Welcome to the Belle d'Vain Home Page
Belle d’Vain is a women’s dance side based in the Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire. The side was conceived during the annual beer festival at the National Trust’s famous Fleece Inn, which is in the
village
of
Bretforton
by the wives and daughters of Pebworth Morris men.
In order to get started a visit to
Kenilworth
was necessary where the women of ‘Chinewrde’ taught three prospective ‘Belles’ the very basic ‘Black Rod Street Dance’.
Practice started in the barn at The Fleece Inn.
We consulted our local Evesham poet about a name. He suggested the name of an old plum – ‘Belle d’Vain’ - grown in the Vale of Evesham.
|
|
|
We first danced out at The Fleece Inn, Bretforton on Easter Sunday 1990.
Our first dances were ‘Black Rod Street Dance’ and ‘Millbrook’.
That summer, with only three dances and nine dancers, we went on an exchange visit to Evesham’s twin town Melsungen in
Germany.We have also danced in
Dreux
,
France
as guests of Evesham’s French twin town.
Currently our kit consists of a navy pinafore dress over a short sleeved red under dress.
We dance
North West
Morris dances, wearing clogs as worn by the mill workers in the mills of
Lancashire
,
Yorkshire
and
Cheshire
. Many of our dances are named after locations in these areas: Alderley Edge, Goostrey, New Mills, Colne, Millbrook.
|