Come and have fun at Halsway’s Contra Dance Weekend. Gareth Kiddier (of the English Contra Dance Band no less) hosts this popular and energetic weekend led by a team of some of the most outstanding new talent on the UK scene.
This year we are delighted to be joined by callers, Rhianwen Davies and Charlotte Rich-Griffin
with live music from the band Nozzy – some of the brightest players and callers on the dance scene at the moment. Expect a high-energy experience of contra dance to vibrant, inventive music and a weekend packed with workshops and dancing: an immersive, joyful contra experience!
Who’s it For?
Dancers of all levels of experience are welcome; there will be plenty to challenge and entertain experienced contra dancers, while newcomers to contra will also be supported and included in the party! Dancers will be welcome to dance any role they choose. The callers will be using Larks and Robins as role names, instead of gendered terms.
The Team
Rhianwen Davies Rhianwen Davies is a contra, ceilidh and Playford caller based in Bristol. She has called at a variety of festivals and dance clubs from Sidmouth to Edinburgh and Cardiff to Suffolk
Charlotte Rich-Griffin is a friendly contra dance caller from Oxford. She loves sharing the joy of contra dance with dancers of all levels of experience. You may have seen her calling at Chippenham, Sidmouth or Whitby Folk Festivals.
Gareth Kiddier (of many, many bands, including PolkaWorks, The Bismarcks, Oxford Nags, English Contra Dance Band and The Watch) sits in the corner and plays the piano, and generally does what he’s told. He has been Folk Dance Coordinator at Sidmouth Folk Festival since 2015 and in this role has been keen to support new bands and callers. His favourite dinosaur is the thesaurus.
Nozzy are a high-energy lively contra dance duo from Bath. With Ozzy on piano, and Nikki on fiddle and flute, they take music from pretty much anywhere and set it to a fun and danceable beat.
