Workshops

What would a Bal Folk festival be without its workshops? Quite boring we thought and reserved two halls from the second day onward. Workshops will be from 12 am to 4:30 pm. Time to wake up, have breakfast and learn! :-) In 2022 lovely people were willing to share their knowledge. We thank Maja, Thomas, Mara, Line, Weronika, Raven, Selma, Maik, Meike, Karl, Robin, Hilde and Ralf. Without your effort and your contribution our previous New Year's Eve festival would have not been the same! :-)

We are happy to invite you to run a workshop and to enrich our festival program. If this sounds good to you, please contact us via: info@tanzvolk-leipzig.de

Attention: There will certainly be small changes in the schedule in the next few days!

December 27th

18 o'clock

• Bal Folk Beginners' workshop – with Maik
  
  Here we are, dancing Bal Folk, but wait a minute, how does that actually work?
  Maik's beginners' workshop is all about losing your fear of the dance floor. "Step - breath - broom stroke" True to Beppo the street sweeper's motto, we approach central dances such as Scottish, Valse, possibly Mazurka and Bourrée step by step. The main focus is on couple dances, because chain and circle dances on the dance floor are so easy to get carried away with (all you have to do is smile or laugh in a friendly way and nobody will look at your feet).
  And as I said, don't worry, there are always very simple versions of the dances that should increase your chances of survival at the evening bal. So let's go, let's go, into the infinite expanses of the Bal Folk universe...

December 28th

12 o'clock

• Polska – with Ralf & Selma
  
  This workshop is shared by Ralf and Selma. Ralf will show you the steps and Selma will give you good advice on the beat and the music.
• Dancing a capella: singing and dancing songs – with Peggy & Thomas
  
  Dancing is great! Singing songs is great too! So why choose? Songwriter & choir director Peggy Luck and multi-instrumentalist & dancer Thomas Strauch explore the rarely danced repertoire with you, based on the singing voice: from the mazurka "Immer wieder wächst das Gras" and "Als ich fortging" to canons that are secretly a Schottisch to the radio hits from our youth. A song-and-dance exploration of the boundaries of folk, pop and rock.

14 o'clock

• Ensemble „Trad and creativity“ – with La Sylva
  
  Starting with a simple melody, we discover the wealth of musical material! Together we will explore ways of arranging a piece in the group. On the evening of the concert, there will be time to present what we have learned at the festival.
• Trallning: the Scandinavian art of singing without words – with Nubia
  
  You have a melodie in your head and would really like to dance to it, but you cannot play the tune or you can play the tune, but not while dancing. Or you cannot play an instrument, but would still really like to perform for dancers. If you recognise yourself in either of these situations, this might be a workshop for you. Trallning is the traditional way of singing folk melodies in Sweden and Norway. It is similar to scatting in Jazz, using nonsense words or syllables to form a melodie. If you can sing, you can trall. In this workshop, we will explore some different sounds that are very commonly used in trallning, and you will learn some Scandinavian folk tunes to trall. But most importantly, we will focus on creating a nice atmosphere with the whole group, giving room for improvisation and individual expression while enjoying making music together.
  

December 29th

12 o'clock

• 5-times waltz – with La Sylva
  
  Under the live musical accompaniment of La Sylva, we will learn to understand the rhythm and steps of this special waltz. There will also be ideas for variations and tips on how to enjoy the dance even more with your partner.
  Participants should already have some dance experience for the workshop.
• Congo de Captieux – with Ralf
  
  The Congo de Captieux - a Shakespearean drama for 4 actors. It's about love, seduction, jealousy, deceit and betrayal. A dance like life... Ralf will not only show you the strict choreography, but also how and where you can skillfully incorporate your own little free improvisations. Take care of your partners!
• Dancing a capella: singing and dancing songs – with Peggy & Thomas
  
  Dancing is great! Singing songs is great too! So why choose? Songwriter & choir director Peggy Luck and multi-instrumentalist & dancer Thomas Strauch explore the rarely danced repertoire with you, based on the singing voice: from the mazurka "Immer wieder wächst das Gras" and "Als ich fortging" to canons that are secretly a Schottisch to the radio hits from our youth. A song-and-dance exploration of the boundaries of folk, pop and rock.
• Mazurka variations or: The best mazurka takes place in the head – with Élise
  
  We start with the dance posture: how do we manage to communicate well with each other while dancing and at the same time keep our bodies in a healthy position?
  With a view to the regional differences in how the mazurka is played and danced in France, we will then try out different ways of varying our movements. We will not only learn to improvise with our posture, we will also focus on playing with the roles of leading and following.
  Get ready to re-engage in the shared, shared moment of dance!
  The basic steps of the Mazurka should be known for this workshop.

14 o'clock

• Do you want to have a ... dance with me? No - Yes - Maybe – with Emily and Tim
  
  
• Fandango – with Mara & Line
  
  And hop! We learn the basic structure and steps of the fandango in 90 minutes. A beautiful group and couple dance that originated in the south of France and northern Spain. So pack your water bottles and shoes with springs! Alléz FandanGo!
  We are Line and Mara, a balfolk dance duo - we have also been teaching queer balfolk in Leipzig for 3 years. We first met in Berlin and founded the youth dance club "Tortuga" there in 2014. We have been teaching at festivals for 9 years, give ongoing courses and are co-organizers of the dance venue "Balibalosch" in Leipzig. We look forward to seeing you!
• Sing to dance / Dance to sing: Sing to get people dancing within the dance itself – with Noiranomis
  
  We will learn how to accompany a dance by singing while being a member of the dancing people. This workshop will concentrate on circular dances from diverse regions in France. We will see, how singing gives the dance new energie without getting tired. And we will teach the dancers to both dance and sing.
  

December 30th

12 o'clock

• Less is more: micro dancing and close embrace – with Weronika
  
  All you need to know to turn tiny movements into enormously pleasurable dance. You will learn about the frame, the posture and the basics of movement quality that make the difference. Small dance goes usually with closer frame, named close embrace. You will learn how to navigate this frame and explore the abundance of what it offers to dancers.
  And have you heard about breath leading?
  Micro dancing is a part of many dance styles and fortunately more and more present in the contemporary Balfolk scene. My aim is to give you solid skills and tools to experiment with and discover your own micro experience.
• Polska – with Ralf
  
  When I think of Sweden, I think of Polska. The dance is difficult but doable. Ralf shows you the easy and the complicated. It's worth it.
• Connection Games and tips für couple dance – with Emily
  
  What about playing a few dance games with a partner, while following or leading the dance? Looking together for playfulness and lightness in the connection. A workshop not to learn additional variations but to explore deeply what makes great communication between lead & follow in couple dances (mazurka, waltz, scottish, polskas...). Between games and explorations, the group will be invited to share comments and questions...
• Branle de la Vallée d'Ossau – with Öyven
  
  The Branle d'Osseau is a chain dance from Gascony that can sometimes tie your brain in knots at first - but after a bit of practice you can swing meditatively.

14 o'clock

• Circle dances – with Maja
  
  We will travel through the countries with music and dance and be enchanted by the beauty of the sounds and melodies. The joyful togetherness in the circle is the main focus and creates a very special connection and community.
  The dances are sometimes lively and sometimes meditative and alternate between simple and challenging. They are explained step by step and are therefore also suitable for the inexperienced.
  Maja offers two workshops on the subject of circle dances. The workshops do not build on each other.
• Sing to dance / Dance to sing: Sing to make people dance without dancing yourself – with Noiranomis
  
  We will learn how to accompany a dance with singing while staying outside of the dancing people. This will be important for pair dances or dances that are very difficult to sing. The class will cover rhythm and how to begin correctly.
  
• Swedish music for (almost) all instruments – with Selma
  
  Swedish folk music is multifaceted, characterized by colourful sounds, lively rhythms and sometimes melancholic, sometimes joyful moods. After special warm-up exercises for musicians, this workshop will teach you a Swedish piece by ear, including a second part if necessary. Then we will work on typical Swedish playing style, rhythm, ornaments, etc.
  Previous experience for participation: confidence on your own instrument, playing by heart and learning by ear. As Selma is a violinist, special tricks and embellishments for violin are offered in between; however, all instruments that can play in "all" keys are welcome - e.g. Bb, Eb and F# in the same piece.
  In 2005, Selma was deeply moved by Swedish music at a dance evening. Since then, her enthusiasm has repeatedly drawn her to Sweden, where she lived for two years and immersed herself completely in music, dance and culture. Back in Germany, she is now looking forward to spreading the word.
  

December 31st

12 o'clock

• Repasseado and Arin Arin – with Mara & Line
  
  In this workshop we will travel to Portugal and get to know the "Repasseado", which originated there. This is a dance for four that is great fun and requires a bit of coordination!
  This is followed by the "Arin Arin". This is the second dance that is danced after the Fandango. You will find out what all this has to do with ABBA in the workshop!
• Relaxed dancing – with Öyven
  
  How do we find postures and movements that allow us to dance so relaxed that nothing hurts after a festival? How much tension do we need in the connection and what can we let go of with confidence?

14 o'clock

• Folky Fusion – with Emily and Tim
  
  
• Circle dances – with Maja
  
  We will travel through the countries with music and dance and be enchanted by the beauty of the sounds and melodies. The joyful togetherness in the circle is the main focus and creates a very special connection and community.
  The dances are sometimes lively and sometimes meditative and alternate between simple and challenging. They are explained step by step and are therefore also suitable for the inexperienced.
  Maja offers two workshops on the subject of circle dances. The workshops do not build on each other.
• Ear Training and tips to accompany a folk tune – with Simon Laffineur
  
  You do enjoy joining the session, but end up waiting for a tune you know. You don't feel like playing chords and accompanying a tune that you don't know. Is it possible to use the session as a practice moment to train the ear and memory, the creative process of harmonizing and improvising, without annoying other musicians ? Is it possible to learn a tune on the spot by ear, even when the tune is at a fast tempo ? And what about guessing what is going to come next even with a tune you never heard before ? Can we train the ear playing fun games and convince ourselves that we all have a musical ear, as long as we practice ? Come and play, and we'll seek answers to all these questions...