These fine people are part of "Dorset Knobs and Knockers", a Stave Dance side from Dorset, on the south coast of England.

The staves are, I think, about average size for the UK teams I've seen. They have heads of sheet metal which work well and must be easier to transport and store than some I've seen around. Performers, notice something strange going on here? Yes, they actually appear to be enjoying what they're doing. Careful forensic examination of the picture will reveal that those are genuine smiles, not ust painted on. Strangely enough, it comes over to the audience as well.

If you couldn't spot the "Staves" in the posed old pictures, or confused them with faults in my processing of the jpegs, then now that you know what you're looking for, try counting them again. If you come up with a good answer, please mail me.

 

Below is a whole set of Dorset Knobs and Knockers. Whilst I wouldn't want to pick any one Stave side as being my favourite, I've been impressed by the way that Knobs and Knockers are always aware of the performance space available and make very good use of it. (Read that as 'I agree with the way they use the performance space', of course!)

It's hard to deduce the location of the old photographs. In this modern picture, the bright orange stacking chairs immediately show that this is a Traditional British Scout Hut. For dance teams, this translates as "Obstacle course with a floor which bounces randomly and nowhere for the musicians to stand without getting trodden on". Under the circumstances, the use of what passed for "Performance Space" was nothing short of masterful. Any Stave side who can put the wind up a group of North-West dancers by getting too close for comfort, is doing well.
 
The kit's easy to photograph too, although neither my photgraphy nor these tiny jpegs do it justice. Not so much with straight Stave sides, but many Morris sides seem to have kit which either looks good on video but not in stills, or vice versa. For me, this kit works well both ways - I think it may have to do with the strong contrasts and the attention to detail.

These are Royal Manor, dancing at Weymouth. Again, the kit is easy on the eye and the bold shapes simplify photography. Also notice that, despite the fairly obvious ringer (a completely untrained member of the audience...) the lines look good. If the choreography is simple, paying attention to the performance always pays off: the audience here are returning the favour by paying attention to the performance, despite the attractions of Brewer's Quay and the adjacent pubs.