Are you new in balfolk, has it been a while since you danced balfolk or do you just like to warm-up your body and feet before ball, then this is your workshop. Teachers are Louise and Marco. You don’t have to register in advance to be able to participate.

THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL. WE DON’T HAVE A WAITING LIST, BUT YOU CAN TRY AT THE FESTIVAL IF THERE’S A SPOT AVAILABLE, IT’S NOT A GUARANTEE. The Tango is a beautiful dance full of improvisation, connection, sensation and fun. In this workshop you will learn the basics of this beautiful dance. We’ll dance in a closed embrace, look for the rhythm in the music that suits us and take all the time for our movements. Tango is a technical dance without a fixed step structure. We therefore do not focus so much on learning figures but more on learning (body) technique. In this workshop we won’t combine Tango with other folk dances. No dance experience is required for this workshop. You must register in advance (as a leader or follower). Please note: this workshop lasts 4 hours (2 workshop blocks). As the workshop is long and there is limited space, we only ask you to participate if you really intend to participate until the end.

Are you new in balfolk, has it been a while since you danced balfolk or do you just like to warm-up your body and feet before ball, then this is your workshop. Teachers are Louise and Marco. You don’t have to register in advance to be able to participate.

The wonderful music of for example Naragonia is full of little treasures that we can use as a dancer. Curious about musical phenomena that are common in folk tunes? And ready to explore their impact on your dancing? Not afraid to (learn to) improvise on music? Then join this workshop! No musical knowledge required. We’re going to work with info & tips on understanding folk music : structure, rhythms, dances, styles, improvisations, differences, as well as different listening exercises, combined with variations in connection with the music of Naragonia and we’ll also practise how to improvise your own variations in connection with the music, during the dance.

A micro workshop to discover the swiss dance called ‘Aachoo’. It’s 15 minutes of bliss, communion and fun! The workshop is given by L’Air Inconnu, who will perform this Saturday.

Chanter pour danser / Danser pour chanter : Singing and leading the dance into the dance. We will explore how to lead the dance while being part of it. Mostly inside the round/group dances from differents area of France. How give the energy to the dance, how not to get exhausted, how to make the dancers answer you (in the song)This workshop will be given by Les Conteuses de Pas, one of the bands that will perform on our mainstage.

During this workshop, we will look at various characteristics of an Irish pub session. We’ll focus on the instrumental part of the session: the tunes. A bit of background is provided, such as: What is an Irish pub session and what exactly happens? What’s nice about it? What is the etiquette at an (average) Irish session? How do you best prepare yourself? And so forth. But of course we are not there to talk, but to make music! So of course that’s what we’ll mostly do. We’ll look at the different types of tunes you can encounter at an Irish session. The most common are jigs and reels, but there are many more types, which differ in time signature and tempo. Not all Irish music is easy to play in one go, so the teacher will email you some sheet music in advance, so that you can take a look at it (if you wish). We won’t immediately tackle the most difficult tunes, of course, but we will try as many different tunes as possible, so that there is a lot of variety.

The workshop is intended for instrumentalists who know their way around their instrument (reasonably) well*. Both melody instruments and accompaniment instruments (such as percussion and chord instruments) can participate. Irish music is often played smoothly, but we’ll
build up the pace slowly. * In principle, all melody instruments can participate, but you have to take this into account that if you play a B-flat instrument (such as a clarinet), you will have to play with a lot of sharps. Please note: you must register in advance for this workshop.

Chanter pour danser / Danser pour chanter : Singing and leading the dance out of the dance. We will explore how to lead the danse while note being part of it. With different bal folk dance that you can’t sing while dancing, like the one that are too exhausting to do, or the couple dances. How to give the good rythme and keep it all the dance, how to give the good impulse on the right time.This workshop will be given by Les Conteuses de Pas, one of the bands that will perform on our mainstage.

Are your feet tired of dancing? Then come relax during the boat tour through national park ‘De Wieden’ (‘The Lakes’) and enjoy the stunning views this uniquely Dutch water landscape offers. Its history is reflected in the tiny houses once owned by peat cutters, the drainage windmills and… why is there a church tower standing in the water? This nature reserve is also home to a great diversity of birds, butterflies, and other animals. If you’re really lucky, you might even spot an otter! 

The skipper will be happy to take you to the most beautiful places in National Park the Weerribben – Wieden, one of the largest “low peat” areas in Europe. Low peat (peat under water level) habitats include bog pools, wet woodland, man-made ditch systems and fen grassland. The skipper will tell you about the special history and the rich plant and animal life along the way.

Important:

• You must register in advance for this workshop. A maximum of 24 people can go on 1 boat.
• There is a contribution of 2 festival tokens (= 5,60 euro) for the tour, to help us cover the costs of the boat and guide. Hand in the coins at the Info Stand at the festival to receive your ticket for the boat.
• You will need to arrange your own transport to the visitor center (Beulakerpad 1, Sint Jansklooster). There is a carpool list at the festival where you can arrange a ride.
• The boat leaves at the start time of the workshop, so please be on time! The boat trip takes 2 hours.
• The boats are open. Check the weather forecast in advance: on an open boat, it is colder in cool weather than on land. Bring plenty of warm clothes and keep in mind there might be some rain.

A workshop about feeling and expressing your desires. About recognizing your yesses and your no’s. In a playful way we’ll explore being open about your wishes, and learn ways to communicate about consent and limits. We’ll start with tuning in to ourselves and then connecting with others. We’ll practice talking about your boundaries and experience how easy connections can become when you trust the other person to be clear about them. The workshop aims at experience and consists of a set of connection-games and a little theory. Fun for anyone interested in connecting with other people in an authentic way. The workshop may entail touch. You always can set your own boundaries and we’ll respect anyones pace. Anyone is welcome to join!

THIS WORKSHOP IS CANCELLED.