Folk dance

NFF 2016 - Australian Colonial Folk Dancers Display

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• published: 28 Mar 2016
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The Australian Colonial Folk Dancers (from Sydney) performing at the 2016 - 50th National Folk Festival in Canberra over the Easter weekend. The Australian Colonial & Folk Dancers are a creative dance group from Sydney who love the many and varied styles of dance introduced into Australia. This year we have a bit of Aussie fun with dances introduced from America. Australians have a tendency to adopt dances that inspire. In the process the dances often get the Aussie treatment, which involves a little bit of modification. The demonstration show some of the group’s favourites which receive that 'Aussie touch'. 1. Castle Walk - The first dance is from the Ragtime era. Vernon Castle, one of America’s dancing darlings, said, “the waltz is beautiful, the Tango is graceful, the Brazilian Maxixe is unique. One can sit quietly and listen with pleasure to them all; but when a good orchestra plays a ‘Rag’ one simply has got to move.” 2. Redwing - Modern square dancing in Australia has been going for over 60 years and has been described as "fun and friendship set to music.” The Australian Colonial & Folk Dancers fell in love with a square dance named Redwing. Its calls encourage the dancers to sing along, while the moves are fast and fun with an element of risk. Don’t be slow or collisions could result! 3. The Waltzing Gypsy & Wood Duck - The first dance in this next medley was inspired by the gypsy being one of the most provocative moves in Contra dancing. Of course that suited the Colonials just fine and it was adopted, adapted and combined with a circular dance known as Wood Duck. Wood Duck was written by a woman from the Netherlands, who developed a passion for English dancing and then went to live in America where she wrote many dances. This wonderful mix of cultures produced Wood Duck. It was traditionally danced more slowly, but, true to form, the Australians dance it slightly faster highlighting its beautiful flow. 4. Levi Jackson Rag - Levi Jackson Rag has been popular in Australian dance circles for many years. The Australian Colonial & Folk Dancers have played around with it for many years also – dancing it with whatever numbers were available. We then made the men do the chain and termed the dance ‘The Evil Jackson Rag’. This year we decided to really mix it up due to our odd numbers of men and women. Here we dance our Build-Up version. Levi Jackson Rag 5. The Flirt / Surprise For Tom / Love & Kisses - This next medley combines 3 dances. The first is a dance written by one of our dancers, Anthony Simon. It is aptly named the Flirt as there is opportunity to flirt with each partner when it is danced in its entirety. Surprise for Tom is a contra dance normally danced in a longwise set, but the Colonials move it into a circle. It is classed as an unusual contra as it offers many opportunities to dance with your partner rather than your neighbour. The final dance is a favourite with the group and is often danced to finish off a practice. Watch for the 2 variations in Love & Kisses. 6. Fiddleheads & Dennis’ Delight - Fiddleheads is a Contra dance that includes a petronella movement, which is a balance and turn combination. It is challenging and disorienting, but exciting to dance. This medley begins and ends with Fiddleheads- it starts in its duple improper line, but finishes in the Colonials’ circular version. Sandwiched between these versions is an enjoyable progressive couples’ dance, often now seen on bush-dance programs – Dennis’s Delight. 7. Marching Through Georgia & The Mississippi Dip - Marching Through Georgia is another very common bush-dance in Sydney. It is a quadrille that allows each couple to take a turn at having the lead. In true Colonial form, this dance has been given the 'treatment' so watch for variations. It is combined with the couple’s dance, the Mississippi Dip. This dance actually has a Scottish ceilidh background, but with a name like Mississippi Dip, how could we not include it in this medley danced to familiar American tunes. 8. Salty Dog Exit - Thank you for watching the Australian Colonial & Folk Dancers.