A large group of Morris dancers will be visiting Hawke's Bay next week as part of a national tour celebrating the mid-summer equinox.
Eighty people from Morris dancing groups throughout New Zealand come together in a city each year to perform for the public.
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The traditional English folk dance celebrates fertility, nature and seasonal changes through intricate dancing often with hankies, sticks, swords and garlands.
"It's so wonderful to keep these old traditions alive and bring some fun and happiness to the public while doing so," Jenny Dobson, spokeswoman for local Morris dancing group Heart of the Sun, said.