Available website pages on which to click: in line list on smartphones. (Displayed ABOVE - on large screens.) You're at the website's Home page.
Evening Dance visit / Daytime activity visits / prebooking - all will be welcomed Friday 24/4 to Monday 27/4 at: Contact us 37th Great Alne Long Weekend - HERE - Memorial Hall (2 miles from Alcester) is at B49 6HL (The opposite houses clearly were once the Old Rail Station)
Book EARLY for a bargain All pre-bookings are a Season Ticket for all 4 days. Book now before 17th March for the best bargain. - Whilst "Early Bird" is available "Early Bird" Season Ticket page HERE until 17th March. (Ensure that you also line-up Accommodation).
Available 15th Feb. (to Finish 17th March.) Early (Irish?) Bird: a £40 Season Ticket From 17th March. to Good Friday 10th April, there's Flock-in Bird at £44 Season Ticket At £44, also less than paying on the door. Even if you can come only Friday to Sunday, do still check the full Booking Bargain prices -
- Or just come during the event & pay there as a visitor (see 2020's Provisional Prices page). If visiting, then you're equally WELCOME to come to any part of this long weekend of folk dance, music & song.
The provisional line-up includes:
Karin Bellaard - Variety mix of International Dances
Dalila Heath - Fun 'Party Dances' & traditional Amenian ones. Other International dances : some from Israel
Julian Stanley - Breton dance workshops / French Petit Bal (& musicians play along by ear) - Sun afternoon
Brian Stanton - Fri eve contra workshop. Social Dance: American & English - including Contras
Sat eve: Social dance with International
Kim Smith - Sun eve dance caller / music: Worcestershire Players
Fredy Aburto - Pan pipes & drums
James Eisner - part song workshop
James Hobro - part song workshop
Paul Lindley - hand chimes, handbells, Maypole
Adrian Jones - walk leader
The earlier planned 2020 Provisional Programme will need to be VERY MUCH MODIFIED : Karin Bellaard from the Netherlands IS coming to teach. Some other planned teachers cannot come. ( eg Elsa, who will celebrate her very special birthday with Nat - away from dance teaching) We wish her well - and many more birthdays - and we plan 2021 Gt Alne Long Weekend away from her birthday !
Day programmes will be built / amended, one by one. Meanwhile April 2019's event is probably your best guide. Since Dalila can teach us, 2020's programme will be built on 2019's general pattern.
The many varied day / eve activities, click to see EACH day of 2019! The FRIDAY's events - a quiet afternoon :SATURDAY's events :SUNDAY's events : Quieter MONDAY's events
NB. PROVISIONAL means: initial contacts are made, but times / contributors may need to be CHANGED!
You may wish to REDIRECT HERE - to VIEW/download ALL of the 2019 WORKING PROGRAMME - It's on two A4 sides and titled "PICK-UP a copy"
SEE the FULL MENU for Friday's evening Meal -HERE -
Join us on Monday More space to try those dances. Workshops which summarise - Sit down lunch/order on the day Meet Karin from theNetherlands with more of her varied dances. Meet Elsa. Enjoy her dances from S.America, S.Africa etc.
- You do not need to book to come for ALL or for ANY part of the Long Weekend - Visit and enjoy!
A uniqueextended weekend. Explore varied traditional folk activities& dancefrom around the world. Welcome to the white and raftered hall in this beautiful English Warwickshire village. We're ALL learners at some activity Many are experienced in some aspect of dance/music: We have skills to share. Join and participate with us in the dancing, music & song. OurCatering lets you enjoy all this with no need to prepare sandwiches, cook at home, or seek food. You young people up to 18yrs will carry the future in folk traditions. Take part at Great Alne with an accompanying adult at NO extra cost Just ask Gran, Aunt, cousin or friend that enjoys dance to take YOU
ALSO - See / read / download. A general - NOTE - SUMMARY HERE - about Great Alne - the area, and what April's - Great Alne Long Weekend in 2020 will be about.
At Great Alne, sample a wide range of different kinds of dancing: Some International Dancing with Karin will take place EVERY day. Dalila is likely to add to Friday evening and will teach on Saturday and Sunday. Do come to meet them and enjoy their wide-ranging and contrasting dances. Best is the quieter Friday 24th afternoon, or Monday 27th of 2020. There's 3 Evenings of Social Dancing - On Fri evening we'll mainly dance in American Contra style. Sat Eve, we welcome Brian Stanton's mainly Playford-style calling. Sun evening will be one of more general social dance. BOOK / or just COME & ENJOY these events. VISITORS are welcomed at anytime - Should it be wet out, we dance Morris INDOORS.
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Workshops You'll find Morris Dancing, Song groups and Handbells outside when we have sunny weather! Song workshops in parallel take place on Sat & Sun whilst dancing is in the hall. Workshops in dance, music, song & much more are through Friday afternoon & daytimes on Sat, Sun, & Monday.
Why Great Alne Long-Weekend happens: 1)To foster contacts ABROAD. Topromote friendship & understanding through sharing folk dance, music & song.
2)To give opportunities for dancers, musicians and everyone coming to try out different skills.
It's a chance for you to try doing something new!
So when you visit for a particular dance or workshop, why not come sooner and sample something else too. Or perhaps instead, stay to sample what comes next.
No matter if the standard seems at some times to be high. Better dancers/musicians/singers are there to SHARE their skills. And do please bring an instrument to try a few tunes in the friendly company of the occasional music workshop. "Great Alne" is organised as an opportunity to discover, exchange to pass-on these joys & skills.
3) Gt Alne Long Weekendaims ESPECIALLY to give young participants an idea of the fulfillment - That is to be found in active participation in all kinds of folk dance, folk music and traditional songs.
We hope to encourage all to come sharing a tolerant spirit - Allowing everyone to enjoy the activities, and to be able to sample something different.
The PRICE STRUCTURE tries to reflect these principles.
The workshop leaders are not paid. - Most leaders who regularly contribute just enjoy the weekend by participating in the workshops of others.
Great variety takes place at B49 6HL on these: 4 days & 3 evenings: Enjoy dancing and very much more during Spring in Shakespeare's Countryside - - in this lovely English Warwickshire Village's Memorial Hall. - Nel van der Laan visited in 2018, 2017 (& 2015). Another superb dance teacher from the Netherlands. Contact Paul for easy, free access to videos of Nel's dances being done. (As still for 2015 dances) Ask also, to obtain a CD of Nel's dance tunes.
From our ARCHIVE section. Linda Moon had been teaching some cajun moves at a late-nite session. Pete Grassby shows simultaneous skills: as an accomplished dancer AND Musician. Unannounced, he began waltzing with Linda : brilliantly doing so whilst he was still playing his melodeon ! Watching is David Bradley, who put up the lovely celebratory decorations. Click HERE: To play this moment from the site archive of Great Alne's 25th year, with Karin our teacher from NL. The melodeon & its straps are closely around Linda's back. Pete - retaining a captivating clinch - you hear entertainingly to remark (since certain understandable distractions are affecting his playing) "I really have to concentrate" then "And she can't get away". It's an ace, spontaneous occasion, late on the Sunday Eve in 2008 at our 25th Anniversary. (Unfortunately our website host: Weebly no longer supports videos: click then, on the link to view this.) (Try now, to stay on THIS website, without getting entirely distracted within YouTube.)