A Weekend of Sixteenth Century Italian Dance, taught by Mary Collins

We will be hosting our 21st weekend course on renaissance dance on 24th & 25th February 2024 at North Warnborough Village Hall    The course will run from 10:00 to 17:00 on both Saturday and Sunday. (The hall will open at 09:30).

Cost £110 for 2 days, £50 non-refundable deposit.  Single day cost on request.  See booking leaflet for how to book and pay.   This course is aimed at dancers who are already familiar with the 16th century Italian repertoire and who would like to improve their style and performance technique and also at musicians who want to find out about the dances that go with the music that they play. Improving the integration between dancers and musicians is a particular interest of our tutor.   The Hall is warm and roomy, and has a good floor for dancing. It has plenty of free parking and is only a short journey from Junction 5 of the M3. The nearest railway stations are at Hook (30 min service Sat, 60 min service Sun, phone in advance for local taxi to hall, 10min/£8) & Basingstoke. (Bus available on Saturday direct to hall, no bus on Sunday). 

Tea and Coffee are provided, but you will need to bring a packed lunch. On Saturday, you are invited to join us for dinner at a nearby pub (meal not included in the price of the workshop).   Mary Collins is an Early Dance specialist whose research and teaching approach has inspired musicians to look afresh at the dance music that is at the heart of the baroque repertoire bringing, in turn, a fresh perspective on the great composers spanning the renaissance and baroque eras .   Through collaboration with many of the world’s leading exponents of early music, Mary’s radical impact upon historical performance-practice is widely acknowledged. Similarly. Her work with dancers encourages a development of the musical fluency required to facilitate real communication between the disciplines.   A practitioner and researcher, Mary has worked in music, dance and theatre as adviser, choreographer, dancer and actress, touring regularly, presenting master-classes, concerts, lecture-recitals and workshops.   Mary teaches at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music in London, receiving frequent invitations from conservatoires around the world. Her teaching has introduced young musicians across the globe to a more informed realisation and performance of a dance-based repertoire spanning both renaissance and baroque epochs.