12-year-old Harborough village youngster cleans up competition with Morris ‘broom dance’

A youngster from a village in Harborough has cleaned up after winning an award for her ‘broom dance’.

Braybrooke Morris Dancing member Rose scooped an eponymous Sue Dyke award, set up by the late practitioner to promote the folk dancing tradition among young people.

Group leader Angela Panter said: “Rose is our youngest dancer in the Braybrooke Morris side. She had been perfecting her broom dance throughout the summer season and she did a great job.

“She is like a tigger on double expresso!”

To take part in the Open Morris competition, young people in the ‘Morris world’ are encouraged to submit a creative project, related to the tradition, such as a song, dance, poem or essay.

The 12-year-old submitted a poem and a video of her doing the traditional broom dance.

During the folk dance, the broom is twirled around the dancer’s head and balanced on their hands as they dance.

Rose was shocked to learn she had won.

She said: “When I found out that I had won, I couldn’t stop saying that I didn’t think I would win in a million years. I was so excited that I ran around the house screaming.

“My friend asked me the next day if I was okay as I had sent her several messages of me screaming.

“It’s hard to describe the feeling in the moment, the best I can say is that I was in complete and utter astonishment. I had to keep checking that they had the right person - it was just amazing.”

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