Folk Dancing in London

The first time I saw people folk dancing was at a Halloween party in 1978. This big guy in a Greek fisherman's cap was leading a dance with confidence and grace. The music was bouncy, lively and unforgettable. Intrigued, I joined in on the next dance as Bob Curry talked us all through the steps.

After a few dances I asked him where he had learned all these dances and he explained that he was a PE teacher and had gathered dances from many workshops over the years so that he could teach them to his PE students. He also mentioned that he taught folk dancing at a local recreation center in Ashland Oregon on Friday evening.

I talked to a few more people and got the details of this group. The following Friday my three young children and I attended our first folk dance.

Several people brought their children to folk dancing although the kids only danced two or three days all night. I liked that there were specific dances that included the kids and they enjoyed getting out with the adults and enjoying the dancing.

There was a nice side room with wide French doors where the kids played in between "kid" dances. Parents could keep an eye on them or take a break from dancing to be with them while still watching the rest of the dances. It was a great set up for families as well as people without children who could dance without someone's kids under foot.

Over the years folk dancing has been a big part of our lives. Two of my three children joined a children's folk dance troupe and performed in many festivals around Portland and up in Seattle.
I loved the dancing but I would not have continued with it is my children could not have been involved.


So here I am back in London and I have been looking for activities I can participate in outside of school. Not too far away in Camden Town is the Cecil Sharpe House which is a dancer's dream venue. There are half a dozen dance floors in this building all the way from as large as a basketball court, to dance studio size.

Each Friday evening a lovely group called Friday Feet meets in one of the medium size dance spaces. A group of 12-15 people attend each week, some new to dancing but many who have been folk dancing for many years. The teachers, Pam and Ann, are funny, gentle and excellent teachers. Very much like that big guy 31 years ago who showed my children and I what fun could be had at folk dancing.