May Heydays at Evesham:   2023 Programme

Workshops

Some people wear costume or smart dress for the Playford Balls, but that's not obligatory!

Burt Hunter

Saturday 9.45-11.00: Running Set
We will look at the basic figures in running a set, including choruses, visiting figures and cumulative figures.  No previous experience is necessary other than a general familiarity with the basics of folk dancing.  Be prepared for a lot of circling left.

Monday 9.45-11.00 Running Set
We will look at figures old and new.  Apart from some of the classic figures collected by Sharp there have been a number of new figures added to the canon.  We will include one figure which was developed recently at Whitby Folk Week.

Cis Hinkle

Saturday, 11.30-12.45: Momentous Contras
Contras that use weight and momentum to enhance your dance experience.

Sunday, 9.45-11.00: Eye-Opening Contras
Challenging and/or surprising contras to get your dancing day started.

Monday, 11.30-12.45: Snappy Squares from the Nifty 50's
Square dances from the golden age.

Colin and Sally Hersom

Saturday 11.30-1245: International for the Curious
Have you ever wondered what “International” dancing was?  In this workshop we will teach some of the dances from the Saturday evening programme

Colin Hume

Friday 20.00-22.30: English from around the world
Some genuine Playford and English traditional, but the evening dance will also include “English” dances from Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands and the USA.

Saturday, 14.00-15.15: Mainly English
Some traditional English, some Playford-style, an American-ish Square and maybe a Contra.

Sunday 11.30-12.45: Pat Shaw dances
Some Playford-style, some English-style.

Monday 11.30-12.45: Colin's compositions
A selection of tricky dances in the Playford style.

Denise Devonald

Saturday 9.45-11.00: The American connection
A Living Tradition: 21st century Playford-style dances by female choreographers from the USA.

Sunday 9.45-11.00: A homegrown selection
A Living Tradition: 21st century Playford-style dances by some of our top English choreographers.

Dilyana Kurdova

Saturday 9.45-11
Saturday 14.00-15.15
Sunday 9.45-11
Sunday 11.30-12.45
Sunday 1545-17.00
Monday 9.45-11
Monday 11.30-12.45
The classes in Bulgarian and Greek folklore dances are open to both beginners and advanced students.  Dances will not be offered through the step-by-step method at first but rather by dancing and feeling how the different steps, figures, and rhythms — regular and irregular — interact with the bodies.  The circle is the basic scheme of the Balkan horo-dance.  Participants dance mainly hand-in-hand to the right (counter-clockwise), but also clockwise according to the purpose of the dance itself as a part of the ritual tradition of the region it belongs to.

Geoff Cubitt

Saturday 9.45-11.00: Grid Squares

Saturday 14.00-17.00: Dance-writing Competition
Come and dance some new contras and vote for your favourites.

Sunday 11.30-12.45: Square dance “Chorus Figures”

Sunday 15.45-17.00: “Anything goes”
Dances with an American flavour in different formations.

Monday 9.45-11.00: “It's all about the flow”
Contra dances with the emphasis on connectivity. as an introduction to this varied genre of dancing.  No partner required.

Gog Magog Molly

Saturday 15.45-17.00: Molly Dance workshop
Gog Magog will be teaching their distinctive high-energy take on Fenland molly dancing.  This is a particularly energetic dance style so trainers and loose-fitting clothes are recommended.

Liz Bartlett

Sunday 14.00-15.15: Jane Austen Dancing
Jane Austen (1775-1817) would have been dancing into the early 1800s, but what dance forms did that include?  We dance some, popular in the late Georgian era, and find out how they were impacted by the French Revolution: French Cotillions (with optional fancy footwork of the 1770s); Country Dances (of the 1790's paper fans, some set to new Waltz-time tunes); and an early Quadrille figure (Paine's 1st Set, c1815).  This is a standalone workshop, complemented by the next.

Sunday 15.45-17.00: Regency Dancing
1811 to 1820, a short but rich period in dancing, under the influence of the Napoleonic Wars with returning troops and visiting foreign dignitaries.  High society dancing moved from all-inclusive Country Dances to Couple Waltzing (face to face, scandal!) and the cliquey Quadrilles (direct from France, post-Waterloo).  We see just how Couple Waltzing gained acceptance, try out some of the new dance fads and finish with Duval's final figure of his 1817 Lancers Quadrille.

Louise Siddons

Saturday 11.30-12.45: English/Playford workshop
English folk dance is a living tradition, and in this workshop we'll explore dances from past to present in a variety of styles.  Come and enjoy lively dances in a variety of formations, accessible to all.

Saturday 17.00-???: Callers' Round
See separate page.

Saturday 15.45-17.00: English/Playford workshop
Don't just ask one person to dance, ask two!  Or four!  This workshop will explore dances from 1651 to today that are written for odd numbers of dancers.

Monday 11.30-12.45: Swing Dance workshop
Swing dancing is a wonderful way to explore and extend your non-verbal connection and communication skills, and in this introductory swing workshop we'll focus on improvisational triple-time swing skills that translate well to (and from!) other dance forms.  Suitable for complete beginners and an opportunity for more experienced dancers to spend some time refining their technique.

Maureen Knight

Sunday 14.00-15.15: Music with Maureen
Definitely not for people who are already proficient players!

Are you daunted by music sessions full of “proficient musicians” playing tunes quickly that you don't know, can't play by ear and can't read fast enough, or are you trying out a new instrument?  If so, come to a slow session of easy peasy familiar dance tunes for players like you!  Play what you can in a friendly, supportive session for a small number of people and enjoy talking about how to survive in a band!.

It would help Maureen plan if you could contact her in advance at You must enable JavaScript to see this email address. to say what instrument you're bringing and how many notes/chords you actually know!

Monday 9.45-11: Music with Maureen
Very definitely not for people who are already proficient players!

Another chance to play tunes from yesterday's slow session of easy peasy familiar dance tunes.  There may also be some 1:1 sessions by request.

Mike Courthold

Sunday 14:00-15:15: Tony Parkes' Favourites
A selection of the legendary Tony Parkes' favourite American Square dances, from his book “Square Dance Calling, An Old Art For A New Century” (2021).

Monday 09:45-11:00: English Allsorts
A selection of English-style dances by modern composers from both sides of “The Pond”.

Nicola Scott

Saturday 11.30-12.45: What makes Scottish dancing different?
An introduction to some of the steps, terminology and classic dances, with great tunes to dance to!  Open to all dancers, with or without previous Scottish dancing experience.

Saturday 14.00-15.15: Stepping it out
A deeper look at some of the steps used in Scottish Country Dancing, including travelling pas-de-basque, strathspey and Highland Schottische.  Open to all dancers, with or without previous Scottish dancing experience.

Sunday 9.45-11.00: Scottish Chestnuts
A chance to dance some of the earlier collected Scottish dances, which have become classics.   Nothing too complicated for this last session, just a great chance to dance!

Paula Evans

Saturday 15.30-17.00: Waulking the Selkie-folk — Songs from the Hebrides.
Waulking songs were traditionally sung by the women of the Islands to keep rhythm during the laborious process of 'fulling' or waulking cloth; this time was used to share news and stories, and to catch up with local gossip.  We'll balance this with a beautiful song to the Selkie-folk of the Hebridean sea.

Saturday 17.15-18.45: Balkan Folk Song — Narodna Muzika!
Great sound and fabulous rhythms: let's build up some rich harmonies and create some Balkan magic in the heart of Evesham!

Sunday 13.45-15.15: French- Canadian Folk Song/Songs from Quebec
Starting with a call and response clog dancing song we'll build up some glorious harmonies, all set to a strong drum rhythm.  Join in with foot-stamping and percussion if you feel so inclined, or just come and sing!

Sunday 15.30-17.00: Singing for Breton An Dro Folk Dance
The An Dro is the oldest and most widespread Breton dance, derived from Medieval carols.  Songs were originally sung by the dancers but we will sing to accompany the dancers this time!  Songs are bright and uplifting with a strong rhythmic pulse to support the movement.

All singing workshop sessions will be ably supported by singers from renowned local group 'Vocal High', creating up to four-part harmony, depending on workshop numbers.  No previous experience required, all levels of experience welcome, no sheet music (unless you'd like some!).  Workshops will be fun and inclusive — just bring yourself and get stuck in!  We will have the chance to perform the learned tunes at the festival.  All but the Hebridean workshop contain tunes to accompany dancing; the aim is to perform those during the appropriate dance workshops.

Rod Stradling

Saturday 15.45-17.00, Sunday 11.30-12.45: Music workshops
The workshops' title is Playing with Maggots.  They will include a selection of tunes with Maggot in their name ranging from pre-Playford to modern-day tunes.  You will need to read music but the workshop on Saturday leans towards diatonic-friendly music and the Sunday workshop is less friendly.  Contact Rod if you would like a copy of the music before the festival and let him know if you need transposed music.  Email You must enable JavaScript to see this email address.

Steve Earwicker & Nikki Muckle

Saturday 15.45-17.00: French workshop
Sunday 14.00-15.15: French workshop
Sunday 17.30-19.00: French Bal

Whether or not you have done any French dancing before, you are very welcome to our workshops looking at the wide variety of French dances — bourrées, schottisches, waltzes, mazurkas, and more!  We will also look at some simple Breton dances — including dancing to singing.  As well as teaching the basics, we will also look at style and variation in the dances — how to make a French dance look and feel French.  All this to the wonderful music by Doug Eunson & Sarah Matthews who will also be playing for the Bal on Sunday early evening — this is, of course, open to all, whether or not you came to the workshops.

---