Traditional dancers from a 150-year-old troupe took to the streets with blackened faces in a historic procession.
Members of the Britannia Coconut Dancers of Bacup took part in the Whitworth Rushcart parade, in Lancashire, accompanied by a hand-drawn cart decorated with flowers and a brass band.
The troupe performs ‘folk dances’, with their blackened faces reflecting a ‘pagan tradition as a disguise from the evil spirits’.
Members of the Britannia Coconut Dancers of Bacup took part in the Whitworth Rushcart parade, in Lancashire
The troupe performs ‘folk dances’, with their blackened faces reflecting a ‘pagan tradition as a disguise from the evil spirits’
The Britannia Coconut Dancers of Bacup are part of a 150-year-old troupe based in Lancashire
Their parade includes rush-bearing, where rushes, herbs and grasses are collected and transported to the local church to be laid on the floor.
The custom is supposed to symbol providing a new surface for the forthcoming year and is believed to go back to the middle ages.
Their choreography, which looks similar to Morris dancing, is believed to originate from Moorish pirates, with the outfits worn by the group – kilts, turbans and clogs – similar to pirates’ dress.
Critics have previously slammed the tradition as offensive, with white men wearing black face paint prompting memories of the Black and White Minstrel Show – which was pulled from the air in 1978.
However, the dancers claim the display is simply a tribute to the area’s history.
The troupe’s choreography is believed to originate from Moorish pirates, with the outfits worn by the group – kilts, turbans and clogs – similar to pirates’ dress
While some say their blackened faces are offensive, the troupe claims it is simply paying homage to Lancashire’s history
On their website they write: ‘The Moorish pirates, which originated from North Africa, are said to have settled in Cornwall and they became employed in the local mines.
‘As mines and quarries opened in Lancashire in the 18th and 19th century some of the Cornish men headed north, bringing their mining expertise with them.
‘It is with these men that the dances were reputedly brought into this area.’