Term 4 Evening Classes in Court Dance will
commence at 6pm on Monday 12 October and run for 10 weeks to Monday 15
December at Evolution PC Studios in Crows Nest/St Leonards. No
experience or partner needed - come and try on the first week of term at
no charge.
There are two classes, the 6pm session the way to begin. It provides an
introduction to Renaissance dances from the French, English and Italian
Courts, plus some delightful English Country Dances and a taste of
French baroque dance. The 7.30pm class has a focus on the elegant French
and English choreographies of the early 18th century, with occasional
excursions into balletti of the Italian Renaissance.
See Schedule for full details.
Class
Brochure
Spring Baroque Dance Workshop Weekend in
Canberra -
presented by Fiona & John for Historic Dance Delights -
Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October 2026.
See News for more info. Bookings at
https://events.humanitix.com/a-spring-baroque-dance-weekend
As the weather warms up, why not join us for a joyful
celebration of spring through the beauty of baroque dance, revelling in
some of the most gorgeous music ever written. Embrace the aristocratic
grace, technical precision and energetic elegance that is la belle
danse.
Fiona and John will lead a weekend of early 18th
Century Dance from the court of Louis XIV. The weekend will include
introductory sessions to learn technique, steps and rhythms through to
more advanced sessions to practice the various dance forms and figures
of choreographies from the era of the great Sun King. Louis XIV of
France changed the course of European dance history, encouraging its
development, written notation and ensuring that French remains the
language of classical ballet today.
The weekend will suit both those new to baroque dance
and those with some experience. Learn about the different Baroque dance
forms such as the Bourrée, Gavotte, Minuet, Sarabande & Gigue and some
example repertoire. No experience or partner required.
Two ticket options available:
Ticket A (Sessions 1, 2 and 3) - For
newcomers to baroque dance, the Friday evening introductory session and
first two sessions on Saturday offer an introduction to the technique,
and the chance to sample excerpts and begin building towards a full
dance.
Ticket B (All Sessions) - For those
with a working knowledge of baroque dance, sessions 1-3 will allow time
to focus on continuing to build technique and style. Sessions 4-6 will
then be devoted to developing repertoire with one or more ballroom
dances.
Schedule & details
Friday
2 October |
Time |
Suitable for |
Notes |
| Registration |
6.30pm |
For all |
|
| Session 1 |
6.45pm-
8.30pm |
For all |
Introduction to style & technique |
Saturday
3 October |
|
|
|
| Session 2 |
9.30am-
11.00am |
For all |
Technique & ball
dance excerpts |
| Morning Tea |
11.00am |
-11.30am |
|
| Session 3 |
11.30am-
1.00pm |
For all |
Ball dance repertoire |
| Lunch |
1.00pm |
-2.00pm |
|
| Session 4 |
2.00pm-
3.45pm |
More experienced |
More advanced repertoire |
Sunday
4 October |
|
|
|
| Session 5 |
12.30pm-
2.15pm |
More experienced |
Continuing advanced repertoire |
| Afternoon Tea |
2.15pm |
-2.45pm |
|
| Session 6 |
2.45pm-
4.15pm |
More experienced |
Completing advanced repertoire |
Course Fees
Ticket A
Sessions 1, 2 & 3 |
Suitable for those new
to baroque dance |
|
Ticket B
All 6 Sessions |
Recommended for those
with some dance experience |
|
What to wear: Light comfortable clothes (layers work
well in Canberra). Low-heeled shoes such as Grecian Sandals are
preferable but ballet flats, jiffies or jazz flats can be worn.
What to bring: Tea/Coffee will be provided but please
bring a plate/something to share for Saturday morning tea and Sunday
afternoon tea. Saturday lunch will be BYO.
If you have any questions please contact
historicdancedelights@gmail.com
For information about this and other Historic Dance
Delights events please visit
www.historicdancedelights.org.au
Recent
Post-script on Petersham BC's 2026 Medieval Day
,,,
Despite persistent rain and storms during the morning, the heavens
parted just in time for dancing on the lower green. We were joined by
many dozens of youthful mediaeval-clad visitors, who danced
with joyous enthusiasm. It was a wonderful demonstration of the power of
community and common purpose - the whole was truly greater than the sum
of its parts.
A very popular annual event for a worthy cause!
Dancing for Petersham Bowling Club's 2026 Medieval Day -
Saturday 14 August
Not just jousting and battles...
John & Fiona will lead dancing on the green, including a short
demonstration of Renaissance dance, from 12 noon.
Come and join us, wear something medieval-ish and enjoy some dancing
along with the many other offerings both warlike and peaceful at the
wonderful Petersham Bowling Club. Suitable refreshments available.
Where: 77 Brighton Street, Petersham
NSW 2049 (3 minute walk from Petersham Train Station) - Parking is
limited
When: from 10am.
Entry: by donation ($5 per adult, $3 <18s)
raising funds (pokies free) for accessibility works at the community
club.
See
https://www.thepbc.org.au/medievalday for all the details
Term 3 Classes will now be held on
Monday evenings from 6pm, in a new
venue at Evolution PC Studios in St Leonards/Crows
Nest. Please see Schedule
and
Class Brochure for full details. Thank you to all our dedicated
students ready to adjust to a new time and place after so many years at
the hall in North Sydney.
New students are most welcome - no previous experience
or partner required. Just email or sms to let us know you're coming,
providing name and contact details.
CLASS UPDATE After a successful Term 1, we began our Term 2 classes
after Easter, on April 23 as scheduled. However we were given notice
that the Hall on Blues Point Road would cease to be available due to
major renovations and changes in use.
As a result we shortened Term 2 to 7 weeks, the
last of which was a
PARTY on Thursday 4 June -
*
to celebrate the many happy times we've spent at the hall sharing a love
of early dance and music with so many delighful and talented and
interesting students who have joined us for classes, balls, parties and
workshops over the decades (yes, decades!)
An Invitation to the EDC
End of an Era Dance Party
To all our dear students and EDC friends:
Come and say
farewell to the old Hall,
Dance a little, catch up a little and
find out about our new
class venue
So farewell not to the Renaissance or Baroque eras,
but to our studio over many years
Date: Thursday 4 June, 2026
Time: 6.30pm - 9.30pm (drop in any time)
Place: 181 Blues Point Road, North Sydney NSW 2060
for the last time
Wear: Warm layered clothes suitable for dancing, and dance
shoes of course
Bring: Some finger food (ready to eat) or something
(non-alcoholic) to drink - Cups & plates provided
Hope you can make it, even for a little. Please let us know via
email or sms
Evening classes in Court Dance recommenced for
Term 1 on February 5. The classes were on Thursday evenings during
NSW school term time, in North Sydney. For details and general information
see our Schedule and
Classes pages.
Please note that no prior experience or partner is required, and the first class of term is
free to try... If you're not sure, don't hesitate to
contact us.
PDF brochure
Meanwhile, a big thank you and congratulations to a wonderful group from
near and far who attended our 16th
Summer Course earlier in January. We
braved something of a heatwave to learn several delightful and
challenging dances of the early 18th century French court. A great
achievement, and a pleasure to dance together again!
Summer Course 2026 - Baroque and beyond
January 7 - 9
(Wednesday-Friday) 9.15am to 3.45pm each day, in North Sydney.
Follow link for full information
So sorry that we had to cancel the Christmas Party...
Thanks to all who had been looking forward to taking part in the
evening,
and had prepared lovely things to bring for the table.
We missed you all, & hope you had a lovely Christmas-New Year Summer
break.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Summer Course,
or at classes, which begin on
February 5 in North Sydney.
Fiona & John
© The Early Dance Consort 2026.
See
History for more ....