2020 / 2021 Season
2020-2021 Season
23rd season
Jog on!
WEEKLY CLASSES
All weekly classes take place on Thursday evenings (Venue A)
They are made up of five modules outside school holidays for the Paris area (zone C) and public holidays: September 17 to October 15, November 5 to December 10, January 7 to February 11, March 4 to April 15, May 6 to June 10.
Please note: on Thursday Dec. 17 and Thursday June 17, we celebrate respectively Christmas and the end of the season with dancers of all three levels and their guests. Fee: €3 / person.
Classes for each level include items from three sources: old dances that were taught from the 16th to the 19th century; traditional dances collected in England in the 20th century; and modern choreographies bringing about a renewal. The aim is to make dancers self-reliant in their practice and in balls.
Beginners: every week on Thursday from 18:30 to 20:00 (Venue A). Programme for the year: from the French quadrille to collected longways; construction principles of John Playford dances and going over the Autumn programme: hey for four, strip the willow, Morris hey, double figure and reversing the set. 5 (Fees)
Intermediary-level dancers: from 20:00 to 21:00 (Venue A) on alternate weeks, on the following dates: Module 1, September17, October 1 and 15. Module 2: November 5 and 19, December 3. Module 3: January 7 and 21, February 4. Module 4: March 4 and 18, April 1 and 15. Module 5: May 6 and 27, June 10. We’ll cover the following themes: dolphin reel, Shetland reel and dolphin gypsie; turning movements and change of rhythm in a dance; from heys to reels.(Fees)
Advanced dancers: from 20:00 to 21:30 (Venue A) on alternate weeks. Same themes as for the intermediary-level class but with half an hour on 18th and early 19th century steps (minuet, gavotte, bourrée, pas de courante and Gourdoux-Daux technique). Module 1: september 24, October 8. Module 2: November 12 and 26, December 10. Module 3: January 14 and 28, February 11. Module 4: March 11 and 25, April 8. Module 5: May 20, June 4.(Fees)
MONTHLY HALF-DAY WORKSHOPS
Intermediary-level PCB(1) (grade 2 dances) : 7 half-day workshops from 10:00 to 12:30 (Venue A) on Sundays September 27, November 8, December 13, January 10, February 7, March 7 and May 9 (in an additional session a few days before the Costume Ball, we’ll go over the programme again; date, time and venue will be determined later).
These short workshops will be devoted to the dances for the June 6, 2021 Costume Ball and our Autumn and Winter practices: Preston Almain, Staines Morris in sets, The Slip, Pageant on the River, Barbarini’s Tambourine, Thady you Gander, Lady Charlotte Campbell’s Waltz, When Laura Smiles.
All dancers are welcome, whether or not they wish to take part in the Costume Ball. Advanced dancers may also take part if they want to go over the simpler dances. (Fees)
Advanced level PCB(1) (grade 3 dances) half-day workshops from 13:30 to 16:30 (Venue A): afternoonsdevoted to the trickier dances on the June 6, 2021 Costume Ball programme – Sunday, September 2: Punk’s Delight + Parson’s Farewell suite, Mrs Savage’s Whim – Sunday, November 8: Young’s Damon’s Flight, Mrs Savage’s Whim, stepping –Sunday, December 13: Punk’s Delight + Parson’s Farewell suite, stepping, Theodore – Sunday, January 10: Strathy’s Lancers, Lady Charlotte Campbell’s Waltz, Christine – Sunday, February 7: The Lover’s Farewell, Christine, Young Damon’s Flight –Sunday, March 7: The Lover’s Farewell, Theodore, The Lancers – Sunday, May 9: the whole programme. Some time will be devoted to going over the whole programme again a few days before the Costume Ball; date and venue to be determined later. (Fees)
(1)Preparing for the Costume Ball
DANCING IN EUROPE 1450 – 1651
3-hour workshops «Dances for two, for three, for six, in Italy and in England, from the 15th to the 17thcentury» (Venue E) : this year this workshop on two parallel repertoires will be held on the Saturdays just before PCB(1) Sundays. Dances studied: La Gelosia (ballo by Domenico) ; La Crudela (Danza by Guglielmo Ebreo) ; pavan variation passamezze (Caroso) ; Alta Caretta (Ballo by Livio Lupi) and Millison’s Jig (J. Playford). On the following Saturdays (Venue E*): September 26 16:00-19:00 (May Be) – October 10 octobre 16:00-19:00 (Noces) – November 7 19:00-21:00 (Noces) – December 12 16:00-19:00 (So Schnell) – January 9 janvier – February 6– March 6– March 27– May 8 and May 29 (venue for these dates to be determined later). (Fees)
FULL-DAY WORKSHOPS FOR ADVANCED DANCERS
Cycle « A Heritage of Dances »
These three Sundays will be devoted to some dances published in old 17th and 18th century collections and also (mostly) to recent contributions that renew this type of dances.
Sunday, October 11 from 10:30 to 16:30 (Venue A): A Heritage of Dances I – Brian Tom and Philippe with Nell’s Figary(B. Wedgbury); Perpetual Motion and Belgia Retrieved (T. Cook); The Marple Bridge (Ph. Callens) (Fees)
Sunday, January 24 from 10:30 to 16:30 (Venue A): A Heritage of Dances II – Fried, Brian and Gary with Nun’s Echoand Diamond Celebration (B. Wedgbury); Say I do (G. Roodman); We Were so young (F de Metz) (Fees)
Sunday, March 28 from 10:30 to 16:30 (Venue A): A Heritage of Dances III – Brian and Gary with Playing in the Field, Whiskey before Dinner and Far away (G. Roodman); Serenity (B. Wedgbury) (Fees)
INTENSIVE WORKSHOPS
3-day intensive workshops for Intermediary-level dancers
Autumn Holidays: «John and Henry Playford from 1651 to 1703» Monday, October 19, Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 from 10:30 to 16:30. We’ll see three couple-and-verse dances out of the first four editions of the Dancing Master (John Playford): Spring Garden, The Beggar Boy and Bobbing Joe for their exceptions to classical introductions and their original hey movements. Added to this, longways duple minor set by Henry Playford and Thomas Bray: Lilliburlero, The Spring, Nobody’s Jig, The Cookow. Working from the music sheet and how to take notes. Full details for each day to be given later. Fee for members: €90 (Venue A)
Easter holidays «Preparing for the June 6, 2021 Costume Ball» on Monday April 19, Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 from 10:30 to 16:30. The workshop covers all grade 1 and 2 dances taught during the monthly workshops and the weekly classes for beginners. Full details for each day to be given later. Fee for members: €90 (Venue A)
Intensive 4-day Workshops for Advanced Dancers
Autumn Holidays « The New Choreographers, M, L, XL, XXL »: Thursday, October 22 from 18:00 to 21:00 – Friday October 23 and Saturday 24 from 10:30 to 16:30 – Sunday, October 25 from 10:30 to 13:30. On the programme, sets for 4, 5 and 6 couples: 5 Bar Gaits (Kathryn and David Wright) – The Rose of Tankerton (Pat Shaw) – Wibsey Roundaboutand Capital Lads (Gary Roodman). In addition, some longways duple minor set: The Two Pauls (Philippe Callens), Mr Adson’s Masque, Hand in Hand, Christine (Gary Roodman). Full details for each day to be given later. Fee for members: €100 (Venue A)
Winter Holidays « Playford … and me »: From Monday, February 15 to Thursday, February 18 from 10:30 to 16:30. This workshop will be the opportunity to test two of my new choreographies inspired by Thomas Wilson on music by Telemann and including some baroque steps. As a complement we’ll see some suites made of forgotten dances out of John Playford’s first editions, in order to improve our knowledge of this rich and inventive repertoire. Full details for each day to be given later. Fee for members: €100 (Venue A)
Easter Holidays « Preparing for the June 6, 2021 Costume Ball»: Thursday, April 22 from 18:00 to 21:00 – Friday, April 23 and Saturday 24 from 10:30 to 16:30 and Sunday, April 25 from 10:30 to 16:00. Intensive workshop on the whole programme (grades 1, 2 and 3) of the Costume Ball. Full daily details for this advanced workshop to be given later. Fee for members: €100 (Venue A)
AUTUMN AND WINTER PRACTICES
Methodical learning during classes and internships culminates in fall and winter practices and the ball in costume that perfectly illustrate the notion of chorus in motion in a spirit of conviviality dear to Chestnut.
2 practices with CD for all levels from 6pm to 9pm (Venue A) (Fees):
Sunday November 29, 2020 & Sunday February 14, 2021
11th COSTUME BALL
Sunday, June 6, 2021
from 14:00 to 19:00
Paris, Venue C
For its Costume Ball, Chestnut is happy to be accompanied by musicians playing on period instruments. The event has a dual aspect, both dance performance and ball properly speaking.
On the one hand, dancers who have learned dances in monthly and/or intensive preparation workshops are given the opportunity to perform in front of an audience. On the other hand, the programme includes simpler dances in order for all to participate.
Dress code for dancers preparing the Ball: the 1790-1820 period. People who want to come but have not prepared the dances do not have to observe the dress code but are most welcome to if they like the idea.
However the programme is not focused only on the Regency period. It is made up of 4 parts, each corresponding to moments when figure dances were re-invented according to society changes.
1 – In the beginning (16th and 17th century dances).
2 – After the monopoly (18th century dances).
3. From Jane to Victoria (late 18th and 19th century).
4. The new choreographers (traditional dances and contemporary choreographies).
Fees for the Ball:
grade 3 dances: €50
grade 2 dances : €32
grade 1 dances and general public: €18
Pre-registration for the Costume Ball is compulsory.
Registration forms will be soon available.
