Sheffield Eurosession

Community, vitality, absurdity

Hope you enjoyed last month’s fab Carnaval de Lantz workshop with Jude, and have recovered from the Skint festival if you made it there.

Next up we offer a selection of dances from the Poitou region*, with teaching and music from some of our talented Eurosession regulars. Revitalise with some fun and flummoxing communal dances from the west coast of France. Benefits include enjoying the company of others, with a quick workout for both body and brain, and some craziness to blow the cobwebs away!

As usual, we’ll follow the workshop with a more eclectic Eurosession with other balfolk dances. You can contribute dance tunes, request your favourite dance, or relax, get a drink, and chat.  For the workshop and for dancing, we recommend comfy shoes that can turn easily.  And of course, bring an instrument if you’d like to play in the session. 

Please note that we’ve asked Benji, a photographer, to attend on Thursday to take some photographs and perhaps video clips of the dancing and music for our publicity and memories. Please let Benji, or any of the committee, know if you don’t want to be included in these media.

Workshop: 8pm – 9pm
         Eurosession: 9pm – 11pm
Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

About the workshop

We expect to introduce three dances which have features in common with each other – three for the price of one! They also bring slightly different flavours, the Maraîchine offers easy enjoyment, the Polaïe provides a gentle brain refresh, and the Branle de Noirmoutier brings some supercharged vitality to set you up for the evening. Plus all these communal dances offer the added layer of experience that comes from helping and receiving each others’ enjoyment in the dance.

The workshop is brought to you by Susannah Diamond and Anna Pack (dance facilitation), and Anna Pack (accordion/clarinet) and Jo Veal (clarinet). Susannah has been sharing her love of European dancing with Eurosession participants for many years. Anna and Jo are superb musicians who have performed at various festivals.

Donations
£5 suggested for the workshop and/or the session, although extra helps provide fair fees to our experts and helpers, and affordable entry to others. We accept donations by cash, or PayPal (see our donations page), or you can contribute by teaching or playing for dancing.

Caring for others
Please welcome diversity in our community, and stay home if you feel unwell and infectious.

Get involved
If you like organising gigs, getting publicity out, playing for or teaching a workshop, or can offer any photographs we could use in publicity, then we’d love to hear from you.

* * * Naragonia in Sheffield! – Have you got your ticket yet? * * *
Eurosession is hosting Naragonia on Sun 6 December, in the Hillsborough Park Pavilion. Reserve your place for magical music, mazurkas and more!

See you soon
x Eurosesh

*Note: We’ve called this session ‘dances from Poitou’; To be more specific, most of the dances are from the Vendée region, which used to be part of Poitou, but the dances are still also danced in the Poitou region . . . . ah, never mind, let’s just dance!

Whirling away any autumnal stress

Hope you enjoyed last month’s fab bourrées with Andrew. Next up we offer the Carnaval de Lantz from the high Basque country, with Jude Brown (teaching dance) and Zoe (on fiddle), and perhaps Anna Pack (on accordion). Learn how to show off with some whirling mountain delirium. Benefits include developing balance, overcoming dizziness, and hearing the blood sing in your ears!

As usual, we’ll follow the workshop with a more eclectic Eurosession, in which you can contribute dance tunes, request your favourite dance, or relax, get a drink, and chat.  For the workshop and for dancing, we recommend comfy shoes that can turn easily.  And of course, bring an instrument if you’d like to play in the session. 

Workshop: 8pm – 9pm
         Eurosession: 9pm – 11pm
Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

About the workshop

The Carnarval de Lantz is a processional dance of spinning turns, as though puppets are whirling on strings. The workshop will explain nifty tricks that can help you to not get dizzy and how to change direction with precision. As you throw your hands in the air each time the dance starts again, you will glow with exertion or pride or perhaps a little of both.

This dance is traditionally danced during a Basque village carnival which commemorates the triumph of good village folk over evil bandits. The carnival includes a procession, a play, and masked costumed dancers animated by drums and whistle. These days, the Carnaval de Lantz is also danced with flashmob elan by eclectic balfolk dancers at gatherings across Europe and beyond. Hats and costumes not required!

The workshop is brought to you by Jude Brown (dance facilitation), Zoe (on fiddle), and perhaps Anna Pack (accordion/clarinet). Jude dances with various display groups and has also taught Appalachian clog. Zoe has played for dance displays and has practiced Carnaval de Lantz for our delight. Anna is a superb musician who has performed at various festivals.

Donations
£5 suggested for the workshop and/or the session, although extra helps provide fair fees to our experts and helpers, and affordable entry to others. We accept donations by cash, or PayPal (see our donations page), or you can contribute by teaching or playing for dancing.

Caring for others
We welcome diversity in our community, and encourage you to look out for everyone’s well-being.

Get involved
If you like organising gigs, getting publicity out, playing for or teaching a workshop, or can offer any photographs we could use in publicity, then we’d love to hear from you.

* * * Tickets now selling fast: Naragonia in Sheffield! * * *
Eurosession is hosting Naragonia on Sun 6 December, in the Hillsborough Park Pavilion. Reserve your place for magical music, mazurkas and more!

Zatozte dantzara! (come and dance!)
x Eurosesh

We are delighted that Naragonia Duo, Toon and Pascale are returning to Sheffield for 2026. They are perhaps our favourite musicians (shhh!), due to their vibrant weaving melodies, and their lovely kind personalities, and we look forwards to welcoming them again.

Tickets
Tickets are available via Ticketstripe and on the door (unless sold out).

Evening Schedule

15:00 – 16:00	Afternoon concert with Naragonia	£5 / £10
16:00 – 17:00	Dance workshop – intro to balfolk (Eurosession’s teachers and musicians)	£5
17:00 – 19:00	Bal Dance or listen to Naragonia	£10 / £12 / £15
19:00 – 21:00	Shared meal and session Please bring food to share – labelled for allergens and m/v/vg/gf.	All ticket-holders welcome

Tip: Use our Facebook event for last minute queries or updates!

Concert
Described by Folknotes as “modern chamber neofolk”, Naragonia won the 2024 Flanders Folk Award for “Best Live Band”. This is a rare opportunity to see and hear them create a unique and dynamic soundscape in an intimate setting.

Dance workshop
A quick introduction to some of the key dances for the evening’s bal and beyond. The workshop is brought to you with teaching and music from Eurosession’s experts. All welcome, no partner needed. Bring shoes that turn easily.

Evening bal
You are welcome to join us to dance or listen during the evening bal. Balfolk dances are a mixture of couple dances, mixers, long snaky lines, and more. We welcome dancers from other genres.

---

Venue
The Hillsborough Pavillion is a modern built community space in Hillsborough Park. (See Map and Travel information). The venue is wheelchair accessible.
We can’t offer a dedicated quiet room, but there is a sheltered porch, and the park beyond. There is a small kitchen, and there will be water available, but there isn’t a bar, and you are welcome to bring your own food and drinks.

Caring for others
Please welcome diversity in our community, and stay home if you feel unwell and infectious.

Save the date and tell your friends!
xx Eurosesh

Come and play with bourrée formations again

As we recombine after summer holidays and heat waves, for September’s Eurosession workshop we welcome Andrew Swaine, with Anna Pack, and Jo Veal. See more about the workshop below, and join us on Thursday for some interesting adventures in the land of bourrées. 

Does the description sound familiar? Some of us sampled this workshop in January, but extreme weather meant that only a select group of people were able to experience the fascinating bourrées, and we promised to have Andrew back when more people would be able to attend. It’s time!

As usual, we’ll follow the workshop with a more eclectic Eurosession, in which you can contribute dance tunes, request your favourite dance, or relax, get a drink, and chat.  For the workshop and for dancing, we recommend wearing comfortable shoes that can turn easily.  And of course, bring an instrument if you’d like to play in the session. 

Workshop: 8pm – 9pm
         Eurosession: 9pm – 11pm
Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

About the workshop

If you are interested in shapes and tessellating movements, this will be a great workshop to get to. Bourrées are often danced opposite a partner, coordinating between partners to swap position and introduce variations. In this workshop, building on that basic framework, you can learn some interesting bourrées for larger numbers of dancers, improve your capacity for nifty turns, practice moving with unflustered smoothness, and give your brain a minor workout in readiness for the year to come. 

Andrew Swaine is a caller who is a whizz at guiding a large roomful of people through complicated shapes for ceilidhs, contra and playford as well as balfolk.
Anna Pack is a musician and dancer who performs and teaches immensely danceable traditional music on diatonic accordion.
Jo Veal plays clarinet with a variety of dance bands and improvisational ensembles, and communicates expressively and creatively in her playing. 

Donations
We suggest £5 for the workshop and/or the session. Any extra helps us to offer affordable entry to our events, and provide fair fees to our experts and helpers. We accept cash, or PayPal transfers (see our donations page), or you can instead contribute by teaching or playing for dancing.

Caring for others
We welcome diversity in our community, and encourage you to look out for everyone’s well-being.

Get involved
If you like organising gigs, getting publicity out, playing for or teaching a workshop, or can offer any photographs we could use in publicity, then we’d love to hear from you.

* * * Save the date: Naragonia in Sheffield! * * *
Eurosession will be hosting Naragonia on Sun 6 December, in the Hillsborough Park Pavilion. Mark your diaries for magical music, mazurkas and more!

See you soon, x Eurosesh

Nowhere to go? Celebrate with Eurosession!

August can get a bit hectic. But for anyone wanting a nourishing way to hang out in Sheff on the 13th, we’re keeping it simple: No workshop, just freedom to play and dance as you want, co-creating Eurosession together. 8:30pm start. Yay!

Well, maybe there are a few boundaries…

As usual, for the session, we welcome trad dance tunes or songs from across continental Europe, or you can request your favourite dances, or relax, get a drink, and chat.  For dancing, we recommend wearing comfortable shoes that can turn easily.  And of course, bring an instrument if you’d like to play. 

If you’ve never come to Eurosesh before, you’re very welcome. Just be nice 😉

And the invitation for August is to gather from 8:30pm, so that’s later than normal if you usually come for the workshop, but a bonus earlier start if you only usually come for the session.  Oh, and even if Eurosession energy is still flowing beyond 11pm, the pub probably closes at midnight, which is fairly helpful if you have to get up early the next day…

Dance workshop: 8pm – 9pm,
Eurosession: 8:30pm – 11pm,
Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

* * * Save the date: Naragonia in Sheffield! * * *
Eurosession will be hosting Naragonia on Sun 6 December, in the Hillsborough Park Pavilion. Mark your diaries for magical music, mazurkas and more!

Donations
We suggest £5 for the the session. Any extra helps in keeping events affordable, whilst fairly paying our experts and helpers. We accept cash, or PayPal transfers (see our donations page); alternatively you can contribute by teaching or playing for dancing.

Caring for others
We welcome diversity in our community, and encourage you to look out for everyone’s well-being.

Get involved
If you like organising gigs, getting publicity out, playing for or teaching a workshop, or can offer any photographs we could use in publicity, then we’d love to hear from you.

See you soon,
xx Eurosesh

A beautiful stroll on a summers evening

For our dance workshop in July we will take a lilting Swedish stroll with the help of Eurosession regulars (Susannah and Emily). The menuet (i.e. minuet) is a non-contact partner dance, which will be a cooling and gentle option for a warm summer evening. See more about the workshop below.
As usual, we’ll follow the workshop with a more eclectic Eurosession, in which you can contribute dance tunes, request your favourite dances, or relax, get a drink, and chat.  For dancing, we recommend wearing comfortable shoes that can turn easily.  And of course, bring an instrument if you’d like to play in the workshop or session. 

Dance workshop: 8pm – 9pm, Eurosession: 9pm – 11pm, Venue:Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

About the workshop
The dance we’ll focus on in July is the Swedish Folk Menuet (i.e. Minuet), which has a lilting sense of elegance and grace.

This workshop is grounded in enjoying the feeling of being ‘with’ the music, and you can also gain some transferable skills relating to your body awareness and movement coordination. There’s an added interest in maintaining awareness and coordination or even subtle flirting with a partner. Plus some nifty stylistic flourishes that can be added to the basic walk of the dance. Join us on Thursday to gently indulge in your body’s love of movement. No need to bring a partner for the dancing.
This workshop is brought to you by Susannah Diamond (dance facilitator), and Emily Bowden (musician). Susannah has been sharing her love of dancing with Eurosession for many years, and Emily is a talented fiddler who shares her expressive playing with several bands and through her teaching.

* * * Save the date: Naragonia in Sheffield! * * *
Eurosession will be hosting Naragonia on Sun 6 December, in the Hillsborough Park Pavilion. Mark your diaries for magical music, mazurkas and more!

Donations
We suggest £5 for the workshop and/or the session. Any extra helps us to keep events affordable, and provide fair fees to our experts and helpers. We accept cash, or PayPal transfers (see our donations page); alternatively you can contribute by teaching or playing for dancing.

Caring for others
We welcome diversity in our community, and encourage you to look out for everyone’s well-being.

Get involved
If you like organising gigs, getting publicity out, playing for or teaching a workshop, or can offer any photographs we could use in publicity, then we’d love to hear from you.

See you soon,
xx Eurosesh

An intro for newcomers plus a twist for our regulars

For our dance workshop in June, we will revisit the ever-fertile field of the mazurka with the help of Eurosession regulars (Susannah, David, Anne, and Dan). We’ll of course cover the basic footwork, but also introduce some less familiar twists on the basic mazurka. So join us to find out more about the twiddle, or perhaps the mazango, or just enjoy an extended opportunity to dance more magical mazurkas amongst friends. See more about the workshop below.

As usual, we’ll follow the workshop with a more eclectic Eurosession, in which you can contribute dance tunes, request your favourite dances, or relax, get a drink, and chat.  For dancing, we recommend wearing comfortable shoes that can turn easily.  And of course, bring an instrument if you’d like to play in the workshop or session. 

Dance workshop: 8pm – 9pm
Eurosession: 9pm – 11pm
Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

About the workshop

The mazurka is an intriguing and favourite couple dance, which can be danced in a range of styles from spritely to languorous according to the music or partner preferences (see for example the different styles shown in this video with Naragonia). The dance swept from Poland into France in the 1830s, and was later influenced by ballroom and blues. In the workshop we’ll explain the basic principles of the mazurka for newcomers but also focus on a few stylish variations for experienced dancers. Along the way you can expect to pick up some tips for leading and following, and for balance and pivoting. No need to bring a partner for the workshop.

This workshop is brought to you by Susannah Diamond and David Beasley (dance facilitators), and Dan Hammond and Anne Wyatt (musicians). Susannah has been sharing her love of dancing with Eurosession for many years. David has taught workshops in swing dance and forró at events organised by Skint and Made. Dan (whistles and clarinet) and Anne (cello) are Eurosession regulars who have recently started playing more closely together.

* * * Save the date: Naragonia in Sheffield! * * *
Eurosession will actually be hosting Naragonia on Sun 6 December, in the Hillsborough Park Pavilion. Mark your diaries for magical music, mazurkas and more!

Donations
We suggest £5 for the workshop and/or the session. Any extra helps us to keep events affordable, and provide fair fees to our experts and helpers. We accept cash, or PayPal transfers (see our donations page); alternatively you can contribute by teaching or playing for dancing.

Caring for others
We welcome diversity in our community, and encourage you to look out for everyone’s well-being.

Get involved
If you like organising gigs, getting publicity out, playing for or teaching a workshop, or can offer any photographs we could use in publicity, then we’d love to hear from you.

See you soon,
xx Eurosesh

A delicious journey from simplicity to complexity

In preparation for May’s Eurosession, we are delighted to welcome back Anna Pack and Jo Veal, two of our talented Eurosession musicians, to lead a music workshop before the evening’s dancing begins. See more about the workshop below.

As usual, we’ll follow the workshop with a more eclectic Eurosession, in which you can contribute dance tunes, request your favourite dances, or relax, get a drink, and chat.  For dancing, we recommend wearing comfortable shoes that can turn easily.  And of course, bring an instrument if you’d like to play in the workshop or session. 

Music workshop: 8pm – 9pm
Eurosession: 9pm – 11pm
Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

Photo Credit:  Anna Pack

About the workshop

In this music workshop you will have a chance to stretch how you play traditional dance music, particularly in relation to playing with other musicians.

The workshop will focus on developing sensitivity, style and and dynamic range, and will include exercises relating to:
~ Listening attentively to others
~ Using dynamic musical energy to enhance the dance experience
~ Developing rich rhythms and harmonies
~ Innovating within the forms and genres of traditional dance music

This workshop will offer a delicious journey from simplicity to complexity, in which you can enjoy developing your skills, and celebrate the creativity of the ensemble. All skill levels and instruments welcome. Come with an intention to contribute sensitively to the collaborative endeavours of others.

Anna Pack plays diatonic button accordion and clarinet and is a member of the trio Oscina and has performed with Blowzabella’s (late) Dave Shepherd and also Nigel Eaton.
Jo Veal contributes on clarinet to a variety of dance bands and improvisational ensembles, such as Hekety, The Lantern Trio, and the Emergence Collective.  

Note:
Anna and Jo also play as a duo for European dancing, for example this Friday at Holmfirth Festival on 8 May – See you there?!

Donations
We suggest £5 for the workshop and/or the session. Any extra helps us to keep events affordable, and provide fair fees to our experts and helpers. We accept cash, or PayPal transfers (see our donations page); alternatively you can contribute by teaching or playing for dancing.

Caring for others
We welcome diversity in our community, and encourage you to look out for everyone’s well-being.

Get involved
If you like organising gigs, getting publicity out, playing for or teaching a workshop, or can offer any photographs we could use in publicity, then we’d love to hear from you.

See you soon, x Eurosesh

How to dance like a centipede

For April we are fulfilling a request for a kost ar c’hoat workshop. This dance has only 8 steps, but they are a little tricksy. On the plus side, you get to dance like a sideways centipede, with a unified body and a multitude of neatly tessellated legs, so that’s a fairly unique experience. See more about the workshop below, and come and learn to dance like a centipede!

As usual, we’ll follow the workshop with a more eclectic Eurosession, in which you can contribute dance tunes, request your favourite dances, or relax, get a drink, and chat.  For the workshop and for dancing, we recommend wearing comfortable shoes that can turn easily.  And of course, bring an instrument if you’d like to play in the session. 

Dance workshop: 8pm – 9pm
Eurosession: 9pm – 11pm
Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

About the workshop

The kost ar c’hoat is a neat little Breton dance from the gavotte family of dances. There’s a simple, typical basic set of steps, with options to subtly show off through slickness of execution and extra flourishes.

The arms are interlinked, and an ongoing pulse from the music is transmitted by the dancers as one interdependent organism. So in this workshop you will build some new connections between brain and feet, find your balance between community surrender and independent individuality, and garnish all this with the appearance of effortless energy.

Susannah Diamond has been sharing her love of balfolk at Eurosession for many years, whilst Anna Pack is a musician and dancer who performs and teaches driving danceable rhythms on diatonic accordion. 

Donations
We suggest £5 for the workshop and/or the session. Any extra helps us to keep events affordable, and provide fair fees to our experts and helpers. We accept cash, or PayPal transfers (see our donations page); alternatively you can contribute by teaching or playing for dancing.

Caring for others
We welcome diversity in our community, and encourage you to look out for everyone’s well-being.

Get involved
If you like organising gigs, getting publicity out, playing for or teaching a workshop, or can offer any photographs we could use in publicity, then we’d love to hear from you.

See you soon, x Eurosesh

Diary dates
6th April – Emily and Simon, with Feather and Fox, Crookes
18th April – Swedish Polska Workshop with Third Beat Collective, Walkley

Conviviality and craziness are in the air

March heralds the spring, and also has connections to madness… That’s a hint about our pre-session workshop with Susannah Diamond and Anna Pack. Find out more below, and join us on Thursday for some Italian exuberance and add some allegria to your spring steps. 

As usual, we’ll follow the workshop with a more eclectic Eurosession, in which you can contribute dance tunes, request your favourite dance, or relax, get a drink, and chat.  For the workshop and for dancing, we recommend wearing comfortable shoes that can turn easily.  And of course, bring an instrument if you’d like to play in the session. 

Dance workshop: 8pm – 9pm
Eurosession: 9pm – 11pm
Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

About the workshop

This workshop will highlight two popular dances from the diversity of Italian folk dances.
From the northwest of Italy comes the Sbrando, an exhilarating festival dance for groups of dancers. In the workshop we’ll explain how to build momentum to create an easy body swing and leg lift. The biggest challenge is coordinating with the music to do it on the other foot!
From the south of Italy we’ll share the Tarantella couple dance, with some distinctive phrases from the Neapolitan tradition, and some crazy conviviality from Calabria. Both offer an achievable arm-waving infusion of Mediterranean exuberance, to set you up for spring.

Susannah Diamond has been sharing her love of balfolk at Eurosession for many years, whilst Anna Pack is a musician and dancer who performs and teaches driving danceable rhythms on diatonic accordion. 

Donations
We suggest £5 for the workshop and/or the session. Any extra helps us to keep events affordable, and provide fair fees to our experts and helpers. We accept cash, or PayPal transfers (see our donations page); alternatively you can contribute by teaching or playing for dancing.

Caring for others
We welcome diversity in our community, and encourage you to look out for everyone’s well-being.

Get involved
If you like organising gigs, getting publicity out, playing for or teaching a workshop, or can offer any photographs we could use in publicity, then we’d love to hear from you.

See you soon, x Eurosesh

Diary dates
6th April – Emily and Simon, with Feather and Fox, Crookes, Sheffield
18th April – Swedish Polska Workshop with Third Beat Collective, Walkley