People Dancing

Expand your knowledge of folk dances to enhance your toolbox of dance stimuli, build a shared sense of place, and discover the joys of moving together in sociable dancing!

Led by folk dance artist Kerry Fletcher with musician, Oli Matthews, this one-day workshop, presented in partnership with the English Folk Dance and Song Society, is based on social folk dancing (known as ceilidh*, country, or barn dancing), for practitioners who want to incorporate this joyful and highly adaptable form into their teaching and facilitation with people of varied ages, abilities, backgrounds and settings.

Topics include:

• Structure and creativity
• Figures, formations and conventions
• Gender-free calling and terminology
• Adapting dances for disabled dancers
• Adapting dances for odd numbers
• Approaching folk dance as part of the school curriculum
• Working with music, both live and recorded - phrasing, rhythm and tempo
• Exploring connections with diverse folk dance traditions.

Leave the day feeling energised and inspired, and with a list of online resources.

* Ceilidh (pronounced ‘kay-lee’) is one form of social folk dance. It has a common repertoire across England, Scotland and Ireland, and in Wales is called ‘Twmpath’.

By attending this workshop, you will gain:

• Practical knowledge of a common repertoire of social folk dances
• Good practice in teaching social folk dance in schools and community settings
• Skills to create and adapt dances for varied ages, abilities, and settings
• Understanding about the intrinsic partnership between folk dance and folk music.

This joyful workshop is suitable for practitioners in any dance form and working in any context wishing to gain new skills for their dance toolbox.

Workshop leader: Kerry Fletcher

Kerry trained as a community folk dance artist, working in a wide range of settings with people from a variety of backgrounds and ages. She is the Co-ordinator of the English Folk Dance and Song Society’s (EFDSS) national Folk Education Network, established in 2011 to encourage high quality practice in folk arts education. She has been delivering dance projects and training workshops with EFDSS for 15 years and is a proud recipient of their esteemed Gold Badge for her ‘outstanding services to folk dance and wider folk arts.’

Kerry is also Co-Artistic Director of Folk Dance Remixed, with Natasha Khamjani. Working in the great outdoors, their trailblazing work creates a sense of joy and connection through performance and participation. Their innovative fusion of traditional folk with contemporary hip hop dance styles and live music, brings people together from across generations and cultures.

Kerry also runs her own classes and is in high demand teaching and calling at events, festivals, clubs and other community settings up and down the country. She is particularly keen to inspire and encourage new people to the delights of English folk! 

Image credit: © Kerry Fletcher.

Workshop musician: Oli Matthews

Oli is a Midlands based musician and composer trained in jazz, folk and classical genres. He is a saxophonist, melodeon player, clarinettist, percussionist, deeply rooted in the folk and jazz scene playing with bands such as Cupola, Steamchicken, David Gibb Big Band and now founding the Oli Matthews Band in defining the cross-genre style of Folk Funk Compositions. His latest EP ‘Summit’, highlights mix of musical styles, blending folk melodies with jazz funk grooves.

Oli has a wealth of experience in playing for dancing, having been a morris dancer all his life and having played with many top ceilidh bands in the country. He has toured worldwide with a range of top artists as well as writing new compositions played by the likes of Paul Sartin, Rob Harbron and Karen Tweed.

Oli’s personal career highlights include festival performances at Glastonbury festival and worldwide tours across Canada and Europe, drawing his inspiration from Snarky Puppy, James Brown, Bellowhead and Salsa Celtica, in order to develop his unique sound.

Image credit: © Oli Matthews.