Morris Dancing in the Midwest

The Midwest Morris Ale is an annual event for Morris dancers in the American Midwest, held every Memorial Day weekend (the last weekend in May). The Ale includes three days of bus tours, show dances, performances, pickup dancing, singing, and playing music. It’s a big, joyful celebration of Morris dancing as well as other folk music and dance traditions.

Various Morris dance teams take turns hosting the Ale in different locations each year. To get an idea of where we’ve been in the past, see our Past Ales page.

Beginning in the spring of 2020, we have been hosting virtual events over Zoom. These events include interactive workshops, lectures, panel discussions, and social events like pickup dancing and singing. We aim to provide a platform for community members to participate in and learn about Morris dance, music, and culture. Learn more about our online events using the links above.

As an organization, one of our goals is to encourage participation from all dancers and to support the community. To achieve this, we run a financial aid program for dancers who are active members of the broader Morris dance community and who are unable to meet the costs of attending the Ale in person.

If you would like to donate to the Midwest Ale, you may specify whether your donation will be a general donation or will contribute to the financial aid fund. The Midwest Morris Ale operates as a non-profit organization.We are a registered 501(c)(3) and all donations are tax-deductible.