Come and learn some French dances, with our wonderful tutor, Vanessa Franchetti from Monaco.

A two-hour dance workshop.

Vanessa Franchetti, a skilled and experienced French teacher from the South of France, will lead this workshop dedicated to 3 dances from the South West of France.

The "Rondeaux" are dances from Gascogne and the Landes region, and they are related to the branles of the Renaissance.

•⁠ ⁠"Rondeau en chaîne" is a dynamic dance

•⁠ ⁠"Rondeau en couples" is danced in a cortège of couples

Further South, between France and Spain, in the French Pays Basque, lots of traditional dances with specific steps are being danced with individuals dancing together in a big circle. These dances are a series of steps sometimes called by a caller in the basque language. "Les 7 sauts" is the most popular dance and this will be the 3rd dance of the workshop.

All the dances taught at the workshop will be included in the next evening bal (28 November, tickets also on sale here of from Core Members).

There is no need to bring a partner and beginners are especially welcome!

Time:

3.30pm - Registration

4-6pm - Dance Workshop, with a few breaks

Venue:

An Droichead, Cooke St, Belfast, BT7 2EP

(walking distance from the city centre)

Workshop Price:

£10.00 via Eventbrite or Core Members

£14.00 on the door (cash only)

During the workshop, there will be a little bit of French spoken as well as English, but don't panic, the body language will remain our main means of communication!

Please note that the discounted online sales will finish at noon on the day before the event for admin purposes. Numbers are limited - book early to avoid disappointment!

General information:

Balfolk is a form of folk dancing that is very popular across Europe. The music is varied in rhythm and speed, ranging from slow sensuous couple dances like the mazurka, to the fast and flowing progressive circles like the chapelloise. Our evening bals include a wide variety of these dances, from the repetitive and hypnotic Breton chains, the lively and intricate bourrées from the centre of France and the rhythmic energetic solo dances from the Pays Basque.

We are currently run a monthly bal (excluding July and August), and include a mix of repeated dances and 1 or 2 new dances each month; we also run a number of dance workshops during the year too.

Getting in!

There is a carpark at the venue, if you haven't been before, turn into Cooke Street, and the carpark is the first set of open gates on the left - you will see a Bal Feirste sign just before the first mobile building on the right, walk past a few mobile classrooms and you will see a red brick building, the workshop will take place on the first floor of this building.

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For your information, Bal Feirste is a not-for-profit organisation.

Given our limited numbers, we cannot accommodate refunds; if you wish to sell your ticket you can post a message to our Facebook page: Bal Feirste.

Description supplied by the event organiser.