Aloha
If you live on Oahu, have Playford English Country Dancing experience or
have been watching the PBS TV Jane Austen series, and would like to try
English Country dancing, read on ....
We have been dancing for 2 years in Kahala and Kailua. We are a very
small
private group, and are dancing in very small spaces. The disadvantage is
our inability to expand to accommodate a lot more dancers. The advantage
is that the number of dancers we can accommodate are learning in very
comfortable, friendly cl*****. (We would like to find a larger space and
expand to include all who are interested.)
We usually dance mid-day during the week, once a month in Kahala. We also
dance once a week in the evenings in Kailua, usually from 6:30 or 7:00 to
9:00.
English Country Dancing - Explained
It is generally done in lines, men facing (contra-lines) their women
partners, hence the term "Country" refers to contra-lines. It is not
country folk dancing, but was initially inspired the village dances of the
1600s. Playford English Country Dancing is the polite society dancing of
the nobility and the gentry in their drawing rooms and ballrooms from 1635
to 1825. Obviously, we're still doing it, because it never died, just
became less popular than the waltz, polka, twist, &c..
It is similar but less rigorous than American Contra dancing. It is
similar but does not use the more difficult steps of Scottish Country
dancing. There are no fancy steps. It is low impact. It is not aerobic.
It
is not couple dancing, so there is no "ballroom holding", hence no
stepping-on-toes. Dancers mostly walk at speeds from very slow to very
brisk. Dances include figures; such as, circles, wheels, turning partners
with one or two hands, &c.. In other words, even an old caveman can do
it.
Google "Playford" and "English Country Dancing". There are even down
loadable movies of some dances.
If you are interested, e-mail us at SUSIESMLHAOLE@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
hui hou
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