FolkEast Dance Tent

12/08/2025

Sunday 22:00 - 00:00 Late Night Ceilidh with The Climax Ceilidh Band, Kerry Fletcher Calling.

Climax Ceilidh Band have been making the dance floors tremble across festivals and the ceilidh circuit for years, putting smiles on the faces & feet of dancers all over the country.

12/08/2025

Sunday 18:50 - 20:50 Swedish workshop/dance Anna Truetler and Tone Lindgren.

An Introduction to Swedish traditional dance, led by Tone Lindgren and Anna Treutler. We will be focusing on partner dance, with an emphasis on all things Polska, a traditional dance with a three-beat feel. We will start from the ground up with learning to interpret the feel of the music, understanding the pulse and subdivisions of a tune both solo and in a pair and how we can interpret this in our dancing. We will cover the basic step and turn, as well as some fun revisions and creative additions we can make. If there is time and interest, we may also cover the Swedish Schottis as well as the Engelska- a group dance similar to ceilidh. We love exploring the connection between musician and dancer, and how we can interact and improvise within a structure together, as two parts of a whole. Both of us, Tone and Anna are experienced fiddle players and dancers, and will be demonstrating and live-accompanying the dance to create the feel of a real Swedish dance evening- or 'danskväll' as we know it! The instruction will be followed by an open dance slot where we will play duo and solo for you to test out your new skills. Please join by yourself, or with a partner/friend and come explore this amazing dance genre with us! Dance shoes not necessarily required, shoes with some slide and/or a flat sole recommended. This dance style can be at times physically demanding so we recommend that you bring water or refreshment with you. We will not be engaging in what we would consider very strenuous or acrobatic activity, and will make time for frequent short breaks. However this workshop is attended entirely at the participant's own risk, we as leaders are not liable for any injuries sustained and ask that you follow your own judgement on taking necessary breaks/sitting out of any sections that may feel too demanding as and when required.

12/08/2025

Sunday 16:45 - 17:45 Klezmer Workshop with Tanz and Jonathan Hooten.

The workshop/Ceilidh will be suitable to all adults with no experience needed. It would be helpful if young children were accompanied by an adult. There will be a number of line dances and partner/couple dances in various forms, sometimes changing partners, which are based on Jewish Wedding dances plus other Eastern European dances collected by the Jewish diaspora and now incorporated into klezmer dances. The steps/movements will be carefully taught and then performed as if in a ceilidh setting. It will all be danced to genuine Klezmer tunes. The dances are refreshingly different from many of the standard English Country dances.

The only thing that anyone attending needs to bring is enthusiasm. Since they were originally performed at Wedding ceremonies they are suitable for all.

12/08/2025

Sunday Family Ceilidh with Skylarking, Mary Panton Calling. 13:15 - 15:15

Skylarking is a 3-piece ceilidh band based in central Suffolk, England, where they are best known for their exciting blend of traditional music from Britain, France, Spain and Italy. Melodies led by bagpipes from Central France and Galicia, counter melodies on fiddle, and middle ground filled by melodeon are all well and good; but you don’t get people dancing with an interesting tune - you need a groove. So to give their unique repertoire drive and ‘danceability’, they use computer-generated rhythm tracks, which also help align the unusual European rhythms with English-style dances. Trad Disco!

12/08/2025

Now living in Scotland, I'm bringing a little bit down with me. Kirsty Jamieson-Lingard is our co-ordinator this year. A fiddle player, Hula Hooper and award winning Highland Dancer. Sunday 10:10 - 11:10 Highland Dance workshop.

By the end of this workshop you too will able to pas de basque, highland fling, strathspey, & reel. Learning
various individual steps, as a collective, we will put together a reel which can become your party piece, a
family tradition, or a future wedding dance!!

While competitive highland dancing demands high cardio & is tough on your thighs, it is also a form of
community dance. Used to earmark celebrations of death, birth & marriage, This class is for all ages, all
abilities. The steps taught can be adapted and stepped to accommodate- including for those in wheelchairs!!

12/08/2025

12/08/2025

Saturday Late Night Ceilidh with the excellent Whapweasal with Erin Mansfield calling 23:00 - 00:30.

Renowned folk dance band Whapweasel have been delighting and exhausting the folk dance enthusiasts for nearly 30 years. This solid seven piece folk rock dance band have now over that time notched up 7 albums of enthralling, turbo- charged dance music attracting rave reviews and packed dance floors and the accolade of Dance Band Of The Year at the Radio Two Folk Awards. The line up includes Saul Rose-melodeon, Stuart Finden-saxophone , Fiona Finden-saxophone, Heather Bell-keyboards, Matt Price-guitar, Brian Bell-bass, and Dan Ward on drums.

12/08/2025

Saturday 20:00 - 21:45 Bal with Xim and Kerry Fletcher.

Xim perform contemporary Balfolk music based on the instrumental heritage of Europe, with modern interpretations of these age-old traditions. The musical concepts come from the players’ many influences and the nature of the instruments, including hurdy gurdy, melodeon, flute, whistle, harmonium and bass. The band’s music has been described as funky, tension-stoked, with heavy power chords ...
ximband.co.uk

12/08/2025

Saturday 17:50 - 19:00 Salsa workshop with Alan Bull.

Level 1 (Beginners) taster Salsa class:
Warm-up:
Starts at 17.50 hrs just before your class with a few warm up steps, like line dancing with salsa steps! The music will start and the teachers will demonstrate steps and turns in time with the music and invite everybody to join in. The warm up allows you to experience moving your feet to salsa music before dancing with a partner, like line dancing with salsa steps.
The Salsa class:
Imediately after the warm-up you will be invited to form a circle for the Salsa class with, ‘leads’, facing the, ‘partners’. Once in your class Alan will explain the timing of the salsa music and demonstrate each step/turn before inviting you to join in. The pace of the class will be a little slower than the warm up making each new step a little easier to pick up, and the class will be punctuated with music allowing you to practise your new found skills in time with the music. Alan will be calling each move to the ‘leads’, just prior to enacting it and here may be a little one to one time with the ‘partners’, during the class, however this time is limited by the number of dancers in the class. The class will also be structured to offer an opportunity to dance with every other ‘lead/partner’, in the class, which is a great way to break the ice and get to know the other people in your group.
Supervised freestyle:
Immediately following your class the music will continue playing and you will be encouraged to stay on the dance floor and continue dancing for a short period of supervised freestyle dancing with fantastic salsa tracks to keep you on your feet until end of session. The everybodysalsa supervised freestyle session is an opportunity to dance with people you have just met in the class, so either stay with the partner you are with, or ask someone else from your class to dance with you, they don’t bite

I hope that this rough guide has been helpful to you and look forward to seeing you at 5.50pm on Saturday 16th August.

12/08/2025

Erin Mansfield will be with us Friday calling for The Danger! Ceilidh Band & Whapweasel on Saturday.

Erin Mansfield (she/her) is a young but very experienced caller who has worked with some of the biggest names in the UK E-Ceilidh scene. Making her festival debut at Warwick Folk Festival in 2018 with Tautas Roks, Erin has since gone on to become a favourite among festivals and ceilidh series alike; calling alongside household names like Whapweasel, The Canny Band and Granny’s Attic to name just a few! Her trademark wit, humour and insurmountable energy places Erin firmly in the realm of the UK’s top ceilidh callers.

12/08/2025

Saturday 16:45 - 17:45 Modern Molly with GlassHouse Dance Company.

Glass House Dance is a Norfolk-based dance company led by Laura Anderson and Sarah Lewis, creating joyful, inclusive spaces where everyone is invited to move, connect, and express themselves. From outdoor participatory performances to intimate workshops, their work brings people together for shared dance events and experiences. Since 2023, they’ve been digging into East Anglian folk-dance traditions and creating new folk dances that reflect and celebrate our communities today. Glass House Dance hosts trauma-informed, TLGBQIA+ inclusive spaces where everyone is welcome to join in—whether you're dancing your heart out or just dipping a toe in.

12/08/2025

Saturdays Family Ceilidh 13:15 - 15:15 3Sticks ceilidh band with caller Mary Panton.

3sticks are highly regarded favourites on the UK Ceilidh and festival circuit.
The band are a trio consisting of fiddle, guitar and percussion and play a wide range of music from the British Isles and Europe
Individually they have worked with musicians from many genres - Jethro Tull, Bill Withers, Jimmy Page, Yehudi Menuin and Simon Care to name just a few!! Collectively they create driving energetic dance music that will leave you wanting more.