Youlgreave Aug Bank Hol 2006

Ipswich Dancer - Youlgreave, Aug Bank Holiday, 2006

Grass Roots Circle Dancing with Ann Hyde and Annie Toy.
Teachers: Ann Hyde, Anne Armstrong, Pam Adcock, Helen O, Jonathan Nicholas, Alan Trangmar, Chris Yemm, David Maxwell

It was a totally unknown quantity, deciding to take up Hugh's booking for Youlgreave Village Hall and throw it open to all comers. By dint of some fancy footwork we managed to get a flyer into the Grapevine, and then sat back and waited for the phonecalls. Here are my Impressions.
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Rain drumming on the roof. Sunlight and light showers and a bright rainbow over our Taize by the river. Being greeted by inquisitive spaniels and watching the dipper hopping in and out of the water. "Bismillah" standing ankledeep in wet grass, watching the sun come out and turn the raindrops into diamonds. Singing "Oh Lord hear my prayer" and "Da Pacem Domine" and spontaneous dancing around the wooden bench (!) to the Taize Alleluia.
That tree on the other bank with misty layers of limegreen leaves floating like a Japanese watercolour against the deep green of the oaks.
The smell of patchouli incense in the quiet early morning hall.
The goodies trolley in the diningroom overflowing with fruit and cake and delicious snacks, the generous abundance of food and drink pouring into the kitchens in carrier bags and cartons. The Traditional Circle Dance Crumble. Jill L's amazing coup, swapping the contents of the compost bucket for the use of a blender from a neighbour.
Ann H's beautiful candlelit centre, and Jonathon's perfect yellow roses, and Helen's tambourine encircled by the serpent of wisdom.
The evening candlelight glittering off orange shot silk and gold sequins, mirror tiles and embroidery. White stars along the front of the stage and gold dragonflies lighting up a dark wall.
Dancing a slow careful processional to the extraordinary medieval voice of a counter-tenor singing a Spanish Sephardic piece, and the circle standing heads bowed in stillness listening to the ancient beautiful sound dropping limpidly into the expanding silence of the hall. (Mucho Mudraga,taught by Jonathon Nicholas.)
Wild boogie-ing to the pounding electronic drumbeat of a Rumanian Hora called "Rumanian Hora" which sounded like something out of an X-treme nightclub. (Anne Armstrong)
The sensuous hip-py pelvic roll and sway of Gypsy Rom and the powerful earthy stamping of Soweto Earth Dance and the tender delicacy of the Midwives Dance (Helen O).
A crazy and hysterical attempt to get everyone to do a courtly Welsh Couples dance which could have been filmed by Monty Python, (we did it in the end!) and an Israeli dance to music straight out of an Enrico Moricone spaghetti western (Chris Yemm from Wales)
Pam Adcock's beautiful new dance "Resham Firiri" to Nepalese music she'd brought back from a recent trip and the sudden surprised-by-joy reminder of how lovely Stefan's "The Boat" is.
Alan Trangmar's delicate and subtle footwork in dances from Bulgaria and Rumania. All those delicious crossing-the-music lifts and touches. A very giggly version of "Walenki". Alan and Chris standing up in the dining room during dinner, intently sharing steps and style.
The salty tang and sway of Ann Hyde's Gaelic "Doulaman" and her tender, beautiful face as she led Brenda Kelly's "Guardian Angel" dance.
Hearing the silence after the circle danced my dance to the haunting voice of the Palestinian singer Reem Kalani singing a lullaby in Arabic. (Annie Toy)
Dancing to "Freude" from Beethoven's "Ode to Joy", part of David Maxwell's choreography.
The most delicious chocolate cake with enough cherries on top for everyone to have one (Lynn).
People dropping in for a session or a day, and locals putting their heads in to find out what the music was.
The flow of animated conversation as we sat round over a bottle of red wine in the dining room after evening dancing.
Simon and Richard standing at the kitchen sink and having a complex conversation about how to optimise the peeling of potatoes.
That wonderful feeling when Helen suggested another session every day extra to the two and a half hours each teacher had already been allocated: and everyone was passionate to teach more and dance more. We did six hours and a half dancing each day.
Men in skirts and women in glitter partying on Saturday night to Anne Armstrong's wonderful eclectic music and exemplary instruction.
Noticing people quietly going about doing domestic things in the background without being asked. The friendly presence in the corner of the great fan brought by Daphne and Cath in case the weather was too hot.
Mary J. in Marigolds....
The way it didn't rain when we needed to be outside.
The stillness of the big pool in the afternoon sunlight, with the gentle rippling sounds of water shimmying over shallow weirs and mossy stones, coot and moorhen quietly chucking as they went about their business in the weed, dippers hopping on and off the stones, a black cat stalking watchfully through the clearing opposite under dark trees, and the Biggest Trout I have ever seen swimming under my hand in the cold water.
The new moon in the dark cloudy sky, the call of a hunting owl, blackberries ripening....
HOT SHOWERS!!!!! (You read it here first!)
And the lovely anticipation bubbling up through the tiredness when Ann Hyde called me to say she's booked Spring and August Bank Holidays for next year.....

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PHOTOS
A rather odd little collection with no rhyme or reason...

Youlgreave Village Hall	Flying Pig on the windvane	Spring view of the river
A typical Peak District view

Great Backdrop, not, so we kept the stage curtains closed. Rather menacing figure in the doorway though- very Hitchcockian...

David Maxwell, Jonathan and HelenO round the pianos...

Mary B's green shawl

Anne playing the spoons ...	Me and Gwennie from New Zealand. I kept the red-eye - it seemed appropriate, somehow.Hope she comes back to dance some more with us.	No privacy, but then, Richard doesn't need it to pull on a waistcoat..
This is a bit small, but we DID party...I just reduced the original down too much	Teabreak - Jonathan, Daphne, Cath,,Chris, Anne A

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The river taken in Spring 2005. A shallow, weedy rocky troutstream where dippers bob on rocks. Further up to the left, there are coot nests, and deep pools, some deep enough to swim, if you're feeling brave.

Domestic arrangements - everyone brought food, and there was a HUGE amount, it was fantastic. Teams did the cooking each day but we're going to change that, it's too much with dancing as well. And this is the view from the dining room - very artistic, taken by Richard. Slates are lovely colours...

Abundance....

trolley

Mary in Marigolds...Anne with spoons...
dishes