Archaeology Walking Tour - Alison Cameron
Alison Cameron of Cameron Archaeology will treat you to the inside scoop on the archaeology of the King's College and Old Aberdeen area. Alison used to be the Aberdeen City Council Archaeologist before the council lost all of it's money and couldn't afford one any more. Tour to leave from just outside Butchart and return to same. A workout for our brain once your dance legs have given up. Sunday morning, start time and further details to be confirmed very soon. Watch this space.Asymmetric Waltzes – Jean-Christophe Denis
You find waltzes too easy, too conventional? This workshop is for you! These traditional waltzes from the Alsace region, East of France, have an unusual counting with 5, 8 or 11 beats (or even more). I know, it sounds terrible, but after a bit of explanation you will discover very enjoyable dances! Experience in waltzing, or at least couple dancing, is recommended (but not essential).Dances in a circle from Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, etc. Comfortable shoes; no partner required.
Banchory Morris Dances - Banchory Morris Men
Yet another different aspect of the protean world of Morris - bring the same stick you brought to the Boggart's, and/or a pair of hankies, and try a dance or two from the only surviving home-grown (mainland) Scottish Morris tradition.
Basque Dances – Xavier Oliver
This workshop will introduce you to various dances from the different Basque regions. Please do come if you want to: wiggle your hands in the air when dancing, turn on the spot beyond Health and Safety recommended units per day, swing your partner PG style, accelerate quadrilles, master how to do the helicopter, learn random Basque words and share chocolate with fellow dancers. Note: terrible humour provided free of chargeBorder Morris – Boggart's Breakfast
Boggart's Breakfast dance border morris in a style which might frighten the timid or the unskilled. The timid should stay away, the unskilled are welcome, though we can't promise to make special allowances. Bring long sticks if you have them, wear comfortable clothing and footwear. Crash helmets and wrist guards might also be wise if previous workshops are anything to go by.Blues – Granite City Blues (x2)
Craig and Megan teach a wildy successful blues dance class on Sunday evenings in Aberdeen, between zipping off around the world in their private jet to teach blues dancing to the great and the good. This workshop is running twice in anticipation of demand, and to help you with those painful X clashes with X decisions. They'll be the same. Just come once please!
Breton Dance - Jean-Christophe Denis
The only workshop where your pinkies will be exercised! Brittany is a Celtic region, West of France, with a still very alive dancing tradition. The dances are energetic, usually in lines or circles. They are a truly group dances with repetitive footwork that will provide you with a very special feeling! No experience, Breton crepes or cider necessary (but welcome!). Live music is threatened.
Circus Skills – Aberdeen University Juggling Society (x2)
The Aberdeen University's Juggling Society supports all types of "Circus Skills", including: juggling, poi, diabolo, unicycles, fire tricks, bar flair, etc. Here they'll give you the chance to try out some of these and find out whether or not running away to the circus is the career for you.
Contra - Rhodri Davies and Vertical Expression
Contra dance is a form rooted in New England. It is the nearest thing the Americans have to ceilidh dancing in terms of energy and enthusiasm. However, unlike Tigger, Americans don't bounce. That means they have to get rid of the spare energy somehow. Come along and find out how to dance with style and energy so that you can put it in to practise at the evening Contra Dance. Live Music from contra band Vertical Expression.Dances with a Difference – Richard Mason
Richard is an experienced dancer, an IVFDF stalwart, and we're chuffed to bits to have him. He's back again this year for a re-run of the popular Dances with a Difference from previous IVFDFs. He promises the different dances this year will be different from the different dances he did the last time round. If you like ceilidh dancing and want to try your hand at something a little usual then this is for you.
Dark Tunes – Hazel Mayow
A return to IVFDF from Hazel, this time accompanied. (They don't let her out on her own any more).
A chance to learn some strange and lesser-known tunes to liven up those same-old sessions – and share some obscure things of your own if you like. Think minor keys, silly time signatures, that kind of thing, this year with the addition of a dark accompanist Tommy Rushton, Hazel's cohort in progressive folk metal band Andraste, to cover weird and wonderful chord structures. Any instrument welcome, ability to learn by ear (save a tree!) welcome. Digital dots available on request.
A chance to learn some strange and lesser-known tunes to liven up those same-old sessions – and share some obscure things of your own if you like. Think minor keys, silly time signatures, that kind of thing, this year with the addition of a dark accompanist Tommy Rushton, Hazel's cohort in progressive folk metal band Andraste, to cover weird and wonderful chord structures. Any instrument welcome, ability to learn by ear (save a tree!) welcome. Digital dots available on request.
Four-Part Harmonies - Irene Watt and Friends (x2)
A fun workshop and a great opportunity to have a group sing to make you feel on top of the world. Come and join in the rounds, call and responses songs, harmony singing, and chorus songs led by Irene Watt and friends Maggie Cassie, Graham White, and Sandy Leggat. Irene will teach songs and harmony parts and Maggie, Graham and Sandy will each help to lead a part so it is easy to pick up and follow your part.
Highland – Jan Doherty
Thanks to Jan's skill and enthusiasm the Highland class here at Aberdeen uni has exploded in numbers in the past few years. She's good, I promise. Never before has highland dancing been this fun. It has, however always been this much of a workout. All welcome, soft shoes recommended.
Irish Dance - Aine Bhadrinath
Ever thought dancing like Michael Flatley was difficult? Then come to this workshop to see how simple Irish dancing can be! You will be introduced to some beginner solo dances so even if you have never danced before this workshop is for you.
Massage - Eden Complementary Therapies
Pulled one too many muscles? Still all cramped up from the long trip north? - Massages will be available throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday.
On Sunday morning we're treating you all to a demonstration of massage techniques so you can leave those aches and knots behind.
On Sunday morning we're treating you all to a demonstration of massage techniques so you can leave those aches and knots behind.
Molly - Gog Magog Molly
Molly is the ritual dancing of East Anglia, described by the founder of EFDSS as "degenerate". This workshop will teach one of Gog Magog Molly's Native Fenland Dances from Cambridge, and as much stamping and shouting as you can take. Wear strong, sensible shoes, and your silliest hat.
Monster Sounds – Monster Ceilidh Band
You'll have already witnessed these guys at Friday evening's ceilidh. Come along and find out how they do it. “Monsters sounds - creating new sounds in traditional music”
Morris Solo Jigs - Banchory Morris Men
Not all Morris dances are for sets of people, some are for solos by one or two dancers. Feeling a bit Idiosyncratic? Virtuosic? A bit of Morris experience might or might not help (?!) - but is not necessary. Bring a pair of hankies.
Northwest Clog – Rosie Crabb-Wkye
It's Morris dancing without the sticks and hankies. These have been replaced with extra energy and extra bounce. Our very own Rosie Crabb-Wyke will take you through a popular Northwest dance as danced by Raggie Morrisons Clog Dancers of Aberdeen. All welcome, comfy flat shoes or clogs recommended.
Rapper – Gaorsach Rapper
A quick glance at Gaorsach's facebook page lists their activities as “dancing with Swords” and “tequila”. We haven't mentioned this on our risk assessment. The Gaorsach ladies will step you through the dangerous ways of dancing with bendy swords.
Sailor's Hornpipe – Jan Doherty
Always wanted to know how to do that toes-in-toes-out-moving-sideways thing? Sailor hat gathering dust? Here's your chance to set both those right. Sailor outfit not compulsory.
Salsa - Ergun Kalasalih
Salsa is one of the most popular dance types nowadays in the world and the reason for that is because of being a highly enthusiastic social dance. In this workshop, you will get to learn all the basic and useful knowledge -from rhythm to basic steps and fancy combinations- about salsa dance where you can use anywhere you hear salsa music or even other genres too. Come and discover; any level of dancers are welcome.
Scottish Country Dancing – Gary Coull, Jane Ferguson, Jean Martin, with live music from Phill Jones.
The RSCDS has this to say about Scottish Country Dancing: Scottish country dancing (SCD) is a sociable dance form with roots stretching back for centuries. Participants are grouped into sets, typically of 3, 4 or 5 couples arranged either in two lines (men facing women) or in a square, and work together to dance a sequence of formations. This will leave them in a new order, and the dance is repeated enough times to bring them back to their starting positions, with everyone dancing each position in turn. We found it on the internet – it must be true.
We tend to describe it to newbies as “like ceilidh dancing but with more brainwork, pointier toes and straighter lines”, but then we describe highland as “hopping on one foot whilst waving the other one around with optional arms in the air”, so you may not want to take our word for anything. With austerity measures in mind this is one intro to three workshops.
This is Aberdeen, and SCD is our bread and butter. Some days it's all Kirsten gets out of bed for. So we're bringing you the best, and attempting to provide something for everyone. The lovely Gary “Counsellor” Coull will put all you newbies through a crash course in all you need to know to survive Saturday evening's dance with Frank Thomson. Scots sense of humour guaranteed. No SCD experience necessary. After that we've got Jane Ferguson (Kirsten's Mum!) - a teacher in the Newcastle/Sunderland region running a social class featuring some of her many favourite dances. Kirsten assures us that her Mum has good taste in dances. Focus on the dances not the footwork, all welcome. To cap it all off, we have the one and only Jean Martin of Aberdeen to put all you old lags through your paces. If you've been dancing a wee while and aren't scared of being pushed a little and individually critiqued then we heartily recommend this one. SCD for those of you who wouldn't normally go to an SCD workshop at IVFDF.
Excellent live music for all from the lovely Phill Jones on accordion. Soft shoes recommended.
Scottish Step - Fiona Campbell
Learn how to make noise with your feet Scottish style. New Scotland (Edinburgh Uni) Step Tutor Fiona will show you the basics to get you started and maybe some new twists if you know a little already. Leather hard soled shoes are best for purists but anything that makes a good clatter will work just fine for this taster session.
Silly Dances - Jenny Lawson
This is basically a mini ceilidh, with all the dances usually deemed too energetic/complicated/dangerous for general ceilidh goers.Songs and Tunes from the North – Duncan Richardson
Come and learn a few traditional songs and tunes from land and sea and accompaniments from (roughly) the north of Scotland. Bring an instrument if you would like (without is fine too!) Any level of playing also fine (dots provided if preferred).Southern Italian Dances - Davide Panzeri
Come and dance the poison of the Tarantula away! From the fast-paced and lively steps of the Pizzica Pizzica to the slow, deliberate rhythms of the Neapolitan Tammuriata this workshop will introduce you to two of the most popular and flirtatious Southern Italian couple dances. Ladies are encouraged to bring a light scarf/shawl and everyone can bring castanets if they have any (although neither is required).
Square Dance – Aberdeen Kilt Kickers
Danced in squares to a caller's moment-by-moment instructions, the Aberdeen Kilt Kickers will lead you through the basics of this American dance form. AKK were the first American Square Dance club to be founded in Scotland, didn't you know? We have asked them to kindly refrain from kicking anyone who actually shows up in a kilt. Wear comfortable shoes and your swirliest skirt!
Storytelling workshop – Grampian Association of Storytellers
According to Wikipedia, Storytelling is a 2001 film, directed by Todd Solondz. This, boys and girls, is why you should never reference wikipedia in essays. The Storytelling we're on about here is the oral tradition of telling stories. Come along, learn the basics and try it out for yourself. Demonstration on Friday evening, workshop to follow on Saturday.
Swing: Charleston and Lindy Hop (2 workshops)– Aberdeen University Swing Society
If swing is the umbrella term, Charleston and Lindy are staying nice and dry, thank you. Lindy is best known for all the flashy stuff – lifts, dips and other fancy tricks – but AU Swing Soc will bring you the basics so you can get started with this frantic dance style. Flat shoes are the way to go. IVFDF takes no responsibility if you get dropped on your head.
The Charleston is a social jazz dance which originated in South Carolina in 1924. The Charleston is characterized by quick, twisting steps performed as a solo, with a partner. It is based on a simple, flexible basic step making it easy to concentrate on styling, improvisation and musicality.
The Lindy Hop evolved in the early 1930s in Harlem as a cultural phenomenon which broke through racial barriers prevalent at the time. This cultural integration is reflected by the interesting mix of African and European influences within the dance style. The dance itself is solid yet flowing, energetic yet relaxed; closely following the character of its music.
We’ll be having a go at some brawls – easy, energetic dances done in a circle – from Orchésographie, a dance manual published in France in the sixteenth century. We’ll also be having a quick look at some English dances from about 1500, found in a notebook in Derbyshire and the problems of interpreting them.
Whisky Tasting – Aberdeen University Whisky Tasting Society
Oh yes, we have a Whisky Tasting Society. Want to know how to taste the difference between a Speyside and an Island malt? These guys will show you how. Yes, you will get to drink a small amount of whisky. No charge, but if drinking whisky compels you to buy more merchandise we won't complain.
Writing Dances - Bob Morgan
Fancy a go at writing a dance? Have a dance you want to try out on some willing guinea pigs?* In this workshop we'll be focussing on trying out your ideas and polishing them up so you can call them later. Bob calls in the Warwick area, and is helping us out with the Saturday afternoon Display Ceilidh.
*No animals will be harmed in the course of this workshop - If you want to just come and dance you'd be very welcome.