An Oral History recounting longsword dancing experiences in the Northeast of England: The Loftus Longsword Dancers

This paper explores the stories of east Cleveland men, women and villages involved in traditional longsword dancing. Utilising a newly formed archival collection at the Land of Iron Museum, Skinningrove and drawing on oral history interviews conducted with dancers, we find that folk dancing offered opportunities to take part in significant cultural events and left a lasting effect on those involved. Yet it was not only a culturally significant act. We argue that participation in folk culture suffused the everyday social experience of dancers also.