Steampunk Morris

Day 281: It's either feast or famine. For the last couple of weeks, the weather has been typical of the Pacific Northwe't, i.e., on the gloomy and grey end of the spectrum, if only moderately damp. Those of us native to the state love it; it's what keeps us green. After all, we're the Evergreen State. However, all good things must come to an end (however much we might have been enjoying late lettuce), and as the time to today's gig grew close, the forecast edged toward a high in the upper 80s. Fortunately, our first performance of the day was at 10 AM at the Ballard Bell Tower, done before the heat could turn us into a Morris meltdown. The second set was at Hiram Chittenden Locks where a nice breeze and an abundance of shade trees made dancing much more pleasant. That said, we chose to wear our steampunk kit, and I can assure you that dancing in a corset on a hot day isn't for sissies. Then it was off to the pub we went, steamy steampunks the lot of us.

A Motley Crew

Day 239: Now there's a motley crew! Sound & Fury danced in Port Townsend yesterday, the featured entertainers at the Brass Screw Confederacy's steampunk fair. We'd been anxious about rain all week, but the weather turned nice for the event, perhaps even a little too nice for those of us in multiple layers and corsets. Morris dancing is a very energetic sport, but fortunately, none of our ladies (or gentlemen, for that matter) needed smelling salts or medical aid. After performing two sets, we walked among the other beautifully costumed attendees and then set sail for home.

Sound & Fury Steampunk Morris

Day 283: Sound & Fury stepped outside tradition yesterday to dance at the Fairhaven Steampunk Festival (Bellingham), and it was one of the most delightful non-botanical experiences I've had in many years. It was Sound & Fury's second year performing at this event. We danced two sets as the temperature rose, breaking between them for cool beverages and lunch at the local pub. My new steampunk persona Finnie (Feannagh) MacLeod made her first public appearance and was honoured to be asked to pose for portraits by several bystanders. I found that dancing in a corset isn't quite as difficult as it sounds, and definitely improves the posture. We will be appearing again in regular kit at the Ballard Locks Monday evening, and at a selection of Woodinville cideries on July 29.

Of Corsets Snug

Day 278: Sound & Fury Morris will be performing at the Fairhaven Steampunk Festival in Bellingham this Saturday. It was as good an excuse as any to make a new outfit. Even though I dislike sewing, I enjoy costuming. In this case, I used a commercial pattern (Simplicity 3677), but made a few tweaks to the method of construction which better accommodated the bulk of fabric involved in joining a lined skirt to a heavily lined and interfaced bodice. Nor was the pattern available in my size, so a number of other adjustments were needed to tailor it. Having said that, I now have greater sympathy for those corseted ladies of the Victorian era. Snugged into the bodice, my posture is improved at the sacrifice of my ability to breathe. Dance? I'm glad I don't have to bend over very far to strike my stick on the ground in "Horsham."

Now a question arises: who is this Victorian adventuress? My various personas have their own individual names, generally something to do with "Crow" coupled with a variation of the stage name I used when performing publicly as a Celtic harpist, Margot de Morgan. From this, Capt. Morgan Corbye was drawn ("corbye," "corby," "corbie" and "corbel" are alternate spellings of an Olde English word meaning "crow"). Her identical twin sister is Kat (Katherine)..."Kat" because I have cats. Fictitious actress Katherine Crowe has starred on a theater playbill (ironically, this is the real name of another Morris dancer!), and Kitty Black Crow is a villain on a western "Wanted" poster. The adventuress' steampunk character has not had a chance to develop, although I suspect she is a botanist of some renown. Should I force a name upon her, or as they say, "let the puppy name itself once you've brought it home?" Maybe more time in the corset will settle the issue.