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Dancers wanted for Belgian bun fight - updated

A Belgian dance team has put out an urgent call for a foreign side to join its festivities in May after the booked guests dropped out. UK morris man Howard Mitchell has attended the event in the past and urges other dancers to try it out.

It takes place in the town of Dendermonde in June and features the planting of a May tree.

"The group concerned in Dendermonde are a friendly lot," says Howard. "Manchester Morris Men went to this event some years ago and were given excellent hospitality and the company of other visiting folk dancers from Holland and Belgium. The visit also led to invites from other groups in subsequent years.

"The Belgian beer was most acceptable. If anyone can make it I would recommend you go. (MMM would, I'm sure, step into the breach but the calendar is full).

"The Maiboum planting ceremony itself seemed to be attended by the whole town and there was maypole dancing of the ribboned variety using exactly the same figures that appear in the Curwen Book of the 1890s. They too were confused about its origins."

Michel Van Driessche wrote from Belgium as follows:

We are Folk dance group Reynout from Dendermonde, Belgium and every year we organise a festival during which we plant a May tree.

This year, the festival will take place from Friday 2 June onwards untill Sunday 4 June (included).

During the festival, we always invite a foreign group over to give some performances.

Because another group we invited cancelled, we are now urgently looking for another good group of Dancers

The general idea is that the group will perform twice on Saturday evening for about a quarter of an hour per performance and twice on Sunday afternoon (also 2 times a quarter of an hour)

Lodgings and meals are, off course, included.

We will be glad to give you all further information and details upon request.

Would you be so kind as to inform us by return (preferably before thursday 30 March) if you can attend our festival.

Unfortunately, we cannot be reached personally during office hours, but below you will find all our coordinates (the phone is connected to an answering machine during the day)

We apologize for giving you such short notice and thank you very much for your help.

Best regards,

©2000 Simon Pipe, Mark Rogers, The Outside Capering Crew

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