Wednesday, December 13, 2006

THE DANCING FESTIVAL

SHREWSBURY FOLK FESTIVAL
the Dancing Festival

If music connects directly with our emotions then dance must be the natural response which allows us to demonstrate what we are feeling. Dancing is inevitable when humans hear music; the joy of physically reacting to music is primeval. That movement to music is common in every culture, a language which is universal. This has developed strong traditions throughout the world and none more so than English folk music and that of its Celtic neighbours.

The Shrewsbury folk festival organisers now have a site big enough to put more concentration on developing both social and ritual dance. We wish to provide opportunities for both the experienced and beginners to dance under the best possible circumstances.

As part of that development a much larger dance marquee will be in evidence at the 2007 festival. The dance floor will be three times the size of its 2006 predecessor, at a little over 500 sq metres, and the area around the dance floor will be carpeted to help remove moisture from shoes, making the dance floor less slippery.

The programme is not yet available but there will be evening ceilidhs each night and lunch time ceilidhs Saturday, Sunday and Monday. There will be a family ceilidh and several opportunities to learn and perform European dances.

Ceilidh Bands

STEAMCHICKEN caller Fee Lock
ALL BLACKED UP caller Baz Parkes
TOKEN WOMEN
ENGLISH REBELLION caller Pete Coe
CYSER
THIS WAY UP caller Sheila Mainwaring
422 family ceilidh
All ceilidhs will have dance displays.

Dance Displays
On Site -
The new dance boards will be used again under the canopy we used last year. (see right)


Off site -
Our dance teams will also be dancing at various places in Shrewsbury town centre.

Dance Teams

Eynsham Morris
Hobos Morris
Ouse Washes Molly
Ironmen and Severn Gilders
Ryburn 3 Step
Dan Eccles and Jake Jones
Stroud School of Samba
Golden Star Morris
Stroud Morris Dancers
One Step Beyond
Kickin’ Alice
Mortimers Morris