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People of Beltane

Our dancers..

Ant: Dancer, Squire and Heart of Beltane. He is knowledgeable of all things Morris, Real Ale and Dartmoor and has been dancing for more years than he cares to admit. He also has a Morris family – most of whom dance! He is also our main line to the weather gods, which comes in very useful – as you can imagine.

Bird: Better at dancing than writing bio's

Cam: Big, Beardy, from Buckfastleigh. Fully licensed Night prowler and Owl whisperer. Baptised amongst the bullheads of the river Mardle, arms and legs woven from the living ivy's and creepers that tangle amongst the hazel coppices of the old, sleepy Moorland slopes. Enjoys communing with field voles, dew drops and the winds that breeze through the fallow fields on cold Tuesday mornings. Available for parties.

Cat: How was she to know that everything in her life up until now was bringing her to us.. her calling. Previously undiscovered Morris genius who can learn a dance by seeing it once, and bring her own flavour of chilled fun to the tribe.

Chloe: Gets eaten by the worms and weird fishes

Harriet. Dancer who has been in Beltane for a fair few years. A strong, fleet, and much photographed dancer, green goddess and nature enthusiast -wild swimming, rock climbing and camping.

Heidi: Playful pixie, mother, dancer and artist. A Northerner living in the Southwest. Can mostly be spotted frolicking between the shores of Kernow and the depths of Dartmoor in her colourful campervan.

Dan. Longshanks. Snake hips. Big Tall. Not suited to small spaces. Occasionally a liability. Likes nothing more than dancing all day long. Loves being transported away to the high moors as the music starts, and dancing with a possessed intensity. If only it could always be that way.

Dawn: whilst her wild hair changes colour with the seasons! She seems quiet, but watch her come alive when she dances.

Fae has a deep affinity with nature & love poking around in the hedgerows looking for edible & medicinal plants. An adventurous & free spirit, & loves being in wild places exploring & learning about any old legends & stories attached to these places. All in all, a nature sprite which her name - Fae - taken from the old word for Faerie implies.. she is the Faefaerie!...

Frankie lurks in the shadows, in liminal spaces. Nature lover, tree hugger, howler at the moon. They dance with love and rage in equal measures.

George comes from the Lancashire fells to join Beltane and find her inner Dartmoor crow.

The Ibis: Relishes bringing the fire of Beltane with the beauty of the moors through dancing and shouting as loud as possible! Passionate re-wilder of self and landscape. Revolution, rugby, rum.

Jen: A creature of two worlds, torn between the adventures of the sea and the comfort of the woods. She is easily distracted by any animal that passes by – literally, any animal – and enjoys spending time with nature…..unless everybody is in the pub, in which case you’ll find her with a tankard filled with faerie mead.

Jo: A forest born, woodland dwelling creature. When not out stomping with Beltane, can be found weaving spells with pointy magik wands

Lor Lor: Dancer with several years dancing under her belt –brings a strong survivor-instinct to the side. She not only dances, but sings like a bird, plays an assortment of instruments and is a stalwart of all things musical. Has a gypsy soul and lives close to nature, and is an incredibly young grandmother!

Leah: Dancer, a lass utterly bewitched by the dance and song of her fellow ravens. She delights in painting with shadows and listening to the yarns of the land and its tellers. As well as being a joyous swimmer of chilly waters. Make hers a hearty whiskey Mac.

Helen joined Beltane in 2015. She is our festival baker and claims, immodestly but accurately, to make the best millionaire shortbread in the world

Lew: Living on the edge of Northern Dartmoor they embrace their feral wildness, running cross tor tops and swimming in frozen valley rivers, this untameable Dartmoor energy lives within Lew, both welcoming and inhospitable.

Lia: Former squire and forewoman. This wild blonde has been with Beltane since 2014. Quick to learn, fast to flourish, she is a committed dancer and loves her corvid family immensely.

Lisa: This dancer tells tall stories of Dartmoor, beanstalks, piskies and all kinds of weird and wonderful things.

Kelly: horse whisperer, dog charmer and bear wrestler. Creator of Tschornow in the morno, superstar DJ and general all round good in.

Liz: Dancer whose Morris experience reaches back a good way. Her love of the energy and accuracy of the music and dancing with Beltane has kept her coming back for more. She hopes that some of her grandchildren will follow in her footsteps. Likes a pint when she is hot and sticky, and is acquiring a taste for rum to fire her dancing!

Louisa: Dancer, half-pisky. Found under a moonlit hawthorn tree with a tiny barrel of mead. In her element when dancing up a storm and leading folk astray. Feels at home surrounded by the wild spirits of Beltane.

Lucy: Watching the fire and energy of Beltane at Haytor on May Day morning in 2019 inspired her to try and join. Being an introverted, animal loving, busy Mum of 2, she adores being part of the side as she feels she comes out of herself when dancing to the beat of the Beltane drums.

Sarah-Jane swapped pink and unicorns for fishnets and mystery. She hung up her roller skates and helmet then grabbed a top hat and stick.

Seamo: Dancer, singer and foreman– brings his own unique style to everything he does. A lively dancer, who is called upon to play guitar and get us all singing ‘Wearing Purple’ (amongst other things) at the drop of a top hat, with gusto and harmonies! He has three sons and a very patient wife.

Mark - a dancer. Rather fond of ale. He previously hailed from the New Forest and now frequents Dartmoor and its taverns

Merry is a fairie. Not the nice sweet kind, but a dangerous one that spins her glamour, makes mischief and causes trouble. A troubadour, a minstrel, a fierce and dark thespian. A bold tree-shaker and a brave rule-breaker! Her bright eyes twinkle, whilst swilling a pint of real ale. You may think she has a coal black heart, but of us all, she is the real thing - a real diamond – both beautiful and bright.

Nat; The dreadlocked dancing, woodland-dwelling deviant. He hung up his headphones and swapped the wheels of steel for a tophat, tatters and stick.

Rob is originally from upcountry near Watford but has spent the last 4 years studying in and moving to Plymouth, and joined almost every morris side along the M4 on the way!

Rosie Jo is another leggy beauty, with a powerful Beltane stare and a glorious laugh. She has met her Beltane match and learned more than a few dances.

Tara: Half Irish (left leg, right arm) jigging, singing and good craic is in my DNA.

Tom joined for his three-year-old son who was old enough to have great taste in Morris, and is Beltane’s co-squire.

He enjoys the release of a good guttural roar during his dance, and barking a collier's song over the brim of a hoppy ale in the pub.

Tom sports a full mane and often looks as though he's just been dragged out of a cave, but despite a fearful presence he's clearly a soft, calm, loving, hulk of a man without an angry bone to his name.

You can find him looking for colourful bugs under rocks, fact checking odd pieces of information on Goggle, or sitting quietly in the corner, knitting a Christmas manatee.

Will: made of magic and slightly cracking rubber. Dungeonmaster and legend.

… and our band

SteveO - he loves The Morris

Marie: The quiet one.

Clive joined Beltane playing bass guitar. Other pleasures include paddleboarding, sailing, and eating pies.

Harry: Six string cider sipping strummer often found in the company of stones

Jayne: Relentless! If it involves live music she is usually first to arrive and last to leave.

Joe: Ex-dancer, drummer and singer – has been dancing Clog and Border since 1990. He loves a good sing and a good time, if he gets to the pub in time. That’s a big IF. Expects to be with Beltane ‘til he drops! Oh yes, and he still has just one more Beltane CD left to sell.

Jordan: Some say he was taught at midnight, at Cold East Crossroad, by the hairy hands themselves… others say it’s the devils own bouzouki, made from a piece of Wistmans wood and strung with the hair of the Wisht hounds…

Stu: Current Band Leader, drummer, Giant.

Nathascha: This Dutch-born wild species saw Beltane dance once and jumped at the first opportunity to join. Likes to roar and hit stuff rhythmically.

Sanna - fiddler and curmudgeonly Dickensian character. Always late, sometimes in tune.

Sue: Drummer and ex-dancer. One of the original Iron Maidens and the last remaining, original member of the Beltane Border. Makes the most comfortable home of her tent, when camping (envied by a few). Not only is she the mother of drummer Chris, she is also a wonderful grandmother to his two sons.

Tony: Drums. Sometimes in time. Drinks with Old Crockern. Dartmoor.

Special mentions & dormant members

Chris: Been with Beltane since day 1 and is very partial to a pint of jail, tribute, hobgoblin or Betty stoggs or along with a pork pie. Strengths: When drumming he brings out the sexy ryhthm and sound beltane has to offer. Weakness: The length of white ladies aston and tequila.

Think your face belongs up here? Come and see if you’ve got the stuff. We recruit in Autumn. See here for when our Dartmoor-based practises start..

Dave. Drummer and guitarist. Joined Beltane a long time ago, and has been an integral part of the band ever since. He has contributed to Beltane in many ways over the years, and has been Bag, Treasurer and side mediator. He has contributed to the close knit camaraderie that exists within the side and loves the constant challenge of helping the side to reach its highest performance potential.

Steve emerged from the mists of the River Trent sometime in the last century. During a chance meeting in Ye Olde Cider Bar Jimi Hendrix taught him three guitar chords in return for half of Yarde Sweet and a giant bag of pork scratchings. In 2016 he learned a fourth chord to enable him to join the Beltane band and hopes to have perfected it before too long.

 
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