EVENTS LISTED IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER WITH MOST RECENT AT TOP (though programs within an umbrella event box may be offered in chronological order)
Apologies that we've not yet uploaded photos for most events. Please enjoy the photos where we have added them and look forward to hundreds more photos being added in coming months.
16 December—The Christmas Carol Ball. Sing while you dance! Sat. 16 December, 7-11pm, at Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St., Kingston. Requests this year include: ‘The First Noel’, ‘Gaudete’, ‘Hail Happy Morn’, ‘Il est né le divin enfant’, ‘Jingle Bells’, ‘Silent Night’, 'Rudoph the Red-nosed Rheindeer', ‘12 Days of Christmas’ and ‘White Christmas’—and we’ll dance them all!—and as late additions we'll also dance to 'God Rest ye Merry, Gentlemen', 'Deck the Halls', and 'We wish you a Merry Christmas'. We’ll also dance the fabulous ‘New Christmas Eve’ from 1764, the beautiful 1730s-style longways dance that goes to Bach’s hymn ‘Wachet Auf’ (‘Sleepers awake’), and some special-meaning dances from different eras, including a jousting dance from c.1600, a minuet from c.1700, a new dance for us from c.1800 (‘The Comet’) and popular quadrille from c.1900 (‘The Fitzroy’s’). We’ll also lead the Lost Dance ‘Snowball Slalom’, display the most amazing Mazurka medley we’ve ever attempted, and get everyone into some Dickensian-era dance games! Do invite family and friends along. Spring-into-Summer Dance Classes Saturday-afternoons (3-5:30pm) at our home studio in Yarralumla. 4 ‘Spring-into-Summer’ sessions spaced fortnightly on 28 Oct, 11 Nov, 25 Nov. and 9 Dec., giving us 2 classes before each ball. Cost just $60, $50 student – with $5 discount if pre-paying at this Saturday’s ball. 18 November—late-Victorian era 'Mad Hatters Ball' (1850-1900) Allan's Reference Guide to the Ballroom, 1890: 'What place is so proper as the ball-room to see the fashions and manners of the times ... to see grace without riot, air and dignity without haughtiness, and freedom without levity'. As it will be Sally Taylor’s last ball with us this year, we are programming no less than 5 wonderful late piano-perfect 19th century quadrilles—
3 of the above were known to have been enjoyed in 19th century Australia!
In between we will:
After the success last month of our end-of-evening 1820s cotillon dance games, we might round out this coming evening with as many 1830s-1870s cotillon dance games—including ones with chairs and blindfolds that always get people laughing.
21 October—Romantic era (1800-1850) Jane Austen: "....when the felicities of rapid motion have once been, though slightly, felt—it must be a very heavy set that does not ask for more" Our ‘Romantic-era ball’ will feature dances from 1800-1850 (except for a few English country dances from earlier that John has newly reconstructed and keen to share. Indeed, every thing on the program is new and exciting. Program will include (not in this exact order).
16 September: Georgian / Beauty & Beast theme Ball 7-11pm, Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St. Kingston (Not in strict order) From the early 18th century: Mr Isaac’s Maggot Great Turk Portsmouth Le Blonde à quatre Le Cordon Bleu Branle de Borge & La Cassandre Le Passepied à quatre Masquerade Royal New Round O Display of: Bourrée d’Achille & Mr Caverley’s Minuet From the late 18th century: Daniel Cowper (late 18th century version) Lord Nelson’s Waltz La Réverbère Other dances: Collinet’s La Grandpère (a Großvater dance) Le Rond de Rocha(t) Zorn’s Quadrille Classique final figure. Sweet Bunch of Daisies waltz mixer Dashing Dragoon (Court 15) 19 August: Cavalier Ball 7-11pm at Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St., Kingston Molière: "All the ills of mankind, all the tragic misfortunes that fill the history books, all the political blunders, all the failures of the great leader have arisen merely from a lack of skill at dancing". Alta Carretta A Health to Betty An Old Man is a bed full of bones So Ben Mi Chi Ha Buon Tempo La Caccia dAmore Caching of Quails Argeers Confesse Boat-man Lansdowne no.4 Bartlett House Scotch Measure The Last of Twenty Cushion Dance SUPPER BREAK The Masque of the Seasons Well Hall La Sissone and Les Tricotets The Alberts Quadrille (1890s Australian dance manual version to Kendall’s Kalgoorlie suite) Daring Damsel, to Court 15 Mazurka medley to Court 2. Special: Jane Austen Bicentennial dance workshop Monday 17 July, 6-7:30pm at Woden Library 15 July :MID-WINTER RENAISSANCE BALL 7-11pm at Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St., Kingston. Promotion: Join us Saturday week as we kick off our 5 ball-time traveler series with a Renaissance ball. · From the 15th century we’ve chosen lots of playful 3-person dances—‘Vita di Colino’, ‘Gioioso’, ‘Voltati in ca Rosina’ and Ingrata (‘The ungrateful one’- a repeat from last month) where two dancers compete for the attention of the middle dancer. We’ll also lead the couples dance called ‘Angeloso’, that together with ‘Rostiboli Gioioso’ were so popular that they lasted into the 16th century and develop ornamented (fiorito) versions that we’ll show. Stand back at some stage for a display of Tesara, a spectacular scarf dance for 10 dancers! · From the 16th century will have lots of figures from the longways country-dance-like ‘Chiaranzana’, ‘Catena d’Amore’ and ‘Caccia d’Amore’. Continuing our theme of 3-person dances we’ll also show a ‘Spagnoletta’ for 3 and snowball everyone into a double-partner ‘Ballo del Fiore’ (‘The Flowers dance’—the hardest bit being deciding who to give the flower to and who to kiss). We’ll go to France for some circle dances—in addition to re-dancing ‘Branle de Charlotte’ and ‘Aridan’ from last month, we’ll dance the branles ‘Cassandre’, ‘Pinagay’, ‘de la Guerre’ and ‘de Bretaigne’. · We’ll get everyone improvising kicking in the Galliard—the big couples dance of the renaissance. We’ll enjoy it in the ‘Piantone’ mixer, in our ‘Galliard dating’ dance and in the fun self-eliminating ‘Egg dance’ (a must!) If you’ve been to some classes in the last few weeks you might also want to come out for an uncalled flamenco-like ‘Canario’, and the ballet ‘Bassa Toscana’ that we’ve taught the Saturday group and ‘Bellezze Olympia’ that we’ve taught the Wednesday group. · After the supper, we’ll branch off into later material—the fabulous Polo quadrille, a polka and mazurka, plus some Bordonian lost dance… including the really fun ‘Ariadne’s Thread’ that we haven’t done at a ball for nearly 10 years! PLEASE bring friends and family along as they will be able to join in dancing nearly everything, and our JAFA friends from outside Canberra will also be welcome if they can make it. Please bring a contribution for the supper table. Program actually danced: Vita di Colino (I) for 3Angeloso Rostiboli for 3 or Fiorito Voltati in ca Rosina (I)- for 3 Ingrata (I) for 3) Display: Tesara for 10 Medley of Chiaranzana /Catena BREAK Display: Canario Ballo del Fiore (2) for 3. Branles - cut Cassandre / Pinagay Branles - mixed: Charlotte / Branle de la Guerre/ Aridan Display: Belleze d’Olympia Bassa Toscana Branle de Bretaigne Galliard dating (OD) Piantone (Galliard mixer) SUPPER BREAK Display: Spagnoletta nuova - for 3 Egg dance: Galliard - Basic ones Le Polo (X) - Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 Polka (VIII) / Coquette (3) (X) Birthday Treat (Country 8) Mazurka Medley— Boots&Blades (Aut 14), Blackforest (Vill 5), Askance Romance (Town 13) and Conjuring L’Amour (Cntry 12) to Village 5 17 June—The Time-Capsule Ball—from the dawn of dance to Edwardian times! Friends and family all welcome aboard our time-machine—eat dinner early so you can be at the hall to all board by 7pm, and please bring a pot-luck supper contribution. Great dances led for all! We’ll land first in Northern Italy c.1450 playing hard-to-get in a dance called ‘Ingrata’ (the ungracious one) and capturing each other with a dance called ‘Prigionera’ (‘The prisoner’) - two fun dances by Domenico da Piacenza who left us the worlds earliest surviving dance manual. We’ll then have an uncalled ‘Castelana’, a beautiful bassadanza (‘low dance’) from a c.1500 Giorgio (Guglielmo Ebreo) manuscript. Off to France for two circle branles, Charlotte & Aridan, from Arbeau’s 1589 Orchesography. Back to Italy for some two-on-one jousting (and they use the Italian word for joust in the instructions) with Fabritio Caroso’s Squilina cascarda, published 1581, and then an called ballet illustrating all the most popular rhythms of the c.1600 Italian ballroom with Caroso’s Forza d’Amore (‘All power to lover’). Over to England for what ‘Parson’s Farewell’ from John Playford’s 1651 ‘English Dancing Master’—followed by the French dance that we now know inspired it, Antoine Emerauld’s c. 1610 Bourrée in six parts—it will feel like a proto-Congo minuet, one of the hits of our recent JAFA! Travelling another 50 years on let’s enjoy a longways English country dance to one of that repertoires most beautiful, the c. 1700 ‘The Punch bowl’. Jumping forward to c.1800 let’s sample the Irish influence on English country dance with ‘Drops of Brandy’ and a French square set cotillion that went to the tune from which the Downfall of Paris may have been derived, ‘Carrillon National’. Come the 1820s the newly fashionable quadrille was being crossed with the still beloved country dance to give rise to ‘Quadrille Country Dances’. To familiar quadrille tunes let’s dance longways versions of ‘Le Pantalon’, ‘La Poule’ and ‘Les Lanciers’ courtesy of the Lowe brothers manual from Scotland. To the 1850s and the fabulous ‘Prince Imperial’ quadrille devised by Parisian dancing masters but lasting longer in Australia than in France, and a free uncalled Esmeralda / Coquette polka—a simple polka sequence that was again invented in Paris but lived on till the end of the century in Australia and is simply to catch onto. With Sally back we’ll take the opportunity to enjoy another full-piano score quadrille, Francois Paul c.1880 ‘Le Polo’, a dance with a very modern feel which spread quickly from France to Scotland, America and Australia and is in the 9th edition of Mrs Read’s Sydney c.1884 Ball Room Guide. We’ll use some great music written for it in America. We’ll finish with Lost Bordonian dances, discovered only in the late 1900s, ‘Birthday Treat’ a waltz for 4 couples, ‘The Giant’s Backbone’, a longways set for 8 couples and ‘Courtly Acrostic, a matrix dance for 18 couples! Program actually danced: Chastelana (I) The Punch bowl (V) SAT. 27 May — END OF MONTH DANCE for MONARO FOLK MUSIC SOCIETY with focus Lost Dances Collection 8-11:30pm Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St., Kingston.
Dizzy Mixer (P) Spring 3 Yarraluma Rumba Spring 7 Indoor Games (P) Spring 16 Lotsi's Spell Spring 11 The Clap Waltz (P) Spring 14 Long way Home Summer 1 Giddy Promenade Summer 6 Devil’s Mill Summer 9 The Palindrome (P) Summer13 Battering Ram Autumn 7 Reconciliation Reel Winter 12 Tangled Web Winter 13 The Druid's Ring Winter 15 Cinderella Waltz Contra Village 8 Alcuin’s Contra Town 16 La Va Melangé (P) Court 9 to Town 11 Contra Quintain Town 8 Country Bumpkin REELS Free Waltz Country 8 SAT. 20 May — BORDONIAN BALL 7-11pm Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St., Kingston. (see below for dozens of photos courtesy of Ashby) 7-11pm Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St., Kingston. Dances from Renaissance to Victorian era. (in collection, not dance,order) Dizzy Mixer Spring 3 ![]() ![]() Videos taken by Steve Bittinger THURSDAY 20 APRIL 2017
3-eras-in-one-day dance preview
at Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St. Kingston For novices and experienced dancers alike to enjoy building skills and exploring steps, figures and repertoire ahead of the festival proper at the Albert Hall (see below). While sewers use some rooms in this lovely venue for pre- Festival costuming workshops, John will teach dancing in the main hall. He’ll cater for all levels and devote 9:15-10:30 to the Georgian era, 11:00-12:30 to the Napoleonic era, 1:30-3:00 to the late-Regency/early Victorian-era and 3:30-5:00 to revision, extension & possible display review (a role for all!).
FRIDAY 21, SATURDAY 22 & SUNDAY 23 APRIL 2017
3 days of workshops & 3 evening balls
at the ALBERT HALL, Canberra.
3 days & nights of Georgian, Regency & early Victorian dancing heaven! Every JAFA we follow inspirations on different ways we might not only explore more deeply the culture of Jane Austen’s England but also set it in a broader context. This year’s dance program, in addition to offering dozens of dances drawn from period English sources, will feature on Friday Georgian-era dances from France, Austria, Spain and the Caribbean, on Saturday Napoleonic-era dances from Italy, Germany, France and Scotland (the latter including one danced at a pioneer’s party in New South Wales), and on Sunday early-Victorian-era dances popular across Europe, some to tune suite’s with Australian connections. Then, as now, the world was interconnected. Most of the dances have multiple geographic origins—an Austrian impression of an English dance; an English record of a French version of a Polish dance; German impressions of Scottish dance reimported to England; and a dance invented in France, published in Scotland, set to a suite specially written in England for a Waverley ball. Many dances are also of mixed social origin—a French folk dance, La Batteuse, that became a favourite of the London regency aristocracy; an African slave’s impression of a Caribbean plantation-owner’s version of a European ballroom standard that French and American dancing masters had re-enter the European ballroom as the Congo minuet. We will also enjoy, just as they did in Jane Austen’s day, participatory dancing to music by famous composers as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert.
Friday 21 April — Georgian Era Dancing featuring dances for the 18th century into which Austen was born. GEORGIAN DANCE SCHOOL (dances for the evening ball) 9:00-10:30 The Georgian-era longways country dance (Jamaica, Comical Fellow, Marset’s no.1, Pistolet, La Coquette). 11:00-12:30 The Cotillion that in Austen’s youth spread from France to England (La Boheimienne, Jeu des quatres coins, Marset’s no.2, Pontlevoy) 1:30-3:00 Austen meets Mozart—the English country dance craze in Germany, Austria & beyond (Blessmann’s no.1&2, Link’s no.2&4, Wachet Auf). 3:45-5:15 Improvised dances—including the arm-interlacing allemande, Perigordine and thrilling Congo minuet. GEORGIAN PLEASURES EVENING 7:00 - 7:30 Arrival, uncalled minuets à deux and à quatre, and welcome Jamaica /Bonne Amité to signature tune called by JGG 8:30 - 9:00 Refreshment Break & Impro Theatre (ImproACT) Display of Les Contrefaiseurs, St.Martin’s Lane and Les Manches Vertes 10:00 - 10:30 Supper Break Display of Pecour’s L’Allemande then free allemande 11:30 End of evening. Saturday 22 April — Regency Era Dancing featuring dances from the period of Jane Austen’s novels REGENCY DANCE SCHOOL (dances for the evening ball) 8:30-10:00 The Austen-era country dance—longways dances for the evening 11:00-12:30 Square & big sets—including the Prince of Wales’ Cotillion, Regency London favourite La Batteuse, and Battle of Waterloo. 1:30-3:00 Scottish-inspired dances—in England and in contemporary 3:30 -5:00 The waltz and mazurka—two couples dances that were to invade ballrooms everywhere (Waltz and Mazurka variants, Wechsel-Waltzer, Mazurka Cotillion, Peterson’s no.9, Keraus). THE GRAND NAPOLEONIC BALL 7:00 - 7:30 Arrival display of Menuet de la Cour & Minuet Waltz Grand March to Schubert’s ‘Marche Miltaire’ led by JGG 8:30 - 9:00 Refreshment Break & Impro Theatre (ImproMafia) Uncalled mazurka cotillion to Hart’s mazurka suite, led by JGG 10:00 - 10:30 Supper Break Free waltz to JGG’s ‘Whirl of Memories’ set (LD Court 16) 11:30 End of evening Sunday 23 April — Romantic-era Dance featuring dances from the decades immediately following Austen’s death ROMANTIC-ERA DANCE SCHOOL (dances for the evening ball) 9:15-10:30 New hybrid dances—some popular dances of 1820s-40s, (the Swedish, Contre-& Kreuz Ecossaise, Conversation, La Triolet & Tempête) 11:00-12:30 New couples dances—basic polka & galop, Spanish Waltz, Fan & Scarf cotillion, Wind-up Galop 2:00-3:30 The Quadrille—including Mundy’s 1st set, a Sixdrille from Scotland and French galopade quadrille. THE WAVERLEY (FANCY-DRESS) BALL 6:00 - 6:30 Start to gather for... 6:30 - 7:00 Darcy’s Cold Buffet Free waltz or display of JGG’s Hands off medley to Lost Dance Village 10 8:00 - 8:15 Refreshment Break Display JGG’s Barbarous Elegance mazurka medley to Town 4 9:15 - 9:30 Dessert Break Free polka or display of JGG’s Grapevine Polka medley to LD Village 3 10:30 End of Ball and Festival Farewell
SAT. 18 MARCH — AUTUMN FROLIC (BALL)
7-11pm Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St., Kingston.
Dances from Renaissance to Victorian era.
Rostiboli Gioioso SUN.5 MARCH — NATIONAL GALLERY VERSAILLES STAGE SHOW
Fairfax Theatre, 2:00-4:30pm—‘Participatory Journey through the social dance of Versailles’,
100 years of French courtly dance. Costumed displays & audience join-ins.
Sun. 26 February —National Gallery’s Versailles displays La Gillotte. Menuet à deux / Menuet à quatre Les Manches Vertes / Les Galleries d’Amour. La Matelotte Le Pistolet / La Bonne Amité La Bourgogne Menuet de la Rhein. La Bacchante St.Martin’s Lane / Les Contrefaiseurs (‘The Imitators’). La Coquette La Chasse. Pécour’s L’Allemande / free-style Allemandes were being enjoyed all over Europe. La Gavotte du Roy, Le Cotillon, Le Cotillon de Surenne, and La Bohaimiene Jeu des quatres coins. Le Pontlevoy Menuet de la Cour / Menuet -Waltz. Le Perigordine La Galopade Farandole SAT. 18 FEBRUARY — VALENTINE’S DAY VERSAILLES BALL Blessmann's Englischer Tanz nr.1 Blessmann's Englischer Tanz nr.1 Marset's no.1 / The Baulk (2) La Gillotte. Menuet à deux / Menuet à quatre Les Manches Vertes / Les Galleries d’Amour. Le Pistolet / La Bonne Amité La Bourgogne Menuet de la Rhein. La Bacchante La Matelotte St.Martin’s Lane / Les Contrefaiseurs (‘The Imitators’). La Coquette La Chasse. Pécour’s L’Allemande / free-style Allemandes were being enjoyed all over Europe. La Gavotte du Roy, Le Cotillon, Le Cotillon de Surenne, and La Bohaimiene Jeu des quatres coins. Le Pontlevoy Menuet de la Cour / Menuet -Waltz. Le Perigordine La Galopade Marset's no.2 Petersen's Englischer Tanz no.9 La Windsor Les Galleries d’Amour- reprise. Sat. 11 February —National Gallery’s Versailles show Performance of 17th & 18th century French court dance with audience participation in foyer 11:30am-2:00pm La Gillotte. Menuet à deux / Menuet à quatre Les Manches Vertes / Les Galleries d’Amour. Le Pistolet / La Bonne Amité La Bourgogne Menuet de la Rhein. La Bacchante La Matelotte St.Martin’s Lane / Les Contrefaiseurs (‘The Imitators’). La Coquette La Chasse. Pécour’s L’Allemande / free-style Allemandes were being enjoyed all over Europe. La Gavotte du Roy, Le Cotillon, Le Cotillon de Surenne, and La Bohaimiene Jeu des quatres coins. Menuet de la Cour / Menuet -Waltz. Le Perigordine La Galopade ![]() start Thur. 16 February — 8 week ‘Historical dancing’ course
Thursdays 7:00-9:00pm, Active Leisure Centre, Erindale $140 Download the enrolment form and send it to enquiries@erindalecep.com.au start Mon. 6 February — 8 week ‘Jane Austen Era Dancing’ course
Thur. 26 January — National Museum’s ‘A World of History & Culture’ festival
11:10-11:30am, costumed performance of 1840s dance with audience participation.
Wind-up Galop (in Odd Delights) – to its signature tune– just x 2 for an opening then into…. Waltz medley - Alexandrina Waltz (Town 9), Hands off Waltz (Village 10) Even Handed Ländler (Vill 12), I wonder as I wander (CCDB) – all to the Village 10 set but with each tune/dance played just x 1 and back to first tune x1, then form one square set of 4, 6 or 8 couples for….
Galopade Quadrille –to ‘the can-can’ music' there offered – just x 3 - figure 1) W in M in All W chain 2) gallop back-to-back, 3) gallop through opposites
For participation:
Spanish Waltz (2) in Vol. VIII- to music there offered.
Swedish Dance (1a) - ranks of 1 man between 2 women – to the tune for La Poule (1) in Volume VII played ABCC x n
medley of Fan to Autumn 3 (Secret Liaison Waltz set- x1 on ea. tune then x1 first tune) and Scarf cotillions to ‘Queen of the Ball’ |
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