Eastbourne Central

Barn Folk and Country Dancing

Venue: St. John's Parish Hall Meads Street in the Meads
Wednesdays 1.45 – 4pm, Sept 6, 13, 20, 27
Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Starting on Wednesday 6th September we are running a 4 week introduction to Barn, Folk and Country Dancing for those who would like to try us out but have never done these forms of dancing before or who have, but in the mists of time! The course will explain the more popular steps (and dances) before trying them out to music. Our more experienced dancers will be there to provide guidance and help when needed. From October we will be dancing 7 dances a session (with one new to everybody) mainly from the UK but some from Europe, the USA, Ireland and elsewhere.
In case you are wondering the original English Folk Dances were those dances originated and danced by the ordinary people and trades-folk at such times as weddings, harvests, christenings and other celebrations. The origins of this form of dancing are thought to date back to the 8th century.

Country Dances are more recent and were those dances performed by the more entitled e.g. local landowners, nobility, courtiers and generally speaking were quite formalised. However, although we know they were being used in Elizabethan times and before, they were not published until 1650 (by John Playford), but even then dancers were expected to know off by heart how to do each dance before a Ball and so they had to go and be taught by ‘Dance Masters’. An example of these dances can be seen in the film of ‘Pride and Prejudice’.

Barn Dancing? All the above and other forms of social dancing e.g. square.
In all cases we don't attempt to learn and remember these dances but just walk them through and dance them with a little prompting from the ‘caller’.
The focus is on enjoyment.
Doctors do say that the best exercise of all is dancing for mental as well as physical health so why not come and join us.
The cost for new members is only £3 a session attended for the Autumn sessions and then £2 for the Spring sessions which carry on up to Easter and maybe to the end of April. Previous members who attended 2022/23 come for £2.

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More Group Pages
Aspects of Science group 1 Aspects of Science Group 2
ÇA SE DISCUTE’ Barn Folk and Country Dancing
Bridge British Ceramics 1750-1850
Coffee Morning Contemporary Poetry
Crafts Creative writing
Current Affairs Decorative painting
Easy Outings In the News
Local History Military History
Music Appreciation Opera group 3
Opera Monday Group Opera Tuesday Group
Photography Scrabble group 1
Scrabble group 2 Shakespeare 2
Shakespeare group Socrates Cafe
Stroll and Chat Summer Outdoor Painting
Tap Dance Group The English Novel 1800-1950
WW2 Social History (Europe)