STOP PRESS
The Cotswold Jigs Workshop on Saturday 17 January 2026 is now half full. For more details and an application form, contact jigsinstructional [at] themorrisring.org. Last year the workshop filled up by Xmas - you have been warned.
It's all day - a long day - in Sutton Bonington near Nottingham and it's only £30 including 3 meals. People from all the JMOs are very welcome. You'll get value out of the workshop if you're up to show standard in at least one Cotswold tradition, preferably more. We will introduce each tradition we do, but there's a lot to get through so it's aimed at experienced dancers.
Our initial Save the Date elicited a comment that people need to know who's teaching. Each year, most of the following teach. Ian Nichols and Toby Melville are well known in the Morris world for dancing jigs in a variety of club kits, both have won at the John Gasson competition. The other instructors have even longer experience of dancing jigs and teaching particular traditions at their clubs: Alan Chetwood (Greensleeves), Mike Wilkinson (Dolphin) and Mike Bennett (formerly St Albans, now Winchester).
Comments from previous attendees mostly say it was hard work but great fun, with excellent teaching and good food. There were very few negative comments, one or two suggestions for improvement. Hope to see a wide variety of people there.
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Probably the best Cotswold morris workshop in the UK! It will be held at the usual venue, Sutton Bonington near Nottingham, on Saturday January 17th. There'll be as much of the curriculum as possible from the previous weekend events, so expect it to be a long day. Put the effort in and we guarantee to improve your dancing.
The day will start at 0930, with breakfast from 0830, and end with a meal - not a Feast - so that you can get on the road at about 1930 or whenever you can drag yourself away from the after-party in the pub. If you're travelling from further afield there should be very limited indoor camping available (it is explicitly forbidden in the main hall) or there are cheap hotels not far away at East Midlands airport.
People from all the JMOs are very welcome. You need to be confident dancing the set dances from at least one Cotswold tradition, preferably one involving "slows". The sessions are as much about dancing well as about dancing jigs, so one ex-Squire refers to it as "an MoT for my Morris".
Cost last year was £30 including all meals. We'll open entries at the end of October, but if you really want to get ahead of the game email jigsinstructional [at] themorrisring.org (link sends e-mail) and we'll send more details and an application form when they're available. Last year the event filled up and everybody seemed to find it valuable.
