21 December our annual CHRISTMAS CAROL BALL Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St., Kingston, 4pm-9.30pm A magical afternoon and evening just a few night before Christmas (when everyone's seasonal panic will be over and we can enjoy some end of year fun and friendship. There will be lots of great live music, lively dancing and a potluck dinner and dessert break (big thanks to every who filled the feast tables at our recent Renaissance ball on the same format). We'll have the lyrics written out so you can bring friends and family members who might not dance but love to sing! We'll be having participants take turn to spin our colourful wheel to see which of the following requests (most not done for 4 more years) we'll do when: From the Christmas Carol Dance Book Angels from the realms of glory Angelus ad Virginem Coventry Carol Deck the Halls Gaudete Good King Wenceslas Gower Wassail Here we come a-Caroling Little Drummer Boy O Come, All ye Faithful O Tannenbaum ('O Christmas Tree') On Christmas Night Past Three o’clock Patapatapan Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer Santa Clause is coming to Town The Rocking Carol Medley of Silent Night / Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day / We Three Kings / We wish you a Merry Christmas- for the debut of Hover ball Waltz Futsal! While Shepherd Watch the Flocks at Night 12 Days of Christmas- for my new ‘12 Dances of Christmas’ mescolanze!
Also on the menu are: White Christmas Ang Pasko ay sumapit / Christmas is here (A famous Filipinno carol) The 16th century 'Chiara Stella' for my new 'Bright Star' A Swedish Christmas carol medley for my ‘Holiday Holubiec’ mazurka Walking in the Air – that has become a very popular Finish Christmas carol and to which I've written a new dance. Take your snowman's hand and get ready to fly. Here is a collage of photos by Ashby G-G, followed by the event poster. ![]() Sat. 16 November RENAISSANCE FEAST & BALL Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St., Kingston, 4:00-9:30pm. For our RENAISSANCE BALL, joining Earthly Delights players (Sally on piano, Ian on mandola, Peter on guitar, John on hurdy-gurdy, and ancient bagpipes etc) will be 3 members of Recordare (Mark, Naomi and Angela) on a wondrous range of wind instruments - including recorders and cornettos. Post event: John (and guest leader Katherine Tammaro ) led the following dances: 1st bracket of dance 4:00-5:15 From the 15th century French-style bassedances in
Italian sources Bassa Franzesse and Beauté di Castille, Refreshment 5:15-5:30 with display of Mirror Measure to Hieronymous Bosch’s tune 2nd bracket of dance 5:30-6:30 From the late 16th century and French
everyone-in-a-circle medley Branle de double, single, gai & Bourgogne, then Cassandra, de
la guerre and Aridan- then the Gavotte to kick and kiss
your way off-with guest leader Katherine Tammaro Dinner break 6:30-7:15 with group photo & uncalled Florido Giglio (Caroso in 1581 ) 3rd bracket of dance 7:15-8:15 From the 17th century the fun English country dances a new branle to a popular period tune Branle de Montirande- with guest leader Katherine Tammaro Desert break 8:15-8:30 with uncalled Passo e mezzo 4th bracket of dance 8:30-9:30. Circle for 4 cpls Madge on
a Cree, 19 October - Steampunk Victoriana Fair. Join in on the display plus participatory live-music and dance show which the dressed-up EDHDA musicians and dancers will be offering early Saturday afternoon (2:20pm-3:30pm) as part of a full weekend of entertainment at the Waterworks Museum. MarsdenWeir, 2580 Goulburn, Get Directions. You are just a short drive from the late-19th century! And apart from the working machinery and entertainment, there's lots of food, costume, and lost craft/rare trades stalls. Here's the list of dances we enjoyed showing and leading: The New Iolanthe Schottische (inspired by Robert Cromton's Iolanthe) - to Iola. PRINCE IMPERIAL Quadrille - to original French score. Menuet Waltzer (Robert Crompton) - to Hertel’s piano score NEW LANCERS (Robert Crompton) –to Pirates of Penzance The Tantivy mixed with a cotillon mixer to Court 15 LE QUADRILLE DE JEAN GILLES - to Charles D'Albert's Sydney Exhibition Quadrille score. Cotillon l’Eventail – to Village 10 La Parisienne - mixed with a cotillion dance game Sat.12 & Sun. 13 October - Spring Pleasure Garden Dance Party. Join a two-day long party as costumed members of the Earthly Delights Historic Dance Academy offer lots of live music, display & join-in dancing in the studio of John & Aylwen’s home at 87 Schlich St., Yarralumla, as part of a rare open garden event. The non-profit organisation Open Gardens Canberra will manage entry to the garden between 10am and 4pm (visitors $8, accompanied under 18s free). There will be hot and cold refreshments available for a gold coin donation, lots of places to eat a picnic lunch and dancing and music from 11am-2pm (the 1st bracket each day starts at 11am, and the 2nd and 3rd perhaps at 12:15 and 1:30pm). Different dances every time. On the Saturday we will spin the time machine and do dances from whatever period we are transported to, be it in the Renaissance, Cavalier, Baroque, Rococo or Regency era. On the Sunday we will revel in Victorian era quadrilles, couples dances and games with the full live band. Come along on Saturday and then bring your ticket back for free entry on the Sunday. And after each planned bracket, add your own request ...can even be a Lost Dance! The Saturday program might include (before extra requests): Late 15th cent. – ‘La danse de Cleves’ (from the Burgundian court) and ‘Lauro’ or ‘Pellegrina’ (from northern Italian courts) Early 16th cent. - ‘Nobile’ and ‘Vita di Cholino’ (both for as many as will) Late 16th cent. – ‘Castellana’ and ‘Pugenet Dardo’ (both very lively) Early 17th cent. – ‘Contrapasso Nuovo’ (Italy) and ‘Picking up sticks’ (England) Late 17th cent. – ‘Confesse’ and ‘Old Simon the King’ (both from the England’s famous Dancing master publication) Early 18th cent. – ‘Epiphanie’ (a French dance in English style) and ‘Trumpet Minuet’ (to a tune from Handels Water music) Late 18th cent. – t.b.a. but probably a longways Allemande and a square set Cotillion for all. Early 19th cent. – ‘Italian Monfrina’ and ‘The Triumph’ (at last!). The Sunday program might include (before extra requests): 3 fabulous quadrilles, ‘The Prince Imperials’, ‘Le Quadrille de Jean Gilles’ and ‘The New Lancers’ Sat. 31 August Monaro Folk Society Dance on a 19th-century Australian theme Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St., Kingston, 8-11:30pm. For details of the literary connection between the dance/ tune and 19th century Australia see the Dec. 2019 edition of John’s Dancing through the Ages (relevant Volume in bracket). Dances in CAPITALS are multi-figure quadrilles. The Irish Trot (Volume IV) Polka Mazurka (1) / The Australian (Volume IX) Supper break Downfall of Paris (Volume
VII) Here is the Folk Society's flyer for the event: 26-28 July, 5 different sessions at Ropecon 2019 Messukeskus (Exhibition Centre), Helsinki, FINLAND Friday 26 July, 6-7:45pm, introduction to Bordonian dance Dizzy Mixer, Spring 3 in Lost Dances of Earthly Delights Volume 1, Pleasures for four seasons. Lotsi's Spell, Spring 11 in Lost Dances of Earthly Delights Volume 1, Pleasures for four seasons. Battering Ram, Autumn 7 in Lost Dances of Earthly Delights Volume 1, Pleasures for four seasons. Daring Damsel, Village 11 in Lost Dances of Earthly Delights, Volume 2, Favourites for four setttings. Baltic Crossing, Village 13 in Lost Dances of Earthly Delights, Volume 2, Favourites for four setttings. Ideally for 16 dancers. In reserve: redancing any of the 3 original dances enjoyed on Wednesday or The Druid's Ring, Winter 5, Lost Dances of Earthly Delights Volume 1, Pleasures for four seasons.
Saturday 27 July, 11-12:45pm, Talk on Dancing through the ages and reconstructing historical dance Saturday 27 July, 2-3:45pm, Time travel through dance Eglamowr - c.1500 England Bourrée à six passage - early 17th century French Daniel Cowper - late 17th century English La Coquette - early 18th century French Lowe's Galopade, set to 'William Tell Overture' galop- early 19th century Gothic Dance, set to 'Dashing Dragoon' set, Court 15 in Lost Dances of Earthly Delights Volume 2, Favourites for four settings. Saturday 27 July, 8pm-1am, Ball including untaught redancing the dozen Bordonian and Historical dance introduced in above sketched Friday and Saturday workshops plus teaching of The Battle of Waterloo, ideally for 128 (8 ranks each with 8 couples) but can be danced by fewer or more. Composed by John G-G, set to Beethoven's Kontratanz no.4. Full notes will be in my Odd Delights. Sunday 27 July, 12-1:45pm, The Chess Dance
Sunday 27 July, 6-7:45pm, 'World building through dance- the Bordonian experience' Sat. 31 August Monaro Folk Society Bush Dance Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St., Kingston, 8-11:30pm. Earthly Delights will lead fun dances found in Australian books from the last 200 years. Wednesday 24 July, 4-8pm, workshop sharing dances with dance group Linnea Oulunkylä, Helsinki, FINLAND John's contribution:Monday 22 July - 5-8pm workshop with members of Renaissance, general historical and Scottish dance groups Hurju tu 1, Tallinn, ESTONIA Bellezze d’Olympia in Fabritio Caroso [Roman dancing master], Nobilità di dame, Venice, 1600. This version is different to the version Caroso published in 1581 – it is more symmetrical and requires 6 playings of the tune not 5. The dance was composed by Caroso and dedicated to Lady Olympia Orsina Cesi. Full notes in book 9 in my book 6 in my Dancing through the Ages Dec.2019. La bourréee à six passages in [Antoine Emerauld, Parisian dancing master, c.1610] Instruction pour dancer les dances cy apres nominez to 2nd bourrée in tune set no.32 in Michael Praetorius’ Terpsichore, Wolfenbüttel, 1621. We left out two small parts to make easier to remember and so we could dance the sequence to 6 playings of the tune, not 7 playings as the original would require. We also left dancers to decide exactly how they want to end the dance. This dance is in long tradition that is also represented by the Congo menuet of c.1800. Full notes are in book 9 in Dancing through the Ages. Squilina cascarda, Fabritio Caroso, Il Ballarino, Venice, 1581. We danced the sequence twice, once up the dance space and once back, interpreting the last figure as joust. Full notes in book 7 in my Dancing through the Ages. Daniel Cowper, version in The dancing master, Vol.1, ed.9 of 1695 to ed. 18 of 1728 Longways dance for as many as will. Dance by this name said to be favourite of Count Rostov in Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Full notes on steps in book 12 and 18 of my Dancing through the Ages. Country Bumpkin, known from several late 18th century and early 19th century Scottish manuscripts and dance manuals, and described as danced at a party in Australia in 1843. I presented the short version which I present alongside notes on a fuller version in book 18 version of my Dancing through the Ages. Baltic Crossing, by JGG and in my Lost Dances of Earthly Delights, Volume 2, Canberra, 2005. Ideally for 16 dancers. Thursday & Friday 18 & 19 July - evening workshop with dance group 'Ballare' Zirgu iela 1, Riga, LATVIA Thursday La Bonetta in c.1580 ‘Dulwich Manuscript’ Dulwich College MS XCIV/f.28), London- set to La Bounette tune in the c.1560 ‘Mulliner book’ in British Library Ms. Add. 30513. The dance is in the family of Inns of court Almains. We left it to dancers to decide what figure they would like to accompany the 6 walking steps in the last part of the sequence. Full notes will be in book 6 in my Dancing through the Ages Dec.2019. Bellezze d’Olympia in Fabritio Caroso [Roman dancing master], Nobilità di dame, Venice, 1600. This version is different to the version Caroso published in 1581 – it is more symmetrical and requires 6 playings of the tune not 5. The dance was composed by Caroso and dedicated to Lady Olympia Orsina Cesi. Full notes in book 9 in my book 6 in my Dancing through the Ages Dec.2019. La bourréee à six passages in [Antoine Emerauld, Parisian dancing master, c.1610] Instruction pour dancer les dances cy apres nominez to 2nd bourrée in tune set no.32 in Michael Praetorius’ Terpsichore, Wolfenbüttel, 1621. We left out two small parts to make easier to remember and so we could dance the sequence to 6 playings of the tune, not 7 playings as the original would require. We also left dancers to decide exactly how they want to end the dance. This dance is in long tradition that is also represented by the Congo menuet of c.1800. Full notes are in book 9 in Dancing through the Ages Dec.2019. La Gillotte, [same source as above]. We danced three of the figures, but there are others described as well. Men can make the women jump at the end. Full notes in book 7 in Dancing through the Ages. Squilina cascarda, Fabritio Caroso, Il Ballarino, Venice, 1581. We danced the sequence twice, once up the dance space and once back, interpreting the last figure as joust. Full notes in book 7 in my Dancing through the Ages. Mazurian Anglaise – debut of new dance composed by JGG, to explore the possibilities mentioned by Ditrich Alexander Ivensenn, Terpsichore: ein Taschenbuch für Freunde und Freundinnen des Tanzes in Liv-, Kur und Ehstland, Riga, 1806, when he wrote that Der damalige Geschmack, das Masurische in einer Angloisen-Kolonne zu tanzen, ist ein hiesige Erfindung (‘The recent fad to dance the Masurian dance (i.e. Mazurka) in an Angloise column [i.e. English country formation], is a local invention’ and he does not approve of it. Full notes will be in my Odd Delights, Dec. 2019. Friday Canario steps described in Caroso, Il Ballarino, Venice, 1581, but we have overlapped the advances and retreats to make a more condensed choreography. Full notes in book 5 in my Dancing through the Ages. The Nyne Muses in 1566 ‘Gunter manuscript’ GB-OB Ms Rawlinson Poet. 180. Found at end of collection of Inns of Court almains, but seems to be fragment of a masque. Will be in book 6 of my December 2019 Dancing through the Ages.Galliard dating, making a game out of Galliard steps described in Thoinot Arbeau [real name, Jehan Tabourot French churchman] Orchesographie, Langres, 1589. Full notes on steps are in book 5 and 8 in my Dancing through the Ages, and the choreography is in my Odd Delights. Mazurian Ecosssaise composed by JGG exploring possibilities alluded to by Ivensenn, Terpsichore, Riga, 1806. Full notes are in my Odd Delights. Sat. 15 June Winter/Summer Solstice Ball Canberra Baptist Church Hall, Currie St., Kingston, 7-11pm. We enjoyed lots of great company, lively music, food, friendship, and the following dances:
2 late 16th century English court dances: ‘La Bonnette’, from a newly found Inns of Court manuscript and ‘The nyne muses’ (perhaps a masque dance) from a different manuscript,
4 late 16th century Italian dances: ‘Bellezza Olympia’, a beautiful 2 person-dance; ‘Canario’ and ‘Galliard dating’, two fun show-off courting dances; Squilina, a flirting 3-person dance
3 early 17th century dances: ‘La Gillotte’, a broken-circle dance; ‘Bourrée à six passages’ that goes to the same tune later used for the English dance ‘Parson's Farewell’.
6 late-17th century English country dances: ‘Buff-coat’, ‘New Vagary’, ‘Singleton’s Slip’, ‘Skellemefago’ and ‘Smith’s Rant’ all for the first time, plus ‘Daniel Cowper’, one of my favourites.
6 fun Bordonian Lost dances: Sum 1. ‘Longway Home’; Town16. ‘Northern Stars Southern Skies’; Court 3. ‘Snowball Slalom’ Autumn 7 ‘Battering Ram’; Win. 4. ‘Past, Present, Future’; Vill. 13. ‘Baltic Crossing’
Steampunk@Altitude Festival - Sunday 5 May, Nimmitabel,Pre-event blurb
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