28th Annual Half Moon New York Sword Ale

Sword dancing is a winter celebration practiced in the farming and coal-mining regions of northern England, where the annual visit of the local sword dancers to the village homes was thought to guarantee good luck for the year. The Festival will feature both mystical, stately longsword and vigorous rapper sword dancing, with live music on fiddle, accordion, and other instruments. In both types of sword dance, the dancers are linked in a ring by the “swords” they hold in their hands while they work as a team to weave intricate figures and patterns without breaking the circle. The dances are thought to have roots in ancient rituals, traces of which can still be seen in these present-day displays of skill. Performances will also include Morris dancing, Molly dancing, and related English folk traditions.

This year’s festival will feature the “home team,” Half Moon Sword, and their many guests for a weekend of exciting and crowdpleasing entertainment. The event will kick-off with an opening performance at the Pier 17 Atrium at the South Street Seaport. The members of Half Moon hope that by bringing the Festival to the South Street Seaport, the team can contribute to the rebirth of the area as it strives to recover from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy. Additional performances will be held in numerous libraries, museums, churches, and other public spaces n Manhattan and Brooklyn. The festival will conclude with a grand finale in the auditorium at the Brooklyn Museum of Art on Sunday the 17th. All performances are free, although there is an admission charge to enter the museums.

Saturday, February 16th, 2013 -- Manhattan
9:30 a.m., Pier 17 Atrium (3rd floor), 89 South Street @ the South Street Seaport

1:00 p.m., Museum of the City of New York, 1220 5th Avenue @ 103rd Street

1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m., Chatham Square Library, 33 East Broadway (near Catherine Street)

1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m., Dana Discovery Center, 110th Street (between Fifth Avenue & Lenox Avenue) in Central Park

1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., Jefferson Market Public Library, 425 6th Avenue @ 10th Street

3:00 p.m., 115th Street Library, 203 West 115th Street @ 7th Avenue

Sunday, February 17th, 2013 - Brooklyn

12:30 Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, 58 Seventh Ave, (Lincoln Place/St. John’s Place)

12:30 Old First Reformed Church, 126 7th Avenue, between Carroll and President Streets,  Brooklyn

12:30 St. John’s Episcopal Church, 139 St. Johns Place, between 6th and 7th Avenues, Brooklyn

  2:30 All Teams - Brooklyn Museum (auditorium), 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn