Workshops
I have been teaching dance workshops since the 1990s. Most have been in the UK, but I've also taught in Ireland, France, Switzerland, the USA, the Bahamas, and Australia.
Upcoming Workshops
10-16 July 2010 - Findhorn, Scotland
The Findhorn Sacred Dance Festival
I shall be teaching an ongoing class through the week, leading my Late Night Rom session, and
generally being around and about. I'll also be playing dance music with
Gadje Dilo.
Write to me for more details
andy@andybettis.com
25-30 July 2010 - Oliverea NY, USA
Circle Dance Camp New England
A week of dance in the beautiful Catskill Mountains.
Contact Ashara
asharaproducllc@aol.com
9 April 2011 - Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
Dancing with Fire in your Soul - a day of Rom & Balkan dance.
Contact Jacqueline Quinn
quinnjacqueline@aol.com
14 May 2011 - Malvern, England
A day workshop with new delights and old favourites.
Contact Sunnara Vivian
sunnaravivian@waitrose.com
15 May 2011 - Cardiff, Wales
Dancing with Fire in your Soul - another day of Rom & Balkan dance.
Contact Angela Lockwood
angelalockwood@talktalk.net
Arranging a workshop with me
If you're interested in having me come and teach a workshop in your
area please contact me and we can discuss the details.
I'm based in Northern Scotland but I'm a good traveller!
I've taught groups large and small, from complete beginners to experienced dancers to mixed ability participants. I can tailor a programme to suit most requirements but there are a few themes that I specialise in:
There's something about dances from this part of South-Eastern Europe that fascinates me, the mix of simplicity, subtlety and trickiness makes them incredibly rewarding to explore and enjoy.
Most Western popular music is written in regular 4/4 rhythms, with maybe the occasional 3/4 waltz. But there's a whole other exotic world of rhythms to dance to - 7/8, 9/8, 5/4, 12/8, 17/8, 22/8 and beyond. Learn to delight in the mysteries of strange beats.
The sensuality of Rom dances is something wonderful to be experienced, especially with the huge range of fabulous music to dance to.
A large part of my dance work at Findhorn involves working with beginners or people who don't think of themselves as dancers. If you can walk in the door I'll have you dancing!
There's always a delicate balancing act in dance groups between doing it right and expressing yourself - too far one way and it feels like an examination, too far the other and there's no sense of group unity. There's a middle path that manages to celebrate individuality and group feeling, and allows people to feel fully present in a shared experience. This workshop explores that path.
Some dances, often the oldest and simplest ones, can reveal great depths and treasures when approached in a ritual context. This can often be helped by dancing them to long pieces of music, or to several different pieces. A chance to get deeper into the dances, the dancing, the group, and yourself.