Voxpop: Should morris dancers wear black face paint?

Cardiff’s folk dancers are shocked at the Twitter frenzy caused by David Cameron’s photo with blacked up morris dancers.

The photo caused a stir on Twitter on October 12, while the prime minister and Foxs Border Morris were branded as racist by British media.

However, on 29 November Cardiff’s folk dance community are welcoming to the city Cardigan’s Carreg Las morris and other border sides who will be dancing around the Cardiff Bay area. 

Sally Davies, 54, a local cotswold morris dancer, said: “The anti-racist campaigners have demonstrated a knee-jerk reaction to a non-racist, ancient tradition.

“Blacking up originated from the 16^th century, when out of work farm labourers illegally begged for money during the winter, covering their faces in soot to avoid recognition. Should blacking up be allowed? Yes.”