Workshop Options and Dance Calling
In my English Country Dance (ECD) workshops I like to explore how to dance well to the wide range
of ECD: lyrical to boisterous, silly to sublime. I
often focus on different movement qualities, phrasing and timing, or
a few key figures.
Evening ECD programs can focus on my choreography or may include just a couple, depending on the needs and desires of the event. I can run a fun, accessible dance party or add challenge and/or a focus on styling.
I also enjoy calling Contra and Scottish Dance and teaching in a variety of K-12 and college settings, for Elderhostel and youth groups, and for community parties, barn dances, and family dances.
"Brooke is very educational in English styling." - camper at BACDS Mendocino English Dance and Music Week 2008
Here is a sample of some of the single session and weeklong workshops I have done.
Impropriety – dances of Brooke Friendly & Chris Sackett for advanced dancers
If you are completely comfortable with all the basic ECD figures and familiar with many of the unusual ones, if you learn dances quickly without needing them called after the first few times through, you'll enjoy this challenging class focusing on the more complicated dances from the Impropriety Volumes as well as newer unpublished dances.
“Brooke’s class on her choreography was the reason we attended camp and we were not disappointed – it was great!” - camper at BACDS English Dance and Music Week 2008
"Brooke was very patient with us and we learned some beautiful dances." - camper at BACDS Mendocino English Dance and Music Week 2008
Impropriety – the dances of Brooke Friendly & Chris Sackett for all
Have fun with a variety of our more accessible dances.
ECD Basics and Beyond
Whether you are a relative newcomer to ECD or it has been a passion for some years, you will enjoy this ‘basics and beyond’ class. We’ll play with a different figure each day, moving from fundamentals to a variety of expressions of that figure. All dances will be accessible and the class will be paced to match the group of dancers. We’ll take time where it’s needed and add a bit of challenge where appropriate. This class is geared for a weeklong camp.
“I learned a tremendous amount in this class (ECD Basics and Beyond), and I felt that it carried over into my dancing at other times of the day. I really love Brooke's drive and clarity.” - camper at BACDS Mendocino English Dance and Music Week 2007
Dancing the Whole Dance
Within the context of dancing excellent dances, we will spend time exploring global terminology as a tool to build community and learn (and dance) the whole dance. The teaching language will be global and geography-based, referring to position rather than gender. You will have the opportunity to dance all roles in a dance - learning the whole pattern. If you are interested in looking at a new way of teaching or building a dance community, you’ll leave with some tools and food for thought. If you want to dance a variety of enjoyable dances, the teaching language has the benefit of simplicity and clarity…there will be plenty of good dancing. This workshop can be one session and also works really well as a full week.
"Adore Brooke's insight and approach." - camper at BACDS Mendocino English Dance Week 2003
ECD Callers' Workshop
This can work well as a single discussion class, a weeklong class, a weekend intensive with time for practice calling by participants, or anything in between. I can tailor this to the needs of the participants.
"Brooke's energetic presence and mental acuity were awesome."
"The callers' workshop exceeded my expectations, letting me see beyond my goal of concise teaching to a much broader empowerment: a sense of ownership of each dance I teach, the ability to link the music with the dance to achieve the desired experience, and the intention to try, notice, and adjust the teaching."
-participants in Hands Across the Water callers' workshop in Victoria BC Canada 2011
ECD Callers' Workshop focusing on global terminology
This can work well as a single discussion class, a weeklong class, a weekend intensive with time for practice calling by participants, or anything in between. The class would follow the same basic progression of ideas as the ‘Dancing the Whole Dance’ class – from dances with no need to mention gender to dances with translation needed to dealing with improper dances and dances with significant gender role differences. We could get into discussions of programming, introducing the ideas to your local community, calling ‘away from home’, using it for teaching in schools/community dances, forming sets and so forth.
A workshop for ECD callers: ‘Doodling’ and Working with Musicians
Learn how to add musicality to your teaching even if you don’t have live music or a skilled ‘noodler’ in the band. Determine when and how to trade ‘doodling’ for ‘noodling’ to enhance your teaching. This workshop can be one session or a full week; it can stand alone or team up with musicians class on working with callers to develop new collaboration skills.Focus on a Figure
I take a single figure (rights and lefts, heys for 3, etc) and build a workshop around it - focusing on how to do the figure well. This can be at a beginning level, for all levels or at an advanced level with more challenging or unusual expressions of the figures and a faster moving class. This works well for a single workshop or over the course of a longer camp (with a different figure each day or two).
"Brooke is always clear." - camper at Bare Necessities weekend, Eugene OR 2003
The Music Will Tell You What to Do
The idea here is to do dances that require different movement styles. We’ll play with a variety of movement (waltzy or smooth 3/4 time, rant, hornpipe, etc); dances with variety of movement (including time signature changes) within them; same dance with different music; same dance/tune with different tempos and feeling; etc. This works well for a weekend or weeklong camp.
A Theme a Day
Geared for a weeklong camp, each day will have a different theme based on titles or other significant attribute (e.g. trips, maggots, architecture, dances with songs…) as a vehicle for doing a variety of familiar and not so familiar dances. This can be geared toward beginners, for all, or advanced - whatever level is needed.
A Wittman Sampler
Reconstructions of Carl Wittman – learn some familiar dances with a reconstruction you may not be used to and some reconstructions of unfamiliar or seldom done dances. More appropriate for a single session or weekend camp.
You Wanna Help?...Don’t Help!
Dance and play dance games to reduce helping (and receiving help) to its most subtle and helpful. Develop good partnering skills.
Scottish as a Second Language
An introduction to Scottish dance for English country dancers. Basic footwork and fun, relatively easy dances. Depending on the group and length of the class, it may include some comparisons to ECD.
Academic Credit - College Class
"I love Brooke's enthusiasm and depth of knowledge, not to mention unflagging good humor! I like her so much, in fact that this is my 2nd time through this class. Brooke is also great about making the material accessible and enjoyable for everyone."
"Brooke has a great way of improving people's skills in an objective, fun, supportive manner."
"She's delightful, makes the class fun while taking the subject seriously."
- students from SOU college class 2005-2007