We’re thrilled to be hosting Emmanuel Pariselle, Didier Oliver and Nathalie Oliver Selsis for another week exploring French music, music for dance, and the dancing itself. This week is for players of melodeon (DG), fiddle, and for dancers; you’ll need to let us know when booking which study group you would like to join.
Emmanuel will concentrate on working with melodeon players, exploring the use of chords and rhythms in accompanying traditional French dance tunes and songs (you do not need to be a singer!).
Didier will work with fiddle players, using traditional French repertoire – from south west France (rondeaux, congos, bransles etc.), central massif (bourrées, mazurkas, scottishs) and bretagne (gavottes, plinn, andros) – to explore and develop style and technique.
We’re delighted that Nathalie will be back to lead dancers in the ways of the Rondeaux, Branles, Ronde do Quercy, Congo, Scottiche, Planière Bourrée, Mazurka and more.
The evenings present opportunities to relax, play and dance informally together, and we’ll have a public Bal on the Thursday evening, with music from Emmanuel and Didier, and the students too!
Who is it for?
Music Courses: The course is aimed primarily at players of DG melodeon (with Emmanuel), fiddle (with Didier), of intermediate level and above. You’ll need to be prepared to learn tunes by ear and do some preparation work in advance. Box players will need to be happy with some right-hand chord work.
Players of other instruments – please check with us before booking.
Dance course: Dancers of all levels of experience and ability are welcome.
The Tutors
Emmanuel and Didier have played – and sung – together since 1975, and both are experienced and entertaining teachers. Emmanuel is one of France’s finest players of both the melodeon and concertina, while Didier (La Base Duo) is also a superb fiddler and also plays equally well mandolin, boha (Gascon) pipes and guitar.
Nathalie Oliver Selsis: Born into a traditional Gascon speaking family – her grandfather was a traditional singer – Nathalie was introduced to traditional dance at a very young age. Having discovered traditional dances, she went on to research traditional dance and song from collections from the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Passionate about sharing, Nathalie teaches the different dances of Gascony with a playful pedagogy that allows everyone to approach the different dances practiced in the dances of the South West of France. Trained in music therapy, Natalie wishes to transmit the benefits of music and dance in her workshops.
Her sharing of dance has taken her to different regions of France but also to different countries including Spain, Italy and Portugal.