Summer school : Bourrées for 2 – 16 dancers (Belgium)

Intensive summer school:
Straight and Auvergne bourrées for 2 to 16 dancers

 

Dance workshop for intermediate and advanced dancers, with Elena Leibbrand

July 11 – 18, 2020, as part of the renowned Neufchâteau Summer School (AKDT, South Belgium)

 

Registrations will be handled only via the AKDT website, from beginning of 2020.

There, you will find the price of the workshop and options (accommodation, meals) and the link to the registration form (end of page). Watch out: book in time if you want to enjoy full board!

 

In short

The bourrées are dances of French origin, danced in couples (without touching each other) or with a number of dancers from 3 to infinite. They are characterized by fairly fast and rather slipped steps, very diverse forms, and a great potential for improvisation and play.

The form with two dancers will allow us to work on technique, communication and musicality so we can dance with great freedom. Then, we will discover a number of bourrées with 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or even 16 dancers; in a simple or double line, in a circle, a quadrette, or even in a star form or zig-zag. We will practice bourrées of a varying degree of difficulty.

 

Will we be crazy & numerous enough to try the Branle du Moulin ???

 

 

A little more info

The intentions of this workshop are manyfold:

  • Improve your bourrée technique in general, and dance without getting tired
  • Recognize the music of different types of bourrées
  • Take home a « catalog of every day bourrées « 
  • Discover and practice dances that are more complicated and / or require a large number of dancers
  • And of course, have fun!

 

On a technical level, we will work on the steps, styles, rhythms and ornaments – some aspects common to different types of bourrée, and some typical of a specific repertoire. We will also work on posture, so you can dance for hours without getting tired.

Listening exercises will teach us to distinguish a straight bourrée (2-beat or 3-beat) from a bourrée in the « Auvergne » style (generally 3-beat).

The couple form will allow us to focus on communication between partners, musicality and improvisation. Learn to be free in your dance. Study of certain figures and variations to enrich one’s vocabulary; ornaments and « frappés ».

On the other hand, we will do a lot of collective bourrées – some fairly easy to remember and to share, and others more complicated and / or requiring a large number of dancers, which we don’t often have the chance to dance in a ball.

We will dance in quadrettes (square, crossed, « crouzades »), with 6 or 8 dancers, in a circle, straight, rotating, waltzed, as a line (from 3 to x dancers) … The more dancers we are, the more possibilities there will be ! Some of « traditional » origin and others recent creations.

And why not create the bourrée « AKDT 2020 » ? !

Important information

Dance level and target audience

Intermediate and advanced level:

This week is reserved for dancers who already have some experience in Bourrées, or a solid experience in another structured dance, or at least a week of dance at the AKDT (folk, waltz, salsa …).

The basics will be (re)revised, but we will move quickly to a lot of bourrées – from simple to complicated. Please note that Bourrées are energetic dances, even if we will learn how to dance them without getting too tired.

 

Having trouble judging your dance level ? Or you prefer to speak rather than write? Then contact Elena at +32 476 99 80 51 or eledanse.danse@gmail.com in French, Dutch, English or German!

Dance partner

You can register alone, as a couple or as a group – no dance partner required !

Language(s)

The workshop will be given in French, with succinct translations into English or German if necessary. The more non-French speakers, the more translations.

 

 

So, do you want to join us ?

Tarif & Registration

Registrations will be handled only via the AKDT website, from beginning of 2020. Info will be posted here when available.

There, you will find the price of the workshop and options (accommodation, meals) and the link to the registration form (end of page). Watch out: book in time if you want to enjoy full board!

Venue

The summer school will take place at Athénée Royal,

Avenue de la Victoire 28

B-6840 Neufchâteau

Belgium

Where to sleep

The early birds can book a bed in a simple student’s room in the boarding school which is in the same building as the classroom and the canteen. (Most single rooms have one bed, one table, one chair and one sink; toilets and showers are shared).

The more resourceful or thrifty can pitch their tent right next to the building where the summer school takes place, and use the showers there. They can either cook their own food, or take (some) meals at the boarding school. There is a supermarket a few minutes walk away, and many nice cafés in Neufchâteau.

The most independent and those who appreciate being able to retire in their bubble will be able to choose one of the many B & B of Neufchâteau and beautiful surroundings. They can also choose to share (some of) their meals at the boarding school.

Dates & times

Arrival on Saturday, July 11, 2020, from 17h approximately: distribution of keys, finding your room, etc. After an evening meal, we meet for the first time together, in our classroom.

Departure is on Saturday, July 18 after lunch, so around 13h.

Please make sure you are available for the full length of the workshop.

What to bring

To protect your knees and back, bring shoes with soles that allow you to slide and turn. The bourrée is danced rather flat (choose shoes without heel, or with little heel – or socks). Bring one pair that allows dancing on concrete, for the evening dances that take place in a gym.

If you like, bring comfortable clothes for stretching on the floor, and a yoga mat, before or after class.

For the evening dances, and also for fun moments, why not bring a beautiful evening outfit ?

Facebook & car sharing

If you want to find out who’s interested, or organise a car share: find the event on facebook