Hi, my name is Andrew and I teach balfolk dances sometimes. I’ve been dancing balfolk since 2013, and other partner dances since 2010.
I like a variety of dances, but I’m especially interested in improvised social partner dances, and I like to steal elements of other dances to mix in with my balfolk. I also like to find common elements and techniques that can be applied across dance styles.
I can offer the following workshops. If there’s another topic you’re interested in please get in touch and I’ll see what I can do.
These are generally aimed at intermediate dancers, or fast beginners with experience of other dance styles. Some can also be adapted to be more beginner-friendly.
This workshop will explore a series of exercises to help you be aware of your own body, connect with the music and a partner, and lead and follow a variety of movement. We’ll then apply what you have learnt to some of the partnered dances common in balfolk such as schottische and mazurka.
Some previous dance experience is helpful but not required, and no familiarity with balfolk is assumed. While we will be working mostly in the context of balfolk, the principles are relevant to almost any partnered dance (swing, blues, salsa, even contra). This workshop will be taught ‘switch’: everyone will learn to both lead and follow. It should be useful for everyone from beginners to experts, either way there’ll be something for you to get out of it.
What is a waltz? We’ll look at the differences between three different styles of waltz (American folk waltz / rotary waltz, balfolk waltz and Swedish waltz), and how differences in the music lead to difference in pulse, frame, movement and connection.
This workshop is most helpful for people who know at least one kind of waltz already, and want to learn more about different ways to waltz.
An introduction to balfolk waltzes, regular and irregular. We’ll start by getting the basics of a regular 3-time waltz, talking about how a typical balfolk style of waltz differs from other kinds of waltz, and then see how far we can get with irregular waltzes in 5, 8 or even 11.
Wear smooth-soled shoes that you can turn easily in. You don’t need to know how to waltz to take this workshop, but familiarity with connection in some kind of partner dance is helpful.
You know the basic steps of some balfolk dances, now what? Balfolk is all about improvisation, so let’s add some variations to your toolbox. We’ll look at four dimensions of variation: direction, rhythm, weight and style.
Before taking this workshop you should be comfortable leading and following schottische, waltz and mazurka.
These are all suitable for people with no prior experience of the various dances, but should also be useful for those who have come across them before to improve their technique.
We’ll talk about the typical pulse and rhythm of a 2-time bourrée, the basic movement and how to change the steps to give more energy and drive to the dance. We’ll use eye contact with our partner to match energy, pulse and size of our steps, and then explore some simple variations to make the dance more interesting.
We’ll learn the basic steps of a balfolk schottische along with some tips for leading and following. We’ll then learn some common figures to add variety to the dance.
Rondeau in couple is danced not just with a partner but with the whole room of people. We’ll introduce the basic rondeau step, with its characteristic pulse and drive, and then find out how to connect with the rest of the room. If times permits we’ll also cover a few common variations.
We’ll learn the simple basic step of this dance and see how it fits together with the characteristic arm movements. We’ll make sure we have a good comfortable and relaxed connection, and see how much fun it can be when we dance with energy and speed.
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