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JUST ENGLISH ONLINE. TEACHER’S NOTES: Robert Pattinson Issue

MORRIS DANCING

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EXERCISE 1

Circle the correct answers.

1. Morris Dancing is popular in England during ____________.

a. spring and summer

b. autumn and winter

c. Christmas

2. The word “morris” probably comes from the word ____________.

a. more

b. mores

c. Morisco

3. Which sentence is incorrect about Morris dancing?

a. It is performed on May Day.

b. It is connected to Britain’s pre-Christian pagan festivals.

c. It became popular during the 15th and 16th centuries in England.

4. Find the sentence with the word “whitsuntide” in the article. Then look up the

word in the dictionary. Which festival does this word refer to?

a. Easter

b. May Day

c. Thanksgiving

5. Traditionally, Morris dancing ____________.

a. is an all-male activity

b. teams are members of the “Guilds”

c. refers to both of the above.

6. The most common Morris dancing style today is the ____________.

a. Cotswold

b. Short Sword

c. Long Sword

7. Which sentence is correct about Morris dancing?

a. Morris dancers come in a set of six or eight.

b. Morris dancers complete a series of “shortways” dances.

c. Music from guitars, flutes and harmonicas accompany Morris dancing.

Exeter Morris Men / Wikipedia


MORRIS DANCING


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GROUP ACTIVITY

Malaysia's multiracial heritage is strongly reflected in its music and dance. The

traditional dances of the Malay, Orang Asli and different ethnic groups of Sabah and

Sarawak are truly Malaysia’s proud heritage. The Chinese, Indians and Portuguese

who have settled in Malaysia have their distinctive dances and add colour and variety

to the country’s rich cultural tapestry.

Get into groups of four. Do research on the cultural dances in Malaysia. Choose at

least one dance from each ethnic category and complete the chart. Divide the

number of dances to research amongst each group. Provide music, video or even

demonstrate the dance if possible. Present in the next class.

Dance Description Picture

Malay

1. Kuda Kepang

(horse spirit

dance)

• A dance that is performed by the

Johoreans, especially of Javanese

descent

• Dancers imitate the movements of

a horse – trot, strut, gallop

• Traditionally, dancers enter a trance and move as the spirit leads

them

• The older group of dancers lead by whipping the ground, feeding the

dancers with fruits, eggs and even

glass, pouring water over their

heads, and massaging them to

bring them out of the trance at the

end

• Today, this dance tells the tale of nine Javanese men who are seated

astride a two dimensional 'horse'

made of hide or pleated rattan to

dramatise the battles fought and

won in spreading the Islamic faith

to the interior of Java

• Kuda kepang is accompanied by

musical instruments such as

gongs, tambourines and angklungs

2. Zapin • A dance that is popular in Johor • Believed the Arab traders introduced the dance in the 14th

century

• Traditionally an all-male dance but

include females nowadays

• Dancers perform in pairs with

gestures of teasing and playing

between male-female partners

• Music for zapin includes the lute (gambus), bongo (marwas), hand

Abah Dot My

Richard Seah


MORRIS DANCING


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drum (rafa’i), accordion and violin

3. Joget • Most popular dance throughout Malaysia

• Believed the Portuguese brought the dance to Malaysia during the

spice trade in Malacca

• In Malacca, it is better known as ‘Chakunchak’

• A fast-paced couple dance with gestures of teasing and playing

between partners appeal to both

young and old

• Examples of joget music include

Joget Asam Kana, Joget Istana Lukut and Joget Songkok Mereng

4. Tarian Lilin (candle

dance)

• Usually performed by ladies

• Originated from Sumatra

• A graceful dance that requires holding a candle placed on a plate

• Dance tells of a tale of a beautiful maiden who was left behind by a

suitor in search of wealth

• During his absence, the maiden

lost her engagement ring and

searched for it till the wee hours

using the candle placed on the

plate

Sabah &

Sarawak

Wan Leonard / flickr.com

Abah Dot My


MORRIS DANCING


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1. Ngajat • Believed the Iban tribe introduced this dance in the 16th century - the

warriors performed this dance on

their return from battle

• Traditionally performed by males,

this dance is now performed by

both sexes to celebrate the ‘Gawai’

harvest festival and to welcome

important guests to the

longhouses

• The male dancers wear headgears

with large feathers, hold an ornate

and long shield in their hand with

chains, beads and a loincloth

called the ‘cawat’

• The female dancers have an

elaborate headdress, chains, beads

and a ‘dress’ that reaches to below

their knees with intricate weaving

• Musical instruments such as the

gongs, ‘enkeromong’, ‘bendai’,

‘canang’ and ‘dumbak or ketebong’ are played for this dance

2. Datun Julud (Hornbill

Dance)

• A traditional dance from Sarawak

• The dance is from the Kenyah

tribe from Kabupaten, Balungan,

Kutai Berau and Pasir

• The dance was traditionally

performed to greet returning

warriors, and to mark the end of

the rice harvest season

• The dance is performed by

female dancers wearing

headdress of hornbill feathers

• They also hold fans made of

hornbill feathers to depict the

hornbills in flight

• The dance is accompanied by the

music from the sape

pondspider / flickr.com

Ben Sutherland / flickr.com


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3. Sumazau • The Sumazau dance is a

traditional dance of Sabah - the

Kadazan people

• Usually performed at religious

ceremonies, to honour spirits for

bountiful paddy harvests, ward

off evil spirits and cure illnesses

• The arm movements at shoulder

height imitate that of a bird in

flight

• The Kadazan costumes are

usually made of black velvet

• The music is composed of gongs of different sizes

4. Bamboo

Dance

• A popular and entertaining

traditional dance

• Two long bamboo poles are held

horizontally above the ground at

ankle-height

• The poles are clapped together

to a high-tempo drumbeat

• With great agility, dancers are

required to jump over or

between the poles without

getting their feet caught

Orang Asli

1. Asli • Its beat and rhythm is slow-paced

• The dance is graceful to show the charming nature of Malay ladies

• There are many hand movements

and poses, each with a different

meaning

• Every movement of the Asli dance

starts and ends with the gong beat

in counts of eight

• Asli songs often depict love or sorrow e.g. Sembawa Balik, Pasir

Roboh, Timang Banjar and Sri

Siantan

• The musical instruments used are

the rebab (a string instrument),

gong and rebana or gendang

bebano (a framed hand drum)

2. Inang • It is believed that the word Inang comes from the word "Mak Inang"

(a nanny or lady who looks after

the royal children)

• The Inang song and dance is said

Roving 1 / flickr.com


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to have been composed during the

era of the Malaccan Sultanate,

especially during the rule of Sultan

Mahmud Shah (1488-1511)

• At the time, the Inang dance was

performed in palace celebrations

such as weddings

• The Inang beats and dance movements are faster paced

compared to the Asli dance

• Traditionally, the Inang dance was performed by ladies, with modest

movements adhering to the strict

palace customs and protocols

• Nowadays, it is performed at all

social functions and usually by

couples

• Examples of songs with the Inang

beat are Seri Langkat, Lenggang

Mak Limah and Mak Inang Pulau

Kampai

Chinese

1. Lion Dance • A dance in which two performers

in a lion costume mimic a lion’s

movements

• The lion dance is related to kung fu and the dancers are usually

trained in the local kung fu club

• The dance is performed during

Chinese New Year, opening new

businesses and weddings

• During Chinese New Year, the lion dance is supposed to bring good

luck and fortune to a company

• The business or company would

tie a red envelope filled with

money to a head of a lettuce that

is hung above the front door

• The lion would dance around and then jump at the lettuce, spit out

the lettuce leaves but not the

money (as this is the money that

the dancers are rewarded with)

Wikipedia


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2. Dragon Dance • The dance consists of a team of 10

or more dancers

• The team carries a dragon on

poles

• The dancers mimics the

movements of a dragon in an

undulating manner

• A dragon is believed to bring good luck and symbolises power and

dignity

• This dance is performed during

Chinese New Year

Indian

1. Bharata Natyam

• A dance known for its grace, purity, tenderness, and statuesque

poses

• Is considered to be a ‘fire dance’ with movements resembling a

dancing flame

• Bharata natyam proper is a solo

dance that consists of two sides:

‘Lasya’ - the graceful feminine

lines and movements, and

‘Tandava Ananada Thandavam’

(Tamil) – the masculine aspect

(This is identical to the Yin and

Yang in the Chinese culture)

2. Bhangra • A dance that originated in the

Punjab region of India and

Pakistan to celebrate the coming

of spring

• Bhangra is a lively combination of

music and singing

• The beat of the ‘dhol drum’, a

single-stringed instrument called

the ‘iktar’, the ‘tumbi’ and the

‘chimta’ make up the music

• Men wear a chaadra (a piece of

cloth wrapped around the waist),

a kurta (a long shirt), sometimes

a vest and a pugdee or turban on

their heads

• Women wear a traditional Punjabi

skirt which fans out into a giant

disk as a woman twirls or a suit

called salwar kamiz – a long baggy

pants tight at the ankle (salwars)

and a long shirt (qamiz) and a

scarf called duppattas

Portuguese of

Malacca

Alotor / flickr.com

Sri Devi Nrithyalaya / Wiki

Jay8085 / flickr.com


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1. Farapeira • This dance is more popular with

the younger generation of the

Portuguese descendants

• The dance is very lively and happy, reflecting the carefree life

of the youngsters

• It is performed by couples dressed

in Portuguese costumes

• Modern musical instruments such

as guitars and tambourines are

used to make fast beats and

rhythm

2. Branyo • This dance is more popular with

the older generation of the

Portuguese descendants

• The male dancers wear western-

like costumes while the female

dancers wear baju kebaya and

sarong

• The musical instruments used are

only the rebana and violin

• The beat and rhythm of the dance

is similar to that of the joget

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