What to Expect

Experience

First and foremost our balls are about dancing and community. Most who attend are already familiar with English Country Dance, whether they started a few months or a few decades ago. We do welcome newer dancers and offer workshops in the weeks before the ball, but it may prove overwhelming if you turn up to the ball unprepared. Consider coming to our regular local dances to see if this is the event for you.

What to wear

Elegant formal attire will be admired but not required at the ball. What matters is that you feel wonderful and can dance the night away in comfort. The Friday night Welcome Dance is more informal but still celebratory. The Saturday workshop is informal.

Etiquette

English Country Dancing is social dancing. We aim to have fun and interact sociably with the other dancers. To that end, we have evolved some simple rules that let everyone know what to expect.

• Longways sets are formed from the top of the hall, with partners facing each other. Dancers joining a set should join at the bottom. Agree with your partner which side of the set you would each like to dance on.
• Every dance is taught briefly and walked through before we dance it. Please help the caller to do this as efficiently as possible by giving them your attention and refraining from conversation.
• We dance with different partners throughout the evening, usually changing partners for every dance. You should feel free to ask anyone for a dance. If someone asks you to dance, you may accept or gracefully decline.
• If you wish to dance the next dance, come onto the dance floor and mingle. If you prefer to rest and enjoy the music from the sidelines, take a seat.
• It is exciting to meet and dance with old friends who we see infrequently, but please help us make everyone feel included by seeking out new friends, and minimize booking ahead.

Safety

Everyone should feel safe at our ball. Please dance with consideration for your fellow dancers, with energy but without force, with zest but also with control. If anything another dancer does causes a problem, talk to them if you can, or let one of the ball committee know.

Several members of our dance community are extremely sensitive to various chemicals found in fragrances, after-shave, deodorants, colognes, etc. Please respect the guidelines for fragrance-free dancing.