As well as the lively evening ceilidhs in the dance marquee, there will be a family ceilidh, a Cajun dance, and the Shropshire ceilidh showcasing a local band demonstrating the richness of the Shropshire dance scene.
For the very first time at Shrewsbury there will be a version of the new dance craze where ceilidh meets disco, traditional dances called by Phil Bassingdale with DJ mixes from across a wide musical spectrum ……glow sticks essential.
Saturday lunch time see’s a welcome return of a Cajun dance, and if you’re not sure about what to do there’s a workshop preceding it.
Dance Bands
Toothless Mary caller Fee Lock
a lively and energetic ceilidh sound, a blend of funk, 80's disco and folk
Dartmoor Pixie Band caller Sarah Bazeley
a unique sound that’ll make you want to get up and jig!
Tickled Pink caller Martyn Harvey
one of the most sought after bands on the UK festival circuit, they rock!
One Short Band caller Shelia Mainwaring
another brilliant band from Shropshire, some of the best folk dance musicians in the UK.
Whiskey River Boys
Louisiana Swamp Music, Country Blues, Old Timey, Americana, old style R'n'B, Blues, good country music.....
Elysium Pete Rees and Phil Bassingdale
Disco meets ceilidh - a new concept mixing everything from House and Breaks to Drum'n'Bass and Techno, with a bit of folk thrown in for good measure.
The dance marquee will also be the venue for dance workshops. We have had requests over the past couple of years to expand these and we’re planning to bring a wide range of styles and disciplines to the floor.
Workshops include
Playing for Morris Dancing - with John Kirkpatrick
Winner of the Radio 2 Musician of the Year 2010, John’s acceptance speech was mainly about dancing such is his passion. John started morris dancing in 1959, and before long had picked up his various squeezeboxes to play for it as well. Still dancing and playing today with The Shropshire Bedlams, over fifty years later, there can be few who have built up as much experience at getting the dance into the music as he has. In this one-off workshop on playing for morris dancing, you can witness how somebody who has spent a lifetime championing English traditions goes about the task.
"Kirkpatrick's lust for this music sounds more rampant than ever." Colin Irwin - fRoots 2009.
Cajun Dance Dance – with Greg and Wendy Clare
Greg and Wendy have been dancing for around 20 years having learned their Cajun dancing in the real dance halls and bars of Southern Louisianna not the tourist restaurants. They will focus on the variation in styles of traditional two steps and waltzes. The workshop will introduce these and be aimed at helping complete beginners, particularly those claiming to have '2 left feet'. It will include some of the basic tips for successful couple dancing. Once everyone is two stepping and waltzing the workshop they will move on to the 'crippled chicken' for those who like it a bit more showy.
Appalachian Flatfooting – with Ian & Sue Hartland and Kick Start Appalachian Dancers
Ian and Sue are both very experienced dancers and teachers and will concentrate their workshop on the flatfooting style. The workshop will suitable for beginners and will develop for those with and intermediate knowledge as well.
Dance Teams
Barefoot Bellydance (Tribal style bellydance)
Crook Morris (Cotswold Morris)
The Dartmoor Broom Dancers and Dartmoor Step dance (Dartmoor tradition)
The Ironmen and Severn Gilders (Border and North-West Morris)
Kick Start (Appalachian)
The Knots of May (North West Morris and more)
North British Sword Dancers (Longsword, rapper and much more)
One Step Beyond (Appalachian)
Rapper Rascals (Rapper)
Rivington Morris (North West Morris)
Shropshire Bedlams and Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish (Border Morris & More)
Wharfedale Wayzgoose (Border Morris)
Sambassadors of Groove (Samba & Latin percussion)
2010 Dance Line Up
