 Where can I learn to ... dance?
Online version of article in the July 08 issue of Folk Monthly,
a diary of folk and related events across the Midlands
published by the Traditional Arts Team
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Traditional dancing is a very sociable activity and great fun. If you’ve never tried it, the best place to start is a public barn dance or ceilidh – for example the regular ones in Coventry (Peeping Tom) or Derby (Mumpers), or at a folk festival. Some folk festivals have workshops for beginners.
If you’ve already got the bug then you could try a folk dance club. Contact the organisers first to see if they welcome beginners, and be prepared to partner an experienced club member at first. Thanks to Bob Taberner of thefolkmag and John Pitcock of Friday Folk for their advice - Ed
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There are some excellent folk dance listings on the internet - see opposite - or you might want to look at lists of regular clubs in your area. |
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Folk Dance Clubs - thefolkmag lists folk dance clubs in the West Midlands by name and by weekday. These clubs also appear on the EFDSS diary pages along with East Midlands counties Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire |
thefolkmag dance clubs
EFDSS diary pages |
Morris dancing: find your nearest side |
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Royal Scottish Country Dance Society has branches in Birmingham, Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicester, Nottingham, Leamington Spa, Sutton Coldfield and Wolverhampton
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RSCDS
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The Irish Set Dancing website lists many local groups.
There’s also a list of West Midlands set dance events in the folkmag |
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Breton and French Dance – monthly in Coventry and Ockbrook
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French Dance Diary
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European Music and Dance Education lists events at Kinnersley Castle, Herefordshire and elsewhere |
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American Square Dancing - the British Association of American Square Dance Clubs. Their new website (Sept 08) includes a list of Midlands clubs, ten of which are teaching clubs - not suitable for beginners except at the start of the season. |
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Society for International Folk Dancing - associated clubs meet regularly in Buxton, Derby, Wollaton, Mapperley, Birmingham and Solihull. There’s also a Summer School at the University of Wales Swansea |
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Folk and Traditional Dance courses in Stoke |
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If you think learning to dance while on holiday is a good idea, try Folk Camps or the Circle Dance Network, which has links to regional contacts, the annual Easter Gathering and circle dance holiday camps and residentials. Also in Warwickshire there is the Great Alne weekend, which takes place in April.
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Folk Camps
Circle Dance Network
Great Alne weekend |
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