Handsome Molly

 

Founded in 1993 in Princeton, NJ, Handsome Molly dances to singing accompaniment, often to traditional folk songs from the British Isles and the US. Molly dancing originated in East Anglia and the English Midlands by the late 18th Century and was a tradition of mid-winter dancing performed by out-of-work farm boys who disguised themselves by dressing in their sisters’ and wives’ clothing and concealing their faces by covering them with burnt cork. The “ploughboys” would tour the area visiting the homes of gentry and do dances that caricatured the gentry’s elegant English country dances and after that demand beer or money from the homeowners, threatening to plough up the yard if they refused. Princeton’s Handsome Molly takes inspiration from these British traditions but has created new repertoire in honor of our American heritage. We love to perform, and promise to never actually plough up our host’s property! Well, almost never…

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Handsome Molly performs each year at the PCD Winter Cotillion, the Plough Monday Celebration at Trinity Church in Princeton, and the Wassailing of the Apple Trees at Terhune Orchards, in addition to various gatherings of dancers on the east coast and private events.

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We practice Thursday evenings and welcome new members!

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Contact Daniel Potter at HandsomeMollyNJ@gmail.com if interested in joining the team or for a performance at your event.