Ipswich Dancer  Dance Camp Wales, August 2006

My Programme. 
0800 meditation .  well, twice. 
0830 Taize. 
0930 Circledancing
1000 Not pow-wow. 
1100  Dance workshop, mostly
1300ish lunch around the circle fire.
1500  Dance workshop, mostly
1730 Circledancing
1830 Supper
nighttime Glitterball Disco, Tea Dance, Candlelit Circle Dance.

Highlights
Five Rhythms, two sessions
Biodanza, one session
Taize every morning with Jane.

Singing "Messiah" with Liz and Helen and Ed and David while dinner was being cooked. Walking into the river with several other  middle-aged ladies, all of us mother-naked,  all of us  wearing hats and glasses and jewellery. Someone saying "How frightfully British this is!" Feeling the cool silky water sliding over naked skin. Having to have a sauna to get the smell of the mud off.... Spontaneous circle dancing with Bob Minney and a few musicians on the Rest Day.  Especially Galibante, led by Stephen, Flying. Circle dance led by Rikki, Alex, Stephen, Cate, George, Diamuid, Helen O..... Hot showers early in the morning.

Getting up really early one morning and lighting the fire, putting the kettles on to heat for tea for everyone. Getting up even earlier one morning for a pee and seeing the beautiful dawn sky. Sitting up late round the fire, drinking whisky. (thanks, John!) Seeing John singing in the cafe.  Oh YEAH! Dancing under the full moon. Finding Liz and Dougie had got their stove lit and the yurt was warm and welcoming and drying off when we arrived and it was raining.

Making early morning tea for Heather in bed. Seeing our tent so pretty with its indian door hanging, and the big pot of rosemary and the wrought iron candlestick beside the front door. Hanging nightlights on the circle tree, and decorating the big wreath with sunflowers and grasses. Celebrating Lammas in the field with Heather, where the Goddess had left straw bales to use as an altar, as per instructions from Heather. Doing tarot readings for people in the circle.

Dougie, Liz, Ed going to the Glitterball Disco.  Note Dougie's Glitterball. Ian in background.  (R) Heather and me also dressed for the Disco.

The music.  Everywhere, music.  Bossanova from here, jazz from there, Klezmer from somewhere else..., tango and salsa and samba and drumming and singing... Dancing All the Time to Live Music.  To Bob Minney, and the guy with the Double Bass! and Ruth playing saxaphone and clarinet, and that woman with the welsh horn...Live Music everywhere.  It was FABULOUS.

Making  cheese sauce in a big pot on the fire, while holding an umbrella over it to stop the  rain from watering it down. Cake and Chai in the cafe. Meeting people, really meeting them in the biodanza and the Wave. . Writing poetry in Hannah's poetry workshop and Feeling the dome like a huge white canvas sail, from the inside. Reading the poetry in the loos.                                                                       Bellydancers giving their show
David, Jenny, Dougie, Liz, Chris, Adam.	Ruth

Claire and Heather showing Bindis	Anita, Heather, and Cron.  Heather in her theatre greens, yes, greens! the morning after she'd been called to a woman in labour.
Study in Blue. Sometimes the best pix happen when the flash doesn't work.   Annie and David's Yurt had the most beautiful door.
	Fire Mandala
Giving the blessing of Beauty at the men's Sun Lodge ceremony. Receiving the blessing of Beauty in the body-painting tent. During most of 2006 I had treatment for breast cancer: chemotherapy and a full mastectomy and reconstruction of the right breast.  They can do it from the inside now, so you get to keep your own skin, which is very comforting.  So this is a celebration of modern surgery and how cancer doesn't have to destroy your self-esteem.  If anyone wants to contact me about their own breast cancer, don't hesitate, email me - annietoy@tiscali.co.uk

Back to Index