THE 20th anniversary of a traditional dance team will be marked with a Morris festival at the weekend.

Kern Morris, formed in Durham in 1986, has developed a repertoire of traditional dance styles and has performed across Britain, on the Continent and on tour in the USA, as well as hosting several international dance festivals.

To mark two successful decades, the club is staging a festival in Durham, on Saturday.

Dance teams from across the North will appear at venues throughout the city centre, performing various styles of old English dance.

Shoppers and visitors to Durham will see open-air performances in Millennium Place, Elvet and Kingsgate bridges, and alongside Brown's Boathouse, between 11am and 4pm. All the teams will come together to dance in unison in Palace Green, between the cathedral and castle, from 4pm.

Anyone interested in taking up Morris dancing as a hobby can give it a try at the Kern weekly practice sessions, at Elvet Methodist Church Hall, in Old Elvet, Durham, between 8pm and 10pm.

Training for beginners will start on Wednesday, September 13, but new musicians and dancers are welcome at any session.

Further information on the weekend festival, or on Kern Morris, is available on 0191-375 0646, or 0191-372 3225.