Stages folk en traditionele dans met Elena

 * * *  Vertaling volgt !  * * *

(you can find my workshop offer as .pdf at the end of this page)

Level of difficulty

My workshops are aimed at dancers of different levels:

(*) = Absolute Beginners
(**) = Medium level dancers wishing to expand their repertoire or go deeper in a (type of) dance
(***) = Advanced dancers looking for specific tools, or wanting to (re)discover / explore a specific dance repertoires

(The use of several stars - for example * / ** - means this workshop can be opened to several types of public at the same time without causing progression problems to some, or frustration or others)

Whatever the subject, I will combine learning or going deeper in a repertoire, dancing technique, the relationship between music and dance, and pleasure. If the number of participants allows it, dancers will receive individual feedback and corrections.

Topics (and level)

"General" Folk

• Introduction do dances of the folk ball (*)
• Musicality: various subjects for dancers of various levels. Quite flexible depending on the length of the workshop.
• Mixers: a selection of easy, intermediate and difficult mixers from different origins

Couple dances

• Scottish: basics (*), figures (**), rhythmic variations (**/***)
• Latin variations for the scottish (**/***) (= techniques and figures borrowed from Latin American dances)
• Mazurka: basics (*), figures (**), rhythmic variations (**/***), irregular mazurkas (**/***)
• Waltz: basics (*/**), figures (**/***), rhythmic variations (**/***)
• Irregular waltzes (**/***)  (understanding the music, basic steps, variations)
• Irregular rhythms all over! (**/***) (Irregular mazurka, scottish impaire, irregular waltzes, mazurka-waltz ... & variations)
• A mix or selection between some of these themes, according to the needs of participants / organizer

The Waltz (3 t)

• Workshop "The waltz of yesterday and today" - a journey through the waltz from Vienna to today. (** / ***)
  This workshop is suitable for a weekend or a longer period of time. In a long format, I can include irregular waltzes. It can also be taught in one day, the content will then be chosen with & adapted to the public.

Bourrées

As often as possible, I go to France, to train with masters such as Hughes Rivière and Bernard Coclet (Berry-Bourbonnais), in Les Brayauds training centre (Auvergne), with Gilles Lauprêtre (Berry & Limousin)... Bourrées are one of my favourite subjects.

• Introduction: the different types of bourrée (2t and 3t Berry-Bourbonnais, Auvergne, Poitou, Limousin ...) (** / ***)
  (This can be seen as preamble to a specific workshop, or as a workshop in itself)
   
• Bourrées droites :
  • Discovery (*/**)
  • Going further, specific techniques, working on style (**/***)
  • Choreographies for bourrées droites (2 or 3 t) – medium difficulty (**) or higher difficulty (***)
     
• Bourrée auvergnate:
  • Discovery (*/**)
  • Going further, specific techniques, working on style (**/***)
  • Going even further, various forms of the dance, frappés … (***)
  • Collective bourrées auvergnates (**/***)  (This will usually be included in the preceding themes)

Enhancing general dancing skills - sensory and physical development

• Interior dynamics (*/**/***)
• Couple dynamics (*/**/***)
• Dynamics of the group and the dance floor (*/**/***)

These three workshops are intended for dancers of all levels - beginners to advanced. Indeed, these are topics & exercises a dancer can approach, and repeat at any time in their development. The first part (internal dynamics) has lots of exercises on the floor. They can be seen independently or as three parts of the same workshop (minimum 2 days).

Regional dances & other repertoires

• Sud-Ouest : basic steps and rondeau en couple (*/**)
• Sud-Ouest : rondeau en couple & variations ; ronde du Quercy ; rondeau en chaîne & variations (**/***)

Dances of the bal musette

This can be a short one (2h) which will cover only valse musette, java and 1 - 2 other dances; or else as a full day workshop with more dances, techniques and variations.
I also have a project together with a live musette orchestra. We can teach the dances, play for a ball, perform a show (music, songs & dance), or a combination of all of this.