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Lynn Frances tells us about her passion for circle dancing and invites you to experience the joy of it at a class
Ever since I first came across it at a Green Gathering in Glastonbury in 1982, I have been ‘hooked’ on Circle Dancing.
In those days there were only a handful of teachers and groups were rare, so the following year I had to start teaching to be able to dance! Since then the Circle Dance movement has expanded dramatically.
The dances are international folk dances done in a circle holding hands. The original collection was by Bernhard Wosien, a German dance professor, who studied Balkan dance. He realised that he had a precious resource that brought people together in a wonderful sense of community. He wanted to share this with others and so took the dances to the spiritual community at Findhorn near Inverness. There they became a part of the everyday life and still are today.
Gradually people took the dances out to the rest of the country and groups started to develop. It is now international, with teachers in many different countries.
The range of dances is huge in terms of the countries they come from, their speed and intricacy. There are many from the Balkan region as well as from Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Armenia and the former Czechoslovakia. There are also recent choreographies by dancers who have been inspired by a particular piece of music. Personally, I favour the ethnic dances as I like the feeling of connection with other countries. It might not surprise you that I have included many peace dances in my classes over the last few years.
Within the circle there is a sense of harmony in that we are all attempting to do the same steps at the same time (not always succeeding!). We are a unit, creating beautiful patterns on the floor and a sense of community that is rare in our current busy, separate lives. People speak of coming to a class feeling exhausted or really tense: the dancing energises them and, by the end, they are refreshed.
Do come along to a class (at Brook, Guildford and Church Crookham) and try it. You do not need a partner and will find the dancers are very friendly and welcome newcomers. There are only a few basic steps so, once those are mastered and recognised, you can relax into the dance. You can contact me through my website hartcentre.co.uk
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