Category: Uncategorized

Because there’s more to mazurkas than meets the eye…

The sunshine is still with us but summer holidays have slipped by and September has come round again. There’s one more Eurosession to go before we get to celebrate Naragonia again, and they play some beautiful mazurkas in their repertoire. 

Although we’ll offer a quick bal basics workshop before the Naragonia gig, we have a chance this month to devote a bit more time to delve into the more marvellous possibilities of the mazurka music and dance idiom. So we’ll use the workshop to explore the mazurka as a springboard for playful and responsive possibilities. After the workshop we’ll continue with our usual format of Eurosession offers and requests.

Dance workshop: 8pm – 9pm
         Eurosession: 9pm – 11pm
                 Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB
Zoom: See below for details

About the workshop

The mazurka provides a simple off-kilter framework that is both intriguing and comforting. This workshop will invite you to begin beyond the framework, building an intuitive relationship between the musical energy and our bodies’ inclination for movement, and then learning how to communicate that with another person. We’ll use simple exercises, progressing from solo to partner work, drawing on a range of modern influences for the mazurka, from blues to tango.
All levels of experience welcome. No partner necessary. Bring shoes that turn easily. The workshop is brought to you with teaching from Susannah Diamond, and music from Jo Veal.

Caring for others
Eurosession is a welcoming community and we want everyone to feel safe.  Please stay home if you feel unwell.

Donations:
We suggest a £5 donation for the workshop, although any extra helps us to keep Eurosession inclusive and offer fair rates to teachers and musicians. We accept cash or card.

See you soon… oh, hang on, there’s more!

PS. Did we mention the forthcoming Naragonia event?
Includes a music ensemble workshop with Toon, and an intro dance workshop – tell your friends! See info and find tickets: Naragonia Quartet – Thursday 21st September 2023

Plus, this weekend: Hathersage Village Hop – 8th to 10th September.
Includes dance workshops, an aqua-ceilidh (5pm, the Lido) and an evening dance (French, Scandi, other) (8pm Memorial Hall), and indoor camping.  Cost: just £20 (not including meals), or negotiable. Contact patgoodacre@gmail.com

Right, that’ll do now,
xx Eurosesh

Eurosession are delighted to be hosting Naragonia on their return to the UK this autumn.. They created several beautiful balfolk gigs in Sheffield in past years, and we couldn’t resist inviting them back again.

Tickets
Tickets are available on our Promotix page. We can also accept cash or card on the door, but note that the music workshop may sell out in advance.

Please choose the pricing option you feel appropriate to your circumstances. Giving more helps us to support musicians with fair payment and keep prices inclusive.

Evening Schedule

18:30 – 19:30	Music ensemble workshop with Toon Van Mierlo from Naragonia	£5 / £10
19:30 – 20:15	Dance workshop – intro to balfolk with Jo, Anna & Su from Eurosession	£5
20:15 – 22:30	Bal dance or listen to Naragonia Quartet	£10 / £12 / £15

Ensemble workshop
An opportunity to work with Toon from Naragonia to create a danceable soundscape through collaboration with others. The workshop will build on skills in playing by ear and gradually introduce ways of building variations and structure into the ensemble. Expect an enjoyable experience both in listening and in playing.

Dance workshop
A quick introduction to some of the key dances for the evening’s bal and future balfolk events. The workshop is brought to you by Eurosession, with teaching from Susannah Diamond, and music from Jo Veal and Anna Pack. All welcome, no partner needed. Bring shoes that turn easily.

Evening bal
You are welcome to join us to dance, listen or chat quietly during the evening bal.. Balfolk dances are a mixture of couple dances, mixers, long snaky lines, and more. We welcome dancers from other genres. The music is sure to be a treat, and the Crookes Social Club offers a bar to quench thirsty dancers and satisfy enthralled listeners.

---

Venue
Crookes Club describes itself as Sheffield’s Premier Live Music Venue, and offers plenty of room for dancers, and a bar to satisfy thirsty dancers and enthralled listeners alike. There are carparks at both back and front. See (Website and Map)

Housekeeping
Eurosession is a welcoming community and we want everyone to feel safe.  Please stay home if you feel unwell. Also our schedule is tight – please be prompt for workshops!

See you soon,
xx Eurosesh

All the ingredients for a lovely evening and some new dances

There was a lovely buzz of people at the July Eurosession, despite competition from summer holidays, and so we’ll go with the same format for August Eurosession.
Do bring your tune offers and dance requests for another lovely laid back evening. Bring instruments, dance shoes or both as you prefer, and we’ll see if we can pull off that trick of making a bunch of people happy together all over again.
Newsflash: During the evening there’ll also be brief workshops from J2ohn Stewart and Andrew Richards, and Jo Veal on clarinet, with J2 and Andrew fresh back from Le Grand Bal de l’Europe (dance festival in France, a.k.a. Gennetines), they’ve got some dances to share, which could be Menuet de la chaîne, 3- or 4-person bourrées, or an Israeli or Eastern European dance or two.

   Eurosession (no workshop): 8:30pm – 11pm
     Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

PS. Looking ahead to September, make sure you have the Naragonia gig on Thursday 31 September in your diary so you don’t commit to owt else by mistake. It’ll be a grand opportunity to listen to beautiful musicianship and/or dance your way to intentional contentment.

Keep on Caring
Eurosession is a welcoming community and we want everyone to feel safe.  Please stay home if you feel unwell.

Donations
We suggest a £5 cash donation for the workshop, although if you give more then we can better support our teachers and musicians with fair payment. We accept cash or card.

See you soon,
xx Eurosesh

We’ll meet again in Shakespeare’s come rain or shine

It was great to see such a mix of people in town on Saturday for Chance to Dance. Despite the occasional downpour it was a pleasure to participate in such a fab day. Now we can turn our attention to Eurosession, which is coming up fast this Thursday along with a sprinkling of rain.

Summer holidays may have taken people far afield, but if you are in Sheffield, then come on down to Shakespeare’s as usual. We won’t have a workshop, but we expect a lovely laid back evening, so folk can get connected and play or dance as usual. Bring instruments, dance shoes or both as you prefer, and we’ll see how we can make a bunch of people happy together.

         Eurosession (no workshop): 8:30pm – 11pm
     Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

PS. If you still have itchy feet, but haven’t made plans, then check out Le Son Continue if you fancy a quick trip to a French festival, with concerts and dancing through the night), or later in July there’s Gennetines, an amazing dance festival beginning on Bastille Day and lasting two weeks. It’s packed with dance workshops and bals.

Keep on Caring
Eurosession is a welcoming community and we want everyone to feel safe.  Please stay home if you feel unwell.

Donations
We suggest a £5 cash donation for the workshop, although if you give more then we can better support our teachers and musicians with fair payment. We accept cash or card.

See you soon,
xx Eurosesh

Stretch your skills and weave a musical tapestry!

In June, two of our finest Eurosession musicians, Jo Veal and Anna Pack, will be leading a music workshop before the evening’s dancing begins.

After the workshop we’ll continue with our regular Eurosession of offers and requests.

So bring instruments for the workshop, and dance shoes if you want to dance later in the session.

Music workshop – 8:pm – 9:00pm
         Eurosession: 9:00pm – 11pm
     Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

About the workshop

This music workshop will focus on putting style and feeling into your ensemble playing with exercises to help you…

• Listen attentively to others 
• Develop rich rhythms and harmonies
• Innovate within the forms and genres of traditional dance music
• Use dynamic musical energy to enhance the dance experience

You will enjoy developing your skills, and celebrate the achievements of the ensemble.

All skill levels and instruments welcome. Come with an intention to contribute sensitively to the tapestry of the whole.

Jo Veal is an accomplished clarinettist, and has played European music for at least 20 years, as well as playing a key role in a variety of bands such as OutreManche, Hekety, Bell Haggs Orkestar, and other performances for improv jazz and puppetry accompaniment.  
Anna Pack discovered European traditional dancing in the 1980s and plays diatonic button accordion and clarinet, regularly performing with several duos and trios, including with Blowzabella’s Dave Shepherd and Oscina (a trio with Frances Watt and Chris Walshaw).

Keep on Caring
Eurosession is a welcoming community and we want everyone to feel safe.  Please stay home if you feel unwell.

Donations
We suggest a £5 cash donation for the workshop, although if you give more then we can better support our teachers and musicians with fair payment. We accept cash or card.

See you soon,
xx Eurosesh

Bourrée Bonanza! Do you know your Berry bourrée from your Morvan moves?

This month, led by Anna Pack and with music from Emily Bowden, we are going to take a whistle-stop tour to experience some of the distinctive styles of bourrée danced in different parts of central France.

After the workshop we’ll continue with our regular Eurosession of offers and requests. Smooth-soled shoes are helpful for the dance workshop, and instruments are welcome if you wish to play in the session later.

Dance workshop – 8:pm – 9:00pm
         Eurosession: 9:00pm – 11pm
     Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB

About the workshop

This workshop will compare and contrast a few of the key stylistic features of a bourrée dance from the Berry, Morvan and Auvergne regions, and introduce you to some typical steps. Bourrees are dynamic dances, danced as individuals in combination with others in partners, lines, squares or circles.

Rather than being an in-depth look at a particular style, by the end of the workshop we’ll have shared several distinctive aspects of each style. You may enjoy learning how to show off with apparently effortless and laid-back continental style, and experience a small amount of chaos and laughter along the way.

No previous experience, dance partner or hats necessary.

Keep on Caring
Eurosession is a welcoming community and we want everyone to feel safe.  Please stay home if you feel unwell.

Donations
We suggest a £5 cash donation for the workshop, although if you give more then we can better support our teachers and musicians with fair payment. We accept cash or card.

See you soon,
xx Eurosesh

Eurosession returns to put a spring in your step in April: Our guest musician Carol Turner will help Susannah to bring you ‘The cheat’s guide to adapting your polska!‘ a workshop on the the quintessential couple turning dance from Sweden. Note that we’re starting slightly earlier than normal.
After the workshop we’ll continue with our regular Eurosession of offers and requests. Smooth-soled shoes are helpful for the dance workshop, and instruments are welcome if you wish to play in the session later.

Dance workshop – 7:45pm – 9:00pm
         Eurosession: 9:00pm – 11pm
     Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB
Zoom changes: Check below for new details

About the workshop

In this workshop you’ll have an opportunity to gain or consolidate a working familiarity with the polska beat, which will improve your ease and balance when working with a partner. No previous experience or dance partner necessary.

But in particular we’ll share a smorgasbord of tips for adapting your dancing to a range of polska styles, from magically floaty through to driving energy, so you can gain confidence in your ability to find that elusive essence as you listen, and respond on the dance floor with a matching ‘svikt’.

Susannah has been cheekily cheating her way through different styles of polska for many years, whilst Carol is a key musician in the UK Scandi scene, taking her fiddle and nyckleharpa on regular musical study trips to Sweden, and returning to inspire dancers and musicians alike.

Keep on caring
Eurosession is a welcoming community and we want everyone to feel safe.  Please stay home if you feel unwell.

Donations
We suggest a £5 cash donation for the workshop, although if you give more then we can better support our teachers and musicians with fair payment.

See you soon,
xx Eurosesh

How do we communicate on the dance floor?

The days are still chilly and damp, but we invite you to join us for another lovely evening with Eurosession. In our March workshop, Emily Bowden will encourage dancers to develop skills in listening, connection and balance. After the workshop we’ll continue with our usual combination of dance tune offers and requests. Bring comfortable shoes that turn easily, and/or instruments if you want to play later on in the session.

Dance workshop – 8pm – 9pm
         Eurosession: 9pm – 11pm
     Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB
Zoom changes: Check below for new details

About the workshop

Rather than learning steps, in this workshop we’ll be doing some gentle exercises exploring themes of listening, connection and balance in couple dancing. We’ll also explore in more depth the roles of “leader” and “follower”. Some knowledge of dances such as the “scottishe” and “mazurka” would be helpful but not essential.

Emily Bowden has taught dance workshops for several groups including London Balfolk, Reading Balfolk, Balfolk Oxford and Sheffield Eurosession as well as private lessons in couple dancing. She is also a musician specialising in Balfolk dance music with her band Emily & The Simons. Clarinettist Jo Veal will be playing for this workshop.

Keep on caring!
Eurosession is a welcoming community and we want everyone to feel safe.  Please stay home if you feel unwell.

Donations:
We suggest a £5 cash donation for the workshop, although if you give more then we can better support our teachers and musicians with fair payment.

See you soon,
xx Eurosesh

Can you count to five? or eight?

In February, we hope to build on July’s waltzing workshop by introducing some waltzes which are more exotic in their nature. We’ll begin with the inimitable 5 time waltz, and may then stretch our focus down to the regular 3-time, and up to 8-time.

After the workshop we’ll continue with our usual Eurosession of offers and requests. Bring comfortable shoes that turn easily, and/or instruments if you want to play later on in the session.

Dance workshop – 8pm – 9pm
         Eurosession: 9pm – 11pm
     Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub ~ S3 8UB
Zoom changes: Check below for new details

About the workshop:

This workshop will begin with a focus on the more exotic 5-time waltz. This will provide newcomers to the waltz with a good fundamental understanding of the more familiar 3-time waltz, but from a more advanced perspective.

Learning how to dance a waltz in an unfamiliar time signature will strengthen your non-verbal communication skills and your awareness of the mechanics of the waltz, and although being able to count can be helpful, it’s not always necessary!

Smooth-soled shoes that turn easily are helpful, but no need to bring a partner. Instruments are welcome for playing in the session. This workshop will be brought to you with the help of dance teaching from Andrew Swaine, and musical inspiration from Jo Veal.

Keep on caring!
Eurosession is a welcoming community and we want everyone to feel safe.  Please stay home if you feel unwell or have tested positive for Covid-19

Donations:
We suggest a £5 cash donation for the workshop, although if you give more then we can better support our teachers and musicians with fair payment.

See you soon,
xx Eurosesh

An exciting evening with a French-English collaboration, and a dance workshop too

In January, we will be welcoming an exciting collaboration to Eurosession to kick off the new year. The terrific Cédric Martin is returning to play for us in Sheffield, along with local talent, Emily Bowden. This will be a night to squeeze into Shakespeare’s with all windows open! Cédric will also lead a dance workshop before the bal, which we expect will provide a richer flavour to our dance repertoire.

Cédric plays button accordion and has been leading tours with Expire, Big Jeans and Salmanazar for the last 10 or so years. He trained in classical piano and percussion in Strasbourg but has played traditional percussion instruments from much of Europe and the Middle East. He is one of the best young traditional musicians in France, having played for major festivals and won the prestigious 2010 Best Duo Competition at the Chateau d’Ars Festival. 

Emily Bowden (fiddle) is a musician, composer and teacher from London. Classically trained, she fell in love with folk music and improvisation in her early twenties and honed her skills as a dance-musician playing at clandestine mazurkas and European folk festivals. She began composing Balfolk music in 2016, drawing inspiration from the freedom and exhilaration of dance and the special interplay between musician and dancer. Since then she has been touring the folk scene in UK and Europe with her band Emily & The Simons. Her style is highly expressive, full of passion, tenderness and playfulness

Key Details:
Dance workshop: 7pm to 8:30pm
Eurosession: 9pm to 11 pm
Venue: Shakespeare’s Pub. S3 8UB

About the dance workshop – Bourrées and Branles
Cédric will teach some interesting bourrées and branles which will transmit some of the deeper flavours of regional dance style, will be helpful for those participating in the evening, and will extend our repertoire for future Eurosessions. So this will be a workout for both brain and body. Expect to become confident with moving to the energising rhythms of traditional dance, and to acquire some continental je ne sais quois – a definite but relaxed style. All welcome, wear comfortable shoes, no partner necessary.

Caring for others
Eurosession is a welcoming community and we want everyone to feel safe.  Please stay home if you feel unwell.

Tickets:
£10 / £5   Dance workshop
£10 / £8   Bal
Buy your tickets here: https://sheffield-eurosession.sumupstore.com/category/jan-2023

See you soon,
xx Eurosesh