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Leicester's "One Passion - One Leicester - One Rhythm" Rhythm Dance Festival - May to October 2008

'Bringing the Streets of Leicester City Centre to Life' is the slogan of Leicester's "One Passion, One Leicester, One Rhythm" programme of themed events and performances.

We were lucky enough to be in Leicester City for the May Bank Holiday weekend to see the start of the city's celebrations of the completion of the multi-million pound refurbishment of Leicester City Centre.

The morning of Monday the 5th of May found us in the Castle Park Gardens at 11.00 to witness a traditional maypole dance.

The history of the maypole dancing in Leicester has its history well before the Long Parliament of 1644 banned it as "a Heathenish vanity, generally abused to superstition and wickedness". The Earl of Huntingdon in 1603 was furious to discover that his estates had been the source of the maypoles used in Leicester town.

Today maypole dances are often done without dividing the participants by gender, simply having them in pairs facing one another, so half go one way and half go the other, weaving the ribbon around the maypole.

The maypole is a tall birch, maple or hawthorn (may) wooden pole, usually erected in a prominent public place, with several (equal numbered) long coloured ribbons suspended from two hoops at the top. The maypole may be festooned with flowers or draped in greenery, depending on local tradition. What is often thought of as the "traditional" English maypole is a shorter, plainer version of the Scandinavian pole with ribbons tied at the top and hanging to the ground. This is a relatively recent development of the tradition and is probably derived from picturesque, dances performed during 19th century theatrical performances. It is usually this shorter, plainer maypole that people perform dances around, weaving the ribbons in and out to create striking patterns.

To find out more about all One Rhythm Dance Festival Events visit: www.oneleicester.com/one-rhythm

Music supplied by The Jerusalem Jammers

Boater Bingo