Classes

There are 56 classes.

15th Century Italian Steps Roundtable

So how do you do those 15th century Italian steps, anyway? I'll bring translations of the primary sources (Smith), a step concordance (Wilson), and hopefully other folks will bring materials related to Brainard's, Sparti's, and other people's interpretations. Then we'll have a spirited and educational exchange about different reconstructions of the piva, saltarello, reprisa, and so forth.

A Couple of Dozen Easy Pieces: An Introduction to 16th Century Italian Dancing

Take a dozen easy steps, eight simple figures and four mindsets, and you can do 16th Century Italian dance. This class will put these elements together and do a series simple drills, perhaps ending up having learned a dance.

A Handful of Almans

A beginner-accessible class which will teach: Old Alman, New Alman, Lorayne Alman, Queen's Alman and Black Alman.

Advanced Branles

Charlotte Branle, War Branle, Aridan Branle

Advanced English Country Dances

A look at English Country Dances that deviate from the basic pattern - these dances are great fun, and a refreshing change from the same old doubling, siding, and arming.

Alta Somaglia

A Negri dance in four parts. A basic knowledge of 16th Century Italian steps is preferred.

Arbeau's Mimed Dances

  • Helene Quivremont
  • San Saba/Palo Pinto on Saturday at 1:30PM to 3:00PM

Arbeau's mimed dances are playful, easy, and fun! We will try out various mimed branles and a simple mimed coranto. Come prepared to giggle!

Basse Dance

  • Yvonne Kendall
  • Guadalupe on Friday at 1:30PM to 3:00PM

An intermediate class which will cover steps and dances.

Become a better dancer in the period way -- Guglielmo's six rules of dance

We will examine Guglielmo's \"Six Principal Elements of dance\" & provide students with some exercises to improve their dancing. Prior knowledge of basic steps, Gelosia & Rostiboli Gioioso is preferred.

Beginner Middle Eastern Dance

  • Adria Lorelle
  • Red River on Saturday at 9:00AM to 11:00AM

Basic moves from various Middle Eastern Styles.

Beginning Branles

Single Branle, Double Branle, and Gay Branle; Cassandra Branle, Pinigay Branle, and Charlotte Branle.

Beginning ECD

Basic English Country Dance figures.

Beginnning Middle Eastern Drumming

  • Cormac O'Bron
  • Neches/San Jacinto on Saturday at 9:00AM to 11:00AM

Basic rhythms and excercises to help the begginging drummer grow in their craft.

Brando di Cales

Negri's fun and challenging dance for three couples includes a galliard and coronto section. Experience with 16th century Italian dance preferred.

Catch-All: Dances

Classes to be taught by request if you missed a class, ran out of time during class, or simply would like to learn, re-learn, or review.

Choregrapher's Show & Tell

Do you have a Deep Dark Secret? Do you--gasp--make dances? You, my friend, are not alone. This get-together is for us--to discuss techniques, motives, and results, to get critiques, and to play show and tell. Guinea pigs--er, dancers who would like to try out new dances are welcome.

Contrapasso Nuovo

The *second* easiest 16th century Italian dance, Contrapasso Nuovo is danced in the beautiful rose pattern illustrated in Caroso's 'Nobilita di Dame' (1600). No experience required, but those who have danced other contrapassi will have a leg up.

Coranto: Theme and Variations

The Coranto can be rather frustrating to work with, due to contradictions in the source material. In this class we'll look at and dance through several different recontructions. If you know a recontruction I don't, please share it!

Dances from Playford, 1651

  • Morgan Ellise
  • Rio Grande A on Saturday at 9:30AM to 11:00AM

Some great English Country Dances such as St. Martin's, Beggar Boy, and Mage on a Cree.

Dances from the Inns of Court

Madam Sosilia's Alman, Quadran Pavan, Earl of Essex Measure, and more….

Dancing with Sword

A class to incorporate swordwork into Middle Eastern Dance.

Debke

  • Tahira
  • Neches/San Jacinto on Saturday at 2:00PM to 3:00PM

Debke

Discussion: Why various dance sources were written, and who was the target audience?

Discussion: Why various dance sources were written, and who was the target audience?

Easy 15th Century Italian Dances

Gelosia, Petit Riens, and Rostiboli Gioioso.

Easy ECD's

  • Sorcha ni Fhaolain
  • Concho/Red River on Friday at 1:30PM to 2:30PM
  • Beginner

A presentation of some basic ECD's. An excellent class for beginners! Upon a Summer's Day, Gathering Peascods, Jenny Plucked Pears, & Sellinger's Round.

English Country for Four Couples

First edition Playford dances for four couples. Included will be Lull Me Beyond Thee, Lord of Carnarvon's Jig, Gray's Inn Mask, and others.

English Country for Three Couples

First Edition Playford English Country Dances for three couples. Included will be The Night Peece, Shepherd's Holiday, and New Exchange, among others.

Essential Elements of Middle Eastern Dance, Layering, Shimmies and Locks

Essential Elements of Middle Eastern Dance, Layering, Shimmies and Locks

Fun and Interesting 15th Century Italian Dances

Learn some fun and flirtatious dances from the dance masters of Medici Florence. Experience with dance suggested. Includes: Lioncello Vecchio, Lauro, Anello, Colonesse, Mercantia

Fun ECD's

A presentation on some some English Country Dances. this class covers dances easily achievable by novice dancers. Emphasis will be on flirting. Pepper's Black, Picking Up Sticks,The Maid Peept out of the Window, and Goddesses

Gresley Dances

Gresley Dances

Gresley Dances

Gresley Dances

Improvisation in Il Canario

  • Delbert von Strassburg
  • San Saba/Palo Pinto on Saturday at 11:00AM to 12:30PM
  • Intermediate

A walk through some of the techniques that were used for improvisation in Il Canario. Examples from Lupi, Negri, and Caroso will be covered. Starting at the basic building blocks and developing into longer mutanze. Prerequisite: Experience in 16th Century Italian or the Galliard.

Incorporating other Instruments in the Drum Circle and Drumming Etiquette

  • Cormac O'Bron
  • Neches/San Jacinto on Saturday at 1:00PM to 2:00PM

Incorporating other Instruments in the Drum Circle and Drumming Etiquette

Intermediate English Country Dance

The focus will be on learning English Country dances with some of the different types of \"heys\". Dances that may be taught during this class are: Chestnut, Grimstock, Picking of Sticks, Merry Merry Milkmaids, If All The World Were Paper. Please feel welcome to come to this class even if you feel you are a beginner.

Intermediate Middle Eastern Dance

Intermediate Middle Eastern Dance

Intermediate Middle Eastern Drumming

  • Cormac O'Bron
  • Neches/San Jacinto on Saturday at 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Intermediate Middle Eastern Drumming

Intro to 15c Italian

For beginners, a class which covers the basics of 15th century Italian dances and teaches some popular favorites. Anello, Amoroso, and Belfiore will be taught.

Intro to 16c Italian Dance

  • Adele Desfontaines
  • San Saba/Palo Pinto on Friday at 2:30PM to 4:00PM
  • Beginner

For beginning dancers, Ballo del Fiore, Contrapasso en Due, Fedelta, & Villanella will be taught.

Japanese Noh Dance

Japanese Noh Dance

Let Your Hair Down: Peasant Dances

These dances are lively, fun, and easy to learn. This class will teach Farandole, Koutri, Itele, D'Hammers -achmiedsgndselln, and if time, Kanonwalzer.

Middle Eastern Persussion Class & Jam Session

  • Cormac O'Bron
  • Neches/San Jacinto on Friday at 3:00PM to 5:30PM

Middle Eastern Persussion Class & Jam Session

Myth Conceptions about Middle Eastern Dance

  • Tahira
  • Neches/San Jacinto on Saturday at 12:00PM to 1:00PM

Myth Conceptions about Middle Eastern Dance

Negri's Il Gratioso

Il Gratioso is an elegant 16th Century dance from Negri. Slow moving, but with interesting figures and steps.

Passo e Mezzo and Pavaniglia, two improvisational dances

Arbeau mentions the passamezzo and Spanish pavan (pavaniglia) as livelier versions of the pavan, and gives a little bit of information on them. The Italian dancemasters give many more variations for these ances. These range from walked steps to very aerobic passages, and are a sure cure for 'boring pavans'.

Performance and Staging

Performance and Staging

Period Country Dances of the Middle East

  • Dominique
  • Red River on Saturday at 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Period Country Dances of the Middle East

Progressive Dances from Playford, 1651

For those who enjoy dances like “Hole in the Wall” where you dance with different people with each repeat, this class offers a variety of dances from Playford’s first edition that mix partners and couples in several flavors of progression. Experience with English Country Dance required. Includes: Halfe Hannikin, Staines Morris, Dargason, Row Well Ye Mariners, The Fryar and the Nun, Whirligig, Bobbing Joe

Reconstructing 16th Century Dance: Pains and Pleasures

  • Yvonne Kendall
  • San Saba/Palo Pinto on Saturday at 9:30AM to 11:00AM

Addresses differences in language used to describe movement, issues of step rhythm and performance, and various other topics of interest.

Simple 16c Italian Dances for Two

So, you have always heard that Italian dance was hard and you've thought, "I can never learn that." Well, I am here to change your mind. Come learn two newly reconstructed dances from Caroso's "Il Ballarino," La Castellana and Laccio d'Amore.

Teaching Teachers

Guild Masters often find themselves as the only dance teacher in a group. It is important to try and foster new dance teachers and to create opportunities for them to teach and learn. Bring suggestions and experiences while we try and figure out how to encourage more teachers of dance within the society.

The Art of Pause

How to polish your dancing by varying tempo, speed, and style.

The Burgundian Mystery: the basse dance in theory and practice

Covers sources & reconstruction issues; beginners should have no problems.

Veil Work

  • Claire Shayhan
  • Concho/Red River on Saturday at 12:00PM to 1:00PM

A beginning class in using veils in Middle Eastern Dance for intermediate level Middle Eastern dancers; although beinning level dancers are welcome to attend, the class may move rather fast. Bring a veil at least 3 to 4 yards long if you have one.

Working with Renaissance Dance Music Sources

  • Yvonne Kendall
  • Rosebud Theatre on Saturday at 8:00AM to 9:30AM

A class for both musicians and dancers, we will examine music in 16th century dance texts.

Zill Drill

How to combine zills and dance. (Zills are needed.)