Find out all you want to know about The Ironmen
and Severn Gilders
We are two
separate but very closely associated teams of Morris Dancers based in the historic
town of Ironbridge
in Shropshire.
The Ironmen are a men's team who dance in the Welsh Border tradition,
while
The Severn Gilders are a women's team who dance North-West morris.
Although we dance separately, we almost always appear
together (that way we get a rest between dances!), and many of the dancers
from one team appear as musicians while the other is dancing.
Originally formed in 1976, we have danced at
festivals all over the country - with The Severn Gilders being former
winners of the Ritual Dance Competition at the Sidmouth Folk Festival.
We have travelled to Spain, Germany, Ireland,
Belgium and France, and have appeared on a number of radio and
television programmes, including "Folk on Two", "Newsnight" and "The
Big Breakfast".
The Ironmen have appeared in a Japanese TV documentary and featured in a
film made jointly by the BBC and The Arts Council of Great Britain which was
shown on BBC2 as part of a series called "Dance for the Camera".
When we're not dancing away from home - often as guests of another team -
then you might catch us on The Iron Bridge itself.
Whenever possible, our performances are accompanied by a large band
of enthusiastic musicians, and we're proud to have been the
nurturing ground for one of the country's most "danceable-to" ceilidh
bands:
All Blacked Up
and to have provided a couple of founder members of the exciting, new
kids on the ceilidh block: Ceilidhography.
