I blame the Victorian philanthropist and art critic John Ruskin for the most unusual element on my CV: maypole dancing teacher. It never ceases to raise an eyebrow or cause comment on my interests and activities section – partly why I keep it there.
Originally the maypole was a pagan phallic symbol representing fertility. It was decorated mostly with flowers and wild garlands. The May Dance itself was a festival in honour of Flora (the goddess of flowers), and celebrated the rite of spring.
My own entry into this strange world of English country dancing came when I took a degree at the then Roehampton Institute in London and resided at Whitelands, one of its constituent colleges. Originally an Anglican all-female teaching college in Chelsea, Whitelands has held a May Day since 1881.
It was Ruskin, patron of the college, who established the ceremony. Then Slade Professor of Art at Oxford, Ruskin believed that industrialisation had robbed workers of individuality, joy and beauty. His answer was to encourage the student teachers at Whitelands to develop “natural and uncontending worth” – and instigating the tradition of the May Queen was seen as crucial to this end. (Ruskin’s well-documented penchant for young girls and obsession with an idealised vision of femininity may also have come into play somewhere.)
So each year Whitelands students select a May Queen (now titled May Monarch) who is, in the words of Ruskin, “the nicest and likeablest” student each year. The May Monarchs are installed in office by a visiting bishop at a ceremony in the college chapel on the second Saturday of May which climaxes in maypole dancing.
In my first year, the dance risked being shelved because of the lack of performers. So I decided to volunteer and was taught by a former May Queen. I cannot say that I was taught well, and there were arguments about the choreography. But by my fourth year my dancing skills were so well honed that I could teach the next group of students and have continued ever since.
So while others will be marching for workers’ rights in May, I shall be teaching rugby players and psychology students the
ancient art of prancing around a phallic symbol to make a pretty
pattern of ribbons in time to music. Their challenge will be to not mess up their steps and to smile whatever happens. Simple, but probably not quite what Ruskin had in mind.
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