellington Morris | Cotswold | Ellington Morris are a traditional Cotswold side from Maidenhead who wear white with blue and gold baldricks and panama hats decorated with flowers |  |
| Enigma Border Morris | Border | Kit is Turquoise & black tatters with matching accessories. |  |
| Festus Derriman | Cotswold | Festus Derriman us a Cotswold Morris Side from Weymouth. They dress in white with green and yellow tatters with decorated headwear, straw or top hats. |  |
| Fleet Morris | Cotswold | Fleet Morris are a Cotswold side from Fleet, North Hampshire. They wear blue and yellow baldricks, blue skirts and white blouses. |  |
| Fleur-de-Lys | Stave | Fleur-de-Lys, formed in Godalming in Surrey in 1976, wear vibrant purple and yellow kit. They dance Stave, Cotswold and Border dances. |  |
| Foxs Morris | Border | Foxs Morris, from Kidderminster, wear tatters in ‘Foxy Colours’ (orange, brown, russet) over black clothes with a grey top hat. |  |
| Grimspound Border Morris | Border | Grimspound are a fun, mixed border side who wear black and purple tatters and hats (adorned with feathers, badges and other meaningful objects!). |  |
| Hips and Haws | North West | Hips and Haws wear white dresses with red tabards and black clogs and socks. |  |
| Hobos Morris | Border | Hobos, all female border dancers with a great band . We wear black, red and mustard tatters and tiger faces for festivals. |  |
| Holly Copse Molly | Molly | Holly Copse Molly distinctive colours of Magenta, Yellow & Black stand out from the crowd, style from the "Fens" Molly style. |  |
| Hook Eagle Morris | Border | Hook Eagle wear black clerical shirts, black trousers and decorated top hats. Tatters are blue and yellow, while musicians wear tail coats |  |
| Horizon Community College | Border | Horizon Community College is a secondary school from Yorkshire who fuse traditional styles with modern music, steps and with costumes to suit theme |  |
| Hurst Morris People | Cotswold | Whites, white shoes, light and dark blue baldrics and straw hats – musicians match dancers. |  |
| Ilfracombe Red Petticoats | North West | Ilfracombe Red Petticoats, are a North West clog dancing group from beautiful Ilfracombe, North Devon. Their kit is black and red. |  |
| Knickerbocker Glory Appalachian | Appalachian | Mixed Appalachian team from Alton, Hampshire. Choreographed dances with some free style to live music. |  |
| Kvitek and Kvet | Czech, Moravian and Slovak folk dancing | Kvitek and Kvet are children and adult dance groups based in London who dance traditional Czech, Moravian and Slovak folk dances. |  |
| Letchworth Morris | Cotswold | Letchworth Morris are one of the six founder members of the Morris Ring and have been dancing around Hertfordshire and beyond 1922. |  |
| Loose Women | Border | Loose Women Morris from Kent are in our 40th year of dancing. They wear rainbow tatters, purple skirts, white tops and multicoloured bloomers |  |
| Madder Mill Molly | Molly | Madder Mill Molly are a mixed gender Morris side from Carshalton dancing the Molly tradition. They wear black kit and bowler hats with red braces. |  |
| Magog Morris | North West | Magog, 52 years old are from Horsham are wear white dresses with individual coloured pinny and shawls. Musicians wear black trousers and waistcoats. |  |
| Marlings Morris | North West | Marlings Morris are a North West side from Edenbridge with ladies in white blouses and blue skirts and men in blue waistcoats and black breeches. |  |
| Mayflower Morris | North West | Mayflower Morris dancers wear black pinafore style dresses with a mayflower emblem over a red and white underdress, white tights and red clogs. |  |
| Merrydowners Morris | Cotswold | Merrydowners Morris are a traditional, mixed Cotswold side from North Harrow in London. |  |
| Moonshine Border Morris | Border | Moonshine Border Morris are a mixed Border side from the Isle of Wight who wear mainly black with splashes of blue, green and purple. |  |
| Morena Slovak Dance Co. | Slovak traditional dance | Energetic Slovak traditional dance performed in authentic slovak costumes from different Slovak regions. Slovak traditional band. |  |
| Mr Wilkins Shilling | North West | A friendly mixed side from Bath. They wear red and black skirts or black trousers, with red, black and yellow sash and flowery bonnets |  |
| New Forest Meddlars | Cotswold | A mixed Morris side from Hampshire dancing in the Border and Cotswold traditions and wearing predominantly purple. |  |
| No Mean Feet and the Shoestring Band | Appalachian | Their musicians consist of a banjo, accordion, fiddle and guitar, and their costumes are green or purple, and they wear taps for dancing. |  |
| OBJ Morris | Border | OBJ Morris is based in Wokingham/Bracknell, Berkshire – look for black, green and white rag jackets |  |
| Old Palace Clog | North West | Old Palace Clog are a lively womens dance side in swirling white skirts and flashing red clogs |  |
| Oyster Girls Morris | North West | Green dresses, with red and gold frill, black tights, green clogs; musicians – black trousers, white shirts, red waistcoats, top hats |  |
| Phoenix Morris | Cotswold | Phoenix Morris mixed Cotswold side Rickmansworth.Dancing Adderbury & Bledington tradition. Kit black skirts, badge waistcoats, flower hats, ribbons |  |
| Pump House Clog | North West | Pump House are a, mainly, North West side from Watford. They wear purple and cream or black and white, with decorated hats |  |
| Quayside Cloggies | North West | The Quayside Cloggies are a mixed side based in Wimborne. They dance in the North-West Clog- Morris tradition. Their kit is pink and blue. |  |
| Raddon Hill Clog Morris | North West | Raddon Hill Clog Morris based in Kingsteignton, Devon. The main colours of kit are Black Skirts/Trousers, White Blouses/Shirts with Purple Waistcoats. |  |
| Rockhopper Morris | Cotswold | Rockhopper Morris is a mixed side, wearing white shirts and trousers, black shoes, yellow/black/orange armbands, and waving bright orange hankies! |  |
| Sarum Morris | Cotswold | Sarum Morris are a mixed Cotswold side from Salisbury dancing in whites with blue and gold sashes, the colours of Salisbury city. |  |
| Sidmouth Steppers | North West | Sidmouth Steppers are a dance side from Devon. They dance in the North West style, wearing red aprons over blue skirts and clogs. |  |
| Southern Star | Long Sword | Each dancer has a individually patterned waistcoat with the team logo on the back |  |
| Spank The Planks | Appalachian | Spank The Planks is an Appalachian clog dancing side based in the Bournemouth/Ringwood area and wear blue gingham check dresses. |  |
| Steps in Time | A mixture of English traditional dance | Steps in Time are a junior traditional English dance group who wear a Regency style costume. |  |
| Taeppas Tump North West Morris | North West | A North West side from Maidenhead. Dancers wear white shirts, burgundy skirts, emerald green aprons; band wear burgundy shirts and white trousers. |  |
| Tatters Border Morris | Border | A mixed age/gender group, including younger children, dancing mainly Border. We like to adapt to suit our younger members and to play with the dances. |  |
| Towersey Horseshoes | Cotswold | Towersey Horseshoes are a mixed side from Oxfordshire. Dancing Cotswold with their Red Hankies & bells, and black waistcoats. |  |
| Treacle Eater Clog | North West | Treacle Eater Clog is a dynamic, mixed North West clog team from the South West. Their red, black, and gold kit is inspired by a famous treacle brand. |  |
| White Horse Morris | Cotswold | White Horse Morris are a mixed side based in Wylye, nr. Warminster. They dance a mix of Cotswold and Border style dancing. |  |
| Whitethorn Morris | North West | They are a mixed North West Morris side from Watford performing in red waistcoats, white shirts or blouses, navy blue trousers or skirts. | |
| Wickham Morris | Cotswold | Wickham Morris are a mixed side who dance Border and Cotswold. We wear white with red and blue baldricks and hankies, straw hats and colourful raggies |  |
| Wild Moon Morris | Border | Wild Moon are a border morris side from the Somerset Levels, who wear black hats with the triple moon motif and black and silver tatters with leaves. |  |
| Winkleigh Morris | Cotswold | Winkleigh Morris wear black, red and white, with the women wearing hooped black and red stripe tights. For Border dances Raggies are worn. |  |
| Wyvern Jubilee Morris | Cotswold | Red waistcoats, black briches. Red, white & blue baldricks with Queen’s Silver Jubilee 1977 rosette. |  |
| Zdravets | Traditional Bulgarian Folk Dance | The traditional Bulgarian dances are very dynamic and with different pace depending on which part of the country they represent |  |