Dance – Calling, Workshops and Maypoles
So much of what I do goes back to being introduced to dancing in my teens (and I don't mind whether it is called folk dancing, country dancing, barn dancing, ceilidh or whatever). Most people who have tried it know how much fun it is. I just got completely hooked and the more I do the more I learn. I still dance just for fun whenever I get the chance, with Nonsuch and St Albans Morris Men. In the past I have been a member of a number of different groups, through which I have been lucky enough to travel the world and perform in many different venues and for audiences large and small.
Calling: The enjoyment and the heritage, as well as some of the skills, are what I attempt to pass on in my teaching and calling. For those who don't know, a caller is the guy who tries to organise things at a barn dance, calling out instructions that people may or may not ignore. My calling restarted a few year ago with my own band, Quicksilver (and, more rashly, at some one-man band dances – far too much like hard work) and now I am one of the regular callers. In line with my approach to the music I have developed a whole range of themed programmes, and add new material and ideas all the time. Knowing the dances, however, is only part of the job. The caller is the link between the band and the audience, setting the tone for the evening. Here my experience as a musician is a real advantage, as I can give the musicians more scope while keeping a balance between fun, information and total mayhem.
Workshops: Workshop teaching is a little more serious – but not much. I am always happy to try to pass on what I have learnt and while I was living in Berkshire this resulted in a series of workshops for friends, which in turn became an evening class and then a club, WAT Dance, which continues without me, although I go back from time to time. A parallel strand, Dance Through the Ages, was a series of "one-off" workshops, usually raising money for charity. The first of these for some years took place recently in association with WAT Dance, generating a number of ideas about how this theme can be developed.
Advisor and Choreographer: It also appears that my experience is creating a demand for me as a
Dance Consultant. I am currently working with a school in Hampshire on
a version of A Winter’s Tale set in Thomas Hardy’s Wessex. In the New
Year I hope to be working with a dance company in Slough on a cultural
heritage project. I may also be developing my Dance Through the Ages
concept both with Stevenage Museum and Wat Dance. Again I'll try and
post details of all the performances I have been involved in the events
section.
Maypole: Most surprising of all has been the Maypole Dancing. Many serious dancers look down on this particular form because of all its historical and social connotations, but children – and many adults – just love it. Through my work in schools with Tradamis I have been able to explore not only the obvious 19th-century form but also to find many links with other cultures and historical periods, and have put on shows and events involving hundreds of people.
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Dance