Evening Dance or Day visits welcomed: Great Alne Long Weekend Here: our website Home page. A SUPERB APRIL WEEKEND WAS ENJOYED in 2013: With little Spring sunshine then - YET MORE DANCING INSIDE : - MUCH FULFILMENT FOR THOSE WHO DID VISIT: MANY CAME TO ENJOY THE LONG WEEKEND WITH US ! In two parts above - View what our cLICKPROGRAMME details were: Next year 2013 will be our 30th anniversary event.
Join dance, music, song & more. Share a joyful, active Spring break ! ********************************************************************************************************************************** Much goes on each April in this English Warwickshire Village Memorial Hall. Drop by ! Be welcomed at ANY time ! Pre-booking you do not need ! But you WILL again be able to: GET A BARGAIN - with our "Early Bird" offer.
"Early Bird" (details on this site) from December to the end of March for the April 2013 Anniversary Event.
In 2013, Join in ! come along ! -Participate in a wonderful long weekend ! All we ask please, is that you make an apt financial contribution ! Fri Eve, Sat & Sunday - wonderful for visitors sampling, as well as for those staying. Monday- Summarising workshops, served lunch - Oversley Wood walk - A special day.
Countryside & surroundings of Great Alne village here in the UK are delightful. Come out - explore : Especially lovely in Spring - Do see how delightful the area is by trying-out some of the suggested WALKS - SAMPLE during the Long Weekend - varied dancing, music, handbells, walking, cycling & more. Ideas of where to stay when you visit: on the Accomodationpage. Map: route directions (with a selection of interesting local walks) - here on the MAP - etc page. NB. Our superbCatererslet you enjoy all this without need to prepare sandwiches, or cook at home.
What happens at Great Alne each year?
Theextended weekend explores varied traditional folk activities & dance from around the world.
Dance patterns in 2013 hopefully through daisies around the Maypole. Join to play music, share Song, ring handbells & more. You can sample a whole range of different kinds of dancing here. Always with some General International Dancing - Last April, we also enjoyed the lively rhythms of BalkanDancesCajun,Scottish - Then there was French with Pete Grassby with an extra session of Set Bourées - Not to mention the fun of Border Morris or undoing those patterns plaited around the Maypole. Join to play music, shareSong,ringhandbells & more.
Welcome to the white and raftered hall in this beautiful English Warwickshire village. We're ALL learners at some activity: Many are experienced in dance/music: We have skills to share. Participate with us in the dancing, music & song.
********************************************************************************************************************************** HERE for all to view is one of the best of website videos ! cLICK BELOW to PLAY - An ace quiet, spontaneous moment. Sunday Eve LNE 2008. (Try then to stay on THIS website, without getting distracted within YouTube.)
Pete Grassby shows simultaneously his great skill both as dancer AND Musician: whilst he waltzes with Linda Moon. And HOW brilliantly accomplished ! The melodeon and its straps are closely around Linda's back. Pete you hear entertainingly to remark "She can't get away".
You may presently notice some anomalies here on the website. We're still in the middle of a major site overhaul.
This has recently been made possible by very helpful adaptations from "Weebly" - the hosts of our site. Although LONG hoped for, the adaptations are nonetheless greatly appreciated.
We hope that regular site visitors will like the changes, and all of the improvements longterm - especially that from Karen. She put forward (and now manages) our brill "Early Bird" option.
Programme & details for last April's long weekend were prioritised. The site's duplications etc will gradually be tidied-up.
Social dancing There will be social dancing on Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings in 2013. Bonus late dances too! Hot drinks are included in the entertainment breaks! There will be many similarities to 2012. To find out what dancing happened in Apr 2012, click here onLast Event p1 or the Last Event p2pages.
Workshops Workshops in dance, music, song & much more are throughout the day on Sat, Sun, & Monday: - to see WHAT workshops there might be, see Last Event p1 or Last Event p2 pages for the last Programme. The different kinds of workshop, right through the daytimes, have variety also from year to year. At popular times, parallel workshops take place while there is dancing in the hall. You'll find the singers, handbells & maypole outside if we are lucky enough to have sunny weather!
Guidance in a circle as a dance takes place below the raftered ceiling of Great Alne Memorial Hall.
Nel from The Netherlands showed here some International Dance steps.
These activities are all taking place within a region of lovely English Warwickshire countryside.
The excellent floor of the villages' World War I Memorial Hall allows comfortable dancing in pleasant surroundings.
You are most welcome singly, or if you arrive with a partner. Copyright; Tony Heaton 2004.
********************************************************************************************************************************** How Great Alne Long-Weekendis made available for your participation in 2012:
Pauland Nicola, on a small committee, are sharing in the tasks, especially preparation & finance.
This has enabled now, its 28th year to have been successfully completed. It will continue to be available - for the participatory enjoyment of the many who take part. André sincerely appreciates these two friends who have taken on much "spadework" in our small team.
This has allowed the ideas, effort and vision that many individuals put into the Great Alne Long-Weekend - To keep it as a continuing reality through 2012, and into the future. *************************************************************************************************
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 appears 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 one of the music workshops. "Great Alne" is organised as an opportunity for discovery and exchange.
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 with a tolerant spirit, allowing others 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. **********************************************************************************************************************************
Wish to bring a caravan? Please ring 0121 777 3722.Leave YOUR name/tel contact. And seeaccom/contact/linkspage.
Thanks
Considerable thanks are due to all of the many contributors to each of the annual Great Alne Long Weekends. Individual generosity has allowed the structure of "open exchange" of music, dance and other activities to continue, and many have freely given much of their time, energy and travel.
- Thanks for 2010 were due to -
Janet Woolbar for selecting a variety of lovely dances and for coming, despite great personal difficulties, to show these so well. To Dalila Heath for bringing her sunny personality, and more lovely dances, but from Israel and from her Armenian roots.
Especially though, to those who gave much, but wereable to be rewarded through participation, rather little.
Most particularly thus thanking - James Eisner who shared his wonderful skills in leading part song. Staying locally, he brought his wife Louise & little Benjamin. Sue Rosen for her brilliant calling for the Sunday evening Contra and to Bruce, Meg and all who played in the band. Then to Pete Grassby for his wonderful music and ace couple dances for Sunday's Late Nite Extra. Also to Jo & Guy for having so kindly made their home available for two of our teachers to stay.
Note: YOUR responsibility is for YOR SAFETY if dancing, walking, cycling etc. Parental responsibility: always for safe, sensible behaviour of YOUR children. Personal items in the hall. Leave in view in front of the stage, else at the very back of the stage. Please NOT at the hall sides. A danger for dancers ! Sides of this hall are NOT a safe place for personal items, or to set-up chairs.
Please take back any chair you've used as you get up to leave it. Do NOT let your bag or chair become an obstacle causing a dancer to FALL! **********************************************************************************************************************************
*********************************************************************************************************************************** The 2009 Great Alne website still has much of relevant and archive interest. You may revisit the older layout of previous years if you - cLICK here. This will take you across to our older website layout Great Alne 2009's Home Page. ***********************************************************************************************************************************
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