1(B) - SAUT BÉARNAIS VS MUTXIKOAK
Rafaela Calheiros (PT)
This workshop invites you to explore Saut Béarnais and Mutxikoak through a more traditional way of transmission. Both rely on recurring step patterns and collective structures, but each carries a distinct movement language, rhythm, and bodily intention. Working in a circle, through repetition, observation, and shared practice, you’ll learn the dances while refining their technical and stylistic nuances. We’ll focus on musical phrasing, speed, weight transfer, posture, and the specific movement of each style. You’ll also explore the grounded flow of Saut Béarnais versus the sharper precision and faster dynamic of Mutxikoak.
1(A) - MUSICALITY IN COUPLE DANCES
Léo Proulx (FR)
How can a musical dialogue occur between musicians and dancers whilst dancing?
When there is a sudden change in the music, how can we incorporate this into our dancing? How can we play with melodies, grooves and rhythms in general?
We will discuss these and other musical ideas and explore them dance-wise. Welcome in a workshop for advanced dancers, about how to add more spices in our couple dances, here with a focus on waltzes and scottisches.
3(I) - BODY GROOVE
Dalia Pranauskaite (LT)
Body Groove - From Head to toes
In balfolk, you often focus on steps, figures, and connection with your partner. In this workshop, you’ll explore another layer of dance: groove and movement initiation through the whole body.
Inspired by house dance practices, you’ll discover how different body parts can create rhythm, direction, texture, and connection, working beyond steps to develop musical sensitivity and personal expression. Always staying rooted in balfolk vocabulary while shifting its quality through groove.
1(I) - CHOREOGRAPHIC BOURRÉES
Victor Delage (FR)
Everyone is doing the 6 players choregraphy in every bourrée nowadays. You know there exists many mores, right? This workshop invites you to discover that there are many more possibilities. Through a progressive, step-by-step approach, you’ll learn several bourrée choreographies by starting with simple movement patterns and gradually adding new rules and variations until the whole dance flows naturally. We’ll explore Double Jeu and Cassiopea. The focus is not on learning the basic bourrée step, although we may briefly revisit the fundamentals if needed before diving into the choreographies.
3(B) - NORTHERN CEILIDH NONSENSE
Lou Mather (UK)
In this workshop, you’ll explore ceilidh dances from a Celtic region in North West England, rooted in a strong tradition that focuses on fun, playful, and expressive movement. These dances are a great introduction to folk dance for any level, and a very enjoyable way to meet and dance with lots of new people. You’ll get a taster of some of the facilitator’s favourite ceilidh dances.
3(A) - CONSERVATION OF MOMENTUM
Leo Visser (NL)
In this workshop, you’ll experiment with couple dance dynamics through ideas inspired by Aikido, exploring how to transform and reuse energy in movement. You’ll learn how rotational and lateral energy can shift, helping you move smoothly between turning (like in waltz) and travelling steps without losing flow.
You’ll explore simple biomechanical ideas such as shared center of gravity and how small adjustments between two connected bodies can completely change ease and fluidity.