The Redwood Violin Dances the sun up. May Morning, Sebastopol, California

Morris Dance teams across the world dance the sun up on May Morning. Sebastopol's Apple tree Morris is the most westerly team on the planet and therefore the last to greet the sun.

The Redwood Violin is built from materials that came out of the earth in Sonoma County. It seems fitting to honor the sun's role in producing them.

In this video Kalia Kliban and I dance the "Nutting Girl Jig", a traditional Morris dance. I learned this jig in Bampton, England, when I was 11. Kalia's husband Jon Berger, plays the Redwood violin.

This is part of The Redwood Violin Project, designed to paint a picture of Sonoma County, California, as told through the story of making a violin, as far as possible, from scratch using locally sourced materials. I have posted videos about collecting the materials, the people I meet, and about the process of making a violin, including things like making my own glue and varnish from scratch.
Materials for the violin are selected both for being workable substitutes for traditional materials, and with consideration for their significance to Sonoma County's history and economy.

More information about the project:
https://theredwoodviolin.org/
I am a violin maker with 30 years experience.
https://www.andrewcarruthers.com/