Dances from the 15th Century Courts of Europe

The Historical Dance and Music Summer School 2016 48th Annual Summer School

Flexible options to suit your needs and purse:

• Full course: Sunday 7th to Sunday 14th August
• Short taster course: Sunday 7th to Tuesday 9th August

Dancers' Course

Hazel Dennison draws on a diverse practice of dance and drama through productions and performance, research and conference. Originally encountering early dance while training at the Central School of Speech and Drama, she later gained the DHDS Teaching Certificate. She continues teaching at all levels of education and for summer schools, workshops and heritage programmes.

Bruna Gondoni is well-known as an inspiring dancer, teacher and choreographer of Renaissance dance. She is director of Il Ballarino, the company founded by Andrea Francalanci, her first teacher. Bruna has performed in leading festivals across the world and worked with distinguished practitioners in dance and music. As well as creating choreographies for Renaissance operas, she has collaborated with Asian dance companies.

Course content

The classes will focus on the new dances created for the courts of Northern Italy throughout the fifteenth century, elegant bassadanze, intriguing balli, dances for pleasure, entertainment and the manifestation of magnificence and virtù for the Renaissance elite in their palazzi and delizie. Both teachers will draw upon a broad spectrum of humanistic studies in their work with Bruna focussing specifically on the importance of geometric concepts in the realisation of harmony, while Hazel will develop the theatricality intrinsic to the dance dramas.

Optional afternoon workshops

These will cover the Gresley dances of fifteenth century England (Cait Webb & Chris Elmes; Paul & Ann Kent); Burgundian basse dance (Anne Daye); the earlier estampies (Charlotte Ewart) and the presentation of historical dance for the public (Charlotte Ewart).

Musicians’ course led by Keith McGowan

Keith McGowan specialises in playing woodwind instruments, performing with The King’s Singers, The Harp Consort and The Sixteen. At Shakespeare’s Globe he provided music for Twelfth Night (2002-04). He is preparing for a recording of Dufay motets in 2016 with Gothic Voices. Keith teaches at Historic Royal Palaces and Shakespeare’s Globe.

Musicians rarely get a chance to work on fifteenth century dance music in ensemble. Not much dance music got written down, and the little that was notated is often in sketchy form as an aid for dancers to learn their steps and moves, in expectation that the musicians, playing without scores, would weave that sketch into something hot. Some people might see this as a problem: others relish this as an opportunity to get creative! This is a chance to spend a week honing our skills in musical improvisation and generally getting creative with the same material that medieval musicians used as their launching-off point for their dance arrangements. Authenticity? Who really knows, and who cares. There are three stages in learning to extemporise: getting started; learning the licks; getting good. The hardest step is number one, that first jump off the board. I hope to offer the chance to work at all three levels of improvisation. Still not sure you can do it? Zorzi Trombetta (Venetian sailor and occasional trumpeter) wrote down some ideas for trumpet parts for himself ’se far danser le dames' - and he got away with some pretty wild ideas! So come and join us, and let’s hear what we can find.

There will also be ample opportunities to play from printed scores and to explore areas of repertoire and technique. There will be plenty of interaction between the dance and music courses, enriching our understanding of the culture of the time.

Where is the Summer School being held?

By car the college is 27 miles from junction 18 on M62.

If you are travelling by train the nearest stations are Preston (on the mainline from London Euston and Manchester airport), Whalley and Clitheroe. The college is about 40 minutes by car from Preston, 10 minutes from Clitheroe and from Whalley. Taxis are available at Preston. Arrangements can be made in advance to collect people from Preston, Whalley or Clitheroe.

See the college website for directions..

We will have use of the college, including the grounds, tennis courts and access to the swimming pool (for which there is a small charge). The college has several spacious dance studios, several music practice rooms and an orchestra room, quality accommodation and good food.

Accommodation is in small blocks of single bedrooms within the main body of the college. These rooms are comfortable and up to date. The shower rooms for these bedrooms are adjacent to them.

For more information about the college see the website.

See the gallery for photographs of the college

How much will it cost me?

This year you can choose how you attend the Summer School to fit your budget. You can choose to:

• Stay for the full length of the course (Sunday 7th to Sunday 14 August; departure after breakfast)
  £520 DHDS members, £560 non-members
• Attend only for the short course at the start of the week (Sunday 7th to Tuesday 9th August; departure after breakfast)
  £290 DHDS members, £315 non-members

Please download the brochure (pdf) to see all the options available.

Bursaries

The Society offers full and part bursaries for appropriate candidates in memory of Nathalie Dolmetsch, Jim Cartmell and Janet Hauton. Further details

DHDS Membership

Are you a DHDS member? You may have noticed the member’s discount available. If not, why not become a member now at £20 for a single membership and £35 for a couple?

Booking forms

To book by post and pay by cheque, please download the brochure and booking form (pdf). An online booking form for credit/debit cards and PayPal is available, but please read the information in the brochure first.

Further information

More information is given on the FAQs page. You are welcome to contact the Summer School Administrator, Alison Ede, to discuss your needs on 01322 553094 or by email to

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