Saturday 11.30-12.45: Bonkers Bourrées
Bourrées to great music are a lot of fun, even if you just do the basic dance, but there's so much more you can do other than go forwards and backwards. Learn the basic bourrée before learning variations and multi-couple bourrées.
Whilst Bhangra and Bollywood dance can be energetic and high-tempo when performed by professional dancers, I prefer a slower pace with an emphasis on the movements and the joy of Indian dance and music. Come and join me!
Saturday 11.30-12.45: Historical English from America
Frank Van Cleef produced the first major volume of American reconstructions of English country dances around 1982; many more dances have been brought forth since his pioneering book. Dances for this workshop will be selected from reconstructions by Frank Van Cleef, George Fogg & Rich Jackson, Christine Helwig, Fried Herman, Jacqueline Schwab, and more.
Saturday 19.30-22.30: English Costume Ball
This will be an evening of country dancing from the modern American perspective. It will cover a wide range of genres, from classic English country interpretations through old compositions to both modern compositions and interpretations. Although a large focus will be on English dancing from the American repertoire, it will include British and other compositions and interpretations as well.
Sunday 11.30-12.45: American Classic English
In the 1960's and 70's, the repertoire in America was very similar to that in England until the 1950's. Although some of that that old repertoire is now unfamiliar on both sides of the Atlantic, some dances are still considered perennial favorites or have been reintroduced in recent years. This workshop will cover classic repertoire still (or once again) popular in America today, sometimes with modern adaptations.
Sunday 14.00-15.15: Foster's Favorites
This workshop will cover a selection of Brad Foster's favorite dance old and new, with a mixture of compositions and reconstructions from both sides of the Atlantic, all gathered from his 50 years of teaching.
Monday, 9.45-11.00: Calling Singing Squares
This is a caller's workshop on how to call American singing squares, a popular outgrowth of the explosion of interest in modern western square dancing in the 1950's through 1980's. This workshop will focus on square dance repertoire of two callers: Duke Miller (from his summer Square Dance in the Town Hall of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire) and Otto Wood (from Dance Weeks at Pinewoods Camp and from sessions at the Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina).
Monday 11.30-12.45: Andrew Shaw Interpretations
Andrew Shaw has published over 100 interpretations in six books starting with Mr Kynaston's Famous Dance in 2000, and he has an uncounted number of unpublished dances that have been presented during his frequent trips to America. This workshop will have a selection of Andrew's interpretations both old and new.
Saturday 15.45-17.00: Grid squares and contras
The title says it all.
Sunday 9.45-11.00: How did I get here?
Unusual progressions
Sunday 14.00-15.15: Square Chorus Figures
Chorus figures that need teaching
Monday 11.30-12.45: Medleys
What it says on the tin.
Saturday 11.30-12.45: Warm up for the Weekend — American!
Come and enjoy some fun dances to get the weekend started. Learn or revise the basics, plus hints and tips on style and technique, and some twirls and flourishes. American Contra Dancing and Square Dancing for beginners and experienced dancers.
Saturday 14.00-14.14: Modern Jive Taster Class
Modern Jive (Ceroc/LeRoc) is the easiest partner dance in the world. Come and learn the basics and have some fun on the dance-floor. There are over 300 classes around the UK.
Sunday 9.45-11.00: Waltz with Pizzazz!
You don't need any previous waltz experience to join in — we will be teaching the basics at the beginning of the workshop. Then, once everyone can walk in waltz time, we will show you lots more variations you can add to your repertoire. It's easier than you think to look great on the dance-floor!
Sunday 9.45-11.00: Mixed workshop
Soaring tunes and satisfying choreography meet in this mixed programme drawing from the core repertoire of Anglo-American folk traditions. We'll take advantage of muscle memory to add nuance and musicality to our dancing.
Sunday 11.30-12.45: Contras
Contras with flow and energy that won't break your brain — letting you luxuriate in the music. Perfect for a Sunday morning!
Sunday 15.45-17.00: Contras
How many different shapes can a contra dance take? Come and find out in this preprandial workshop exploring a variety of formations.
Monday 9.45-11.00: English workshop
Can you tell when a dance was first written based on its figures, pacing, and style? In this workshop we'll enjoy the full range of the English country dancing tradition from Playford to the present, paying attention to changes in choreographic fashion over time.
Saturday 14.00-15.15: American non-contras
Dances in various shapes by USA writers.
Monday 09.45-11.00: Contras by UK writers
American-style dances in contra formation.
Saturday 15.45-17.00: Playing for dances
Rod will provide music for us to work through with a view to making it more interesting for the musicians and a bit attention-grabbing for the dancers. Bring your ideas to share. The music will be G/D diatonic-friendly (with the occasional accidental which may be somewhere on your keyboard). Please contact him at
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for a copy of the music as hard-copies will not be available at the workshop. The music can be printed double-sided. Any level of musician should be able to get some musical ideas from the workshop but being able to read music would be helpful as there will not be time to learn by ear.
Sunday 15.45-17.00: Hard Times
We will be trying some British and other European music with unusual or mixed time signatures. Some tunes are for dancing and others are songs. Much of this music is not diatonic-friendly and downloading would be strongly advised as hard copies will not be available at the workshop and at least a look-through before the weekend might be a good idea. Contact Rod at
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for a copy of the music, which can be printed double-sided.