Hole in the Bog Morris & Mummers

Port Sanilac's own 
English Traditional Dance Troupe

HOLE-IN-THE-BOG Morris Dancers come from Port Sanilac in the "Blue Water" area of Michigan's lower peninsula. The team was founded in 1984 to add dance to the Northshire Renaissance Faire. The Faire ended after seven years but the dance goes on.

Morris dancing comes mainly from England, but is similar to folk traditions found all across Europe. Some scholars believe that morris dancing came from the Moors who ruled southern Spain in the Middle Ages. Others believe it is much older.

No matter where or when it started, Morris Dancing is fun for the dancers and audience alike.

Morris dancing has always had good luck associated with it. It may have been a part of pre-Christian holidays, and later, Christian holidays.

Each village developed its own style of dancing which is why you may notice that different teams of morris dancers use different steps. Morris is danced with hankies, folded hankies, short sticks, long sticks, and swords.

HOLE-IN-THE-BOG accompanies its morris dancing with traditional music played on the pipe and tabor (a type of flute and drum that were the oldest type of morris instruments). Also used are the concertina, flute, and fiddle.

The team's costume, called a kit, is a traditional outfit consisting of breeches, a "pirate" blouse, black stockings, and black shoes. It was chosen to give the look of an Elizabethan era team. To the kit are added bell pads- jingle bells stitched to a piece of leather and tied onto the lower legs. Recently, baldrics were added for a dash of color.

Hole in the Bog is available throughout the year to perform for you! Excellent entertainment for your event or festival! Education & entertainment for your school assembly!

Hole-In-The-Bog
P.O. Box 1
Port Sanilac, Michigan 48469

Mummers
A mummer is an actor. Long before radio or TV, mummer's plays were put on by local people who walked from house to house and recited a play out loud. The traditional characters in a mummer's play included: Robin Hood, Maid Marian, the Green Man or Wild Man, St. George, Old Molly, the Fool or Doctor, and the Hobbyhorse. Even if we don't perform a play, we bring Hob along for a dance.

1999/2000 Performances

• March 13, 1999 at Harrisville, Michigan
• March 25, 1999 at Auburn Hills Schools
• April 30, 1999 at Lansing, Michigan
• May 28 to June 6, 1999 at Scarborough Faire, North Yorkshire, England
• July 10, 1999 at Saline Celtic Festival
• September 11, 1999 at the Memory Walk in Harbor Park, Port Sanilac
• September 19, 1999 The Museum of Arts & History International Festival, Port Huron, MI
• September 25, 1999  The Pow Wow, CYO Camp north of Port Sanilac, Michigan
• November 11, 1999 The Cros-Lex Middle School Renaissance Faire
• December 11, 1999 Renaissance Banquet, location TBA
• January 29, 2000 Sanilac Consortium for lthe Arts Annual Dinner, Port Sanilac
• February 19, 2000 Beat the Mid Winter Blues, Port Sanilac
• May 5, 2000 Frostick Elementary, Croswell, Michigan
• August 1, 2000 Gladwin, Michigan
• September 5, 2000  Lexington Folk Festival, Lexington, Michigan
• October 5, 2000 Battle Creek, Michigan
• December 9, 2000 Renaissance Banquet, location TBA

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Recent Performances: University of Wisconsin, Rock County

Hole-in-the-Bog in the News: Janesville, Wisconsin