'Steps for Solidarity'
Online Dance & Body Music Workshops
Calling dancers and body music makers around the world! Let’s come together, in solitary, to support the Red Cross which is currently providing essential aid to people in Ukraine. On Saturday 26th March & Saturday 2nd April there will be online dance and body music workshops delivered by international artists.
The workshops are free to attend, with all donations going to the Red Cross which provides aid during times of emergency, crisis and conflict, The Red Cross provides international support to refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants, helping them to get back on their feet after a traumatic time. At this current moment the Red Cross are providing essential aid in Ukraine and its bordering countries.
Workshop leaders:
Alison Carlyle (Scotland), Maria Monakova (Russia), Samuel Jones (Wales), Alex Ostapenko (Ukraine), Sophie Stephenson (Scotland), Siobhan Butler (USA/Ireland), Margie Beaton (Cape Breton, Canada), Danielle Enblom (Minnesota, USA), Anita Gritsch (Vienna, Austria), Sergey Alferov (Russia), Annette Collin (Ireland), Pierre Chartrand (Québec), Vera & Angela Gergel (Ukraine), Edwina Guckian (Ireland), Ben Schuetz (Germany), Antwan Davis (California, USA) Beverly L Lambert (Alberta, Canada), Hollie Jaques (Isle of Man), Gustavo "Tato" Sassone (Barcelona, Spain) and Yaëlle Azoulay (Québec).
The workshops are free to attend, with all donations going to the Red Cross which provides aid during times of emergency, crisis and conflict, The Red Cross provides international support to refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants, helping them to get back on their feet after a traumatic time. At this current moment the Red Cross are providing essential aid in Ukraine and its bordering countries.
Workshop leaders:
Alison Carlyle (Scotland), Maria Monakova (Russia), Samuel Jones (Wales), Alex Ostapenko (Ukraine), Sophie Stephenson (Scotland), Siobhan Butler (USA/Ireland), Margie Beaton (Cape Breton, Canada), Danielle Enblom (Minnesota, USA), Anita Gritsch (Vienna, Austria), Sergey Alferov (Russia), Annette Collin (Ireland), Pierre Chartrand (Québec), Vera & Angela Gergel (Ukraine), Edwina Guckian (Ireland), Ben Schuetz (Germany), Antwan Davis (California, USA) Beverly L Lambert (Alberta, Canada), Hollie Jaques (Isle of Man), Gustavo "Tato" Sassone (Barcelona, Spain) and Yaëlle Azoulay (Québec).
'Steps for Solidarity' Workshops:
All the classes are open to everyone and will take place online.
Saturday 26th March, 10:00 - 20:00 (UK Time)
Online Percussive Dance and Body Music Workshops
10:00 Manx Dancing - Hollie Jaques
11:00 Jig Steps - Maria Monakova
12:00 Languages of Rhythm - Alex Ostapenko
13:00 Welsh Clogging - Samuel Jones
15:00 Strathspey Steps - Alison Carlyle
16:00 Rhythm for Percussive Dancers - Gustavo "Tato" Sassone
17:00 Sean Nós - Siobhan Butler
18:00 Cape Breton Step Dance - Margie Beaton
19:00 Old Style Irish Jigs - Daniel Enblom
Saturday 2nd April, 09:00 - 20:00 (UK time)
Online Percussive Dance and Body Music Workshops (Zoom Link)
09:00 'Heartbeat - Grooves' - Anita Gritsch
10:00 Soft Shoe Scottish Step Dance - Sergey Alferov
11:00 Irish Set Dance - Annette Collins
12:00 Scottish Step Dance - Sophie Stephenson
14:00 Québécois Gigue - Pierre Chartrand
15:00 Scottish Step Dance in Ukraine - & Angela Gergel
16:00 Québecois Waltz-Clog - Yaëlle Azoulay
16:30 Sean Nós - Edwina Guckian
17:00 Body Rhythm - Ben Schuetz
18:00 Métis Jigging - Beverly Lambert
19:00 Stepping & Body Percussion - Antwan Davis
*Please note that the workshop times are in UK Time (click here for time zone converter)
Keep up to date via Facebook & Instagram. #StepsForSolidarity
Concert:
There will also be an online fundraising concert, featuring videos of dancers from all over the world! If you are a dancer, stepper, mover or body music maker and would like to contribute a video to this, please get in touch!
All the classes are open to everyone and will take place online.
Saturday 26th March, 10:00 - 20:00 (UK Time)
Online Percussive Dance and Body Music Workshops
10:00 Manx Dancing - Hollie Jaques
11:00 Jig Steps - Maria Monakova
12:00 Languages of Rhythm - Alex Ostapenko
13:00 Welsh Clogging - Samuel Jones
15:00 Strathspey Steps - Alison Carlyle
16:00 Rhythm for Percussive Dancers - Gustavo "Tato" Sassone
17:00 Sean Nós - Siobhan Butler
18:00 Cape Breton Step Dance - Margie Beaton
19:00 Old Style Irish Jigs - Daniel Enblom
Saturday 2nd April, 09:00 - 20:00 (UK time)
Online Percussive Dance and Body Music Workshops (Zoom Link)
09:00 'Heartbeat - Grooves' - Anita Gritsch
10:00 Soft Shoe Scottish Step Dance - Sergey Alferov
11:00 Irish Set Dance - Annette Collins
12:00 Scottish Step Dance - Sophie Stephenson
14:00 Québécois Gigue - Pierre Chartrand
15:00 Scottish Step Dance in Ukraine - & Angela Gergel
16:00 Québecois Waltz-Clog - Yaëlle Azoulay
16:30 Sean Nós - Edwina Guckian
17:00 Body Rhythm - Ben Schuetz
18:00 Métis Jigging - Beverly Lambert
19:00 Stepping & Body Percussion - Antwan Davis
*Please note that the workshop times are in UK Time (click here for time zone converter)
Keep up to date via Facebook & Instagram. #StepsForSolidarity
Concert:
There will also be an online fundraising concert, featuring videos of dancers from all over the world! If you are a dancer, stepper, mover or body music maker and would like to contribute a video to this, please get in touch!
Workshop Leaders:
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Antwan Davis (USA)
Antwan is a multi-percussionist that has Co founded the Las Vegas based performance arts company Molodi, performed with the Las Vegas and North American production of Stomp, and tour nationally with Step Afrika. He is actively performing and teaching workshops and residencies in the U.S and internationally. He has been engaging audiences for 14 years with body percussion and stepping. As a performer, he thrives on breaking down musical and genre barriers through creative, interdisciplinary projects. As a teacher he is enthused by creating community through body music, giving people a different outlet of expression. As an artist, Antwan has expanded his artistic crafts by becoming an improv actor and stand-up comedian. He strives to grow to become a better teacher, performer and person. “My passion is people, I love connecting, inspiring, sharing and creating with people.” -Antwan Davis Stepping & Body Percussion Workshop: Saturday 2nd April This percussive dance workshop is aimed to physically, mentally and emotionally challenge students, children and adults. The classes are experience based and move at each individual's level of comprehension so every student leaves with a personally better tuned instrument (their own body) than when they arrived. |
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Ben Schuetz (Germany)
Ben received his musical education at the Music College in Hanover, where he studied drums and percussion in jazz, rock, pop and music education.As a studio musician he was involved in CD and film music recordings. He supported the musical "AIDA" in more than 60 shows as a percussionist, including at the Staatstheater Darmstadt. Stylistically versatile, he drummed in big bands, jazz combos, Latin bands, rock and pop groups and a classical orchestra. For years he has been collecting and training body sounds and grooves from all over the world. Again and again he travels through South America, where he gets new inspiration for his holistic, careful and at the same time revitalizing teaching style, especially through the cooperation with artists in São Paulo. As a lecturer in body percussion and movement games, he works for well-known sponsors and institutions, including the Goethe Institute, the Saxony-Anhalt Cultural Foundation, Jugend Jazzt, the Bavarian Music Academy in Hammelburg, the Kassel State Theater and Musicians Without Borders. |
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Alex Ostapenko (Ukraine / India)
Alex plays oriental drums ( darbuka, riqq, frame drums), also cajon, djembe, didjeridoo, Peruvian flute, khandjira, looper, konnakkol and small percussion. His passion is rhythm. Rhythm can be helpful for everybody to stimulate cognitive and motor activities, to release stress, to become more creative in life and in relationships with other people. Alex leads workshops not only for professional musicians but also for teachers, facilitators and all people who are interested in musical development. One of the strongest passions of Alex is body music and body percussion as well as 'Konnakkol', the art of rhythm from Southern India. This is a universal language of rhythm that can help you develop your improvisation and creativity. Languages of Rhythm Workshop: Saturday 26th March We will explore the basics of Indian rhythmic art Konnakkol and will create little composition. This is a playful way to understand some tricky themes about the rhythm. Next "stop" in our little journey is body percussion. We will "translate" the Konnakkol composition into the body rhythm. For the most active participants there will be an interesting challenge in the end of the workshop. You want to know what will it be? Please come to the class! Join Alex's Facebook Group for the Konnakkol challenge. |
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Alison Carlyle (Scotland)
Step-dancer Alison Carlyle has been instrumental in the reintroduction of step-dance to Scottish culture over the last 25 years. She has performed extensively as a member of pioneering dance group The Scottish Step-dance Company and as a solo artist in collaboration with many musicians. Alison is an inspiring and empathetic teacher who has taught for organisations such as Ceòlas, the Adult Fèis and Scots Music Group, as well as running her own classes. Known for her traditional style and the musicality of her dancing, she loves sharing the energy and intricacy of stepdance. Strathspey workshop: Saturday 26th March Alison's workshop will focus on step-dancing to strathspeys. We'll explore the creativity and fun of step-dance, looking at rhythmic pattern and variation complementing and contrasting with the music. |
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Anita Gritsch (Austria)
Anita works with rhythm and the body in artistic and pedagogical ways: teaching seminars, courses and workshops, as well as participating in projects and performances of different kinds. For example, theatre plays for young audiences like "Mrs. FOPS Expedition Rhythmus“ or the Body Music group "Groove Crew". 'Heartbeat - Grooves' workshop: 2nd April Let’s sync our heartbeats and clap & stomp together! In this short workshop, Anita will share with you the main grooves of her composition „Heartbeat“, as well as a short choreography with body percussion. We’ll have fun moving and playing some polyrhythms as well as studying timing and pulsation together. |
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Annette Collins
Annette is an experienced and accomplished dancer of old-style step dancing. She is based in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland and her enthusiasm for step dancing was triggered as an adult, learning her craft from Patrick O'Dea, Michael Tubridy, Joe McGuiggan, Brenda O'Callaghan among others. She wholeheartedly believes that it is never too late to try something that triggers an interest, and advocates the benefits of dance for both mind and body. Her classes and workshops are characterised by her creation of a supportive and professional environment; and by her consistently inclusive and engaging style. Irish Set Dance Workshop: Saturday 2nd April Annette will teach a version of St Patrick's Day, step and set. This version is from Nellie Cox (nee Casey) of West Clare, and daughter of Thady Casey - another step dancer, as was his father. Nellie died at the age of 101 in February 2022, and this is a special tribute to her. Annette learned these steps from Patrick O'Dea who received them from Nellie. A solo "Set Dance", is a dance that has been choreographed to a particular piece of music – there can be a number of different versions of the dance – each one danced to the same music - the dance and the music have the same name. A dancer could choose to perform 2 or even 3 versions in a row, if they so wish. A Set dance is split into 2 parts, a step and a set, in this case the step is 8 bars long and the set is 14 bars long - the St Patrick's Day set dance is in jig time. Set dances can vary in length, both the step and the set. |
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Beverly Lambert (Alberta, Canada)
Born in Métis Community called Fort Vermillion Alberta. Music And Dance was a huge part of her life and she is very passionate about sharing her traditional knowledge with the world because she believes Culture can end racism, it can unite people into accepting each other's differences, and end bullying. Bev has traveled for 30 years now Promoting Cultural Knowledge and Dancing so our children will "Be Proud of Who They Are" We are all born with gifts from our Grandfathers and Grandmothers and its those Roots that will help us to succeed in our personal life. "Métis Dance for Freedom" workshop: Saturday 2nd April "Lets Get Jiggy" - Balance your life through Culture Music & Dance Easy slow motion step by step instructions with plenty of fun, interactive listening games. How can Culture inspire you ? How to use your Mind Body and Spirit to boost your self esteem ? 4 tips on overcoming Fears to lift your spirits and perform for community or in personal life. |
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Edwina Guckian (Ireland)
Edwina hails from Co. Leitrim, Ireland. Coming from a family steeped in the tradition of music and dance, her style is greatly influenced by the style of local music she grew up with across Leitrim and Roscommon. Having started teaching dancing at the age of 16, Edwina has now taught her steps and shared the stage with some of Ireland’s most influential acts such as Altan, De Danann, Dervish, Mairtín O Connor, Frankie Gavin, Kíla, Martin Hayes, Séamus Begley, and Laoise Kelly to name a few. She set up Áirc Damhsa Culture Club for youths in her area to have a space to be immersed in traditions and cultures from home and all across the world in a fun and non – competitive environment. Sean-Nós Workshop: Saturday 2nd April |
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Danielle Enblom (USA)
Danielle is a step-dancer, fiddler, and ethnochoreologist (dance historian/researcher). She specialises in the dance master traditions in Ireland, musicality/theory, and is reconnecting to her grandparents' Métis and French Canadian traditions through step dance and fiddle tunes. Danielle is the founder of The Step Collective, a project that explores traditions, and intercultural connections between fiddling and step dance traditions rooted in Ireland, Scotland, and North America/Turtle Island. She holds an MA in Ethnochoreology from Munster Technological University, a Diploma in Traditional Irish Music from University College Cork, and is a trained teacher in the Steiner/Waldorf Education System. Irish Jig Steps & Rhythm Workshop: Saturday 26th March Get to know the mechanics of an Irish jig (in 6/8), Danielle will teach a tune and break down the call and response structure, while teaching a few basic jig steps. Leave the class with a jig choreography to practice, and having improvised to an Irish jig! |
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Gustavo "Tato" Sassone (Barcelona, Spain)
Tato is a percussionist and a drummer living in Barcelona. He has been part of the tap and music group TAPEPLAS, directed by dancer Sharon Lavi, touring Europe and Israel. Also worked with the top tap dancers from Spain, including Guillem Alonso, Sharon Lavi, Laia Molins, Rubén Sánchez and Estefanía Porqueras. He taught rhythm and musicality to dancers for years, developing a program created specifically for tap dancers, includes workshops in France, Italy, UK, Barcelona and Madrid. Rhythm for Percussive Dancers workshop: Saturday 26th March
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Hollie Jaques (Isle of Man)
Born on the Isle of Man to the founder of Manx Dance group, Ny Fennee, Hollie started Manx Dancing as soon as she could walk. Hollie has been instrumental in evolving Manx Dancing from it's traditional form whilst still preserving Manx culture, combining Manx Dance with different styles including modern, contemporary & ballet resulting in ground breaking group performances. Manx Dance Workshop: 26th March Although those familiar with both Irish and Highland Dance will be able to recognise some similarities (as you'd expect due to the Isle of Man's geographical location in the middle of the Irish Sea!), Manx Dancing is unique in it's steps and construction of it's traditional dances. The workshop will begin with traveling through the basic Manx steps including the reel step and the feather step, then progress into learning a Manx Jig. Please feel free to come to the session with any questions on the history of Manx Dance and its position in Manx Culture! |
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Maria Monakova (Russia)
My passion for Irish dancing started when I first heard Celtic music in a bar. There were no Irish dance teachers in our town, so my first lessons were with Olive Hurley's videotape. Then I dedicated several years to competitive Irish dancing, and only 10 years ago discovered the “old way” to dance, which became my favourite. In Russia I learnt this tradition from Marian Conneely, Emma O'Sullivan, Ronan Regan, Tereza Bernardova, and once attended a sean-nos course at Willie Clancy Summer School. There I learnt from Mairead Casey and Mick Mulkerrin. I guess I'm still learning from a number of brilliant dancers who I watch on the Internet, but I also develop my personal steps and I love to share them Jig Steps with Maria: 2nd April In this class you will learn a couple of jig steps for intermediate level. For me, jigs are a great way to relax. No high jumps, just moderate speed and meditative movements. |
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Margie Beaton (Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada)
Margie comes from a long line of musicians, singers, and dancers in her family. Margie first took an interest in the Gaelic culture of Cape Breton through dance, enrolling in lessons at the age of four. Fiddle and piano would come in later years, each fostering new appreciation and skill in the other. Partnered most often with her sister Dawn, the two redheads from Mabou have been dancing, playing, learning, and teaching ever since, and have been fortunate to perform and instruct both locally and internationally. Cape Breton Step Dance Workshop: Saturday 26th March A vital part of what keeps the rich Gaelic culture alive and well in Cape Breton today is the long-standing music and step dance tradition. Brought over with immigrants from Scotland, Cape Breton became a stronghold for the dance to thrive both in solo presentation and social square dancing. In this workshop, Margie will instruct on some foundational steps as well as a few modern creations used in Cape Breton's common solo dance timings - the strathspey and reel, and the qualities/technique deemed most important to the style. |
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Pierre Chartrand (Montréal, Québec)
Born in Montreal, Pierre Chartrand is a dance historian-ethnologist, a choreographer, a master step dancer and an artful dance caller. Dancing for more than 45 years, he has taught and performed regularly in Québec, Canada, United States, and Europe. After his Dance Masters in La Sorbonne (Paris, 1991), he founded the Centre Mnémo, an archive centre on traditional French-Canadian dance and music. He has been awarded the international dance medal in Madagascar (August 1997) and prize of the best choreography by the Independent Reviewers Of New England (2005). He has taught on the dance program of the Université du Québec à Montréal. In 2000, he started the company 'Dance Cadence' with his wife Anne-Marie Gardette, producing shows, including: Rapetipetam, Chasse-Galerie & Le Bal des Ménestriers. Québécois Gigue Workshop: Saturday 2nd April We will learn the most frequently used steps for 3/2 dancing (Brandy, Grande gigue simple, Grondeuse…), especially those from the Saguenay region (the fjord north-east of Quebec City). |
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Sam Jones (Wales)
I am a traditional Welsh clog dancer. I have studied Welsh clog for over 25 years, focusing on modernisation and innovation of traditional steps. Welsh clog originated during industrial times. Workers from mines and quarries would dance and compete during their work breaks. The traditional form of step is danced using an inflexible wooden soled clog. The main focus is on intricate footwork. Today the tradition lives on in festivals and National competitions, with solo and group dances, which are uniquely choreographed. Welsh Clog Dance Workshop: Saturday 26th March I will be teaching a set of beginner ‘reel time’ steps that can be combined as a sequence. I will focus on the Welsh ‘shuffle’ which is fundamental to many more complicated steps within the tradition. |
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Sergey Alferov (Russia)
Sergey is Head Teacher of Moscow-based Scottish and Welsh dance studio 'Shady Glen'. He is Fellow of the UK Alliance of Professional Teachers of Dancing and an active member of the RSCDS Scottish Step Working Group. Sergey's Youtube channel ScotStep has been a useful resource for those interested in Scottish soft-shoe step dancing since 2012. Soft Shoe Scottish Step Dance Workshop: Saturday 2nd April The session will focus on a rich yet relatively little known tradition of 'balletic' step dances of Scotland, with a focus on learning several steps from the repertoire of a brilliant British dance deviser Pat Clark who passed away early in 2022. |
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Siobhan Butler (USA / Ireland)
Siobhan is a traditional percussive dancer specialising in the traditional dance practices of Ireland. Informed by decades of study and engagement with traditional percussive dance practices, Siobhan’s creative methodology is a holistic incorporation of historical, cultural, and aesthetic contexts. She is privileged to have performed and collaborated with many of the leading traditional artists of the North Atlantic including Cherish the Ladies, Kevin Burke, Nic Gareiss, Nuala Kennedy, Kieran Jordan, and John Whelan to name a few. Since moving to Ireland from the US in 2016, Siobhan’s primary dance influences are some of County Clare’s greatest Set dancers and their unique “battering” style. She is honoured to share their steps and stories as oral history, folklore, and heritage continue to serve as huge inspirations for all of Siobhan’s creative work. Siobhan holds a BA Anthropology from Goddard College and an MA Ethnochoreology from the University of Limerick. www.siobhanbutler.com Sean-nós Dance Workshop: Saturday 26th March This workshop will look at how you can take steps already in your repertoire and use them to create your own steps and/or spontaneous musical interpretations. We will look at music structure and step arrangement to help give dancers the tools to confidently improvised and choreograph their own movements. This class is open to intermediate level dancers from any percussive dance background. |
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Sophie Stephenson (Scotland)
Sophie is a dance artist, teacher and performer specialising in a close to the floor style of percussive step dance which has origins in Scotland, although the tradition was carried forward by Scottish emigrant communities in Eastern Canada. Hailing from Fort Augustus on the shores of Loch Ness, Sophie's passion for the traditional arts is rooted in her Highland upbringing and participation in cèilidh dances, music sessions and local fèisean from a young age. Sophie is particularly inspired by the rhythmical connections between language, music, song and dance, and many of her collaborations bring together puirt-à-beul (Gaelic mouth music) and dance. Sophie has also developed TradBeats, a project which brings together the core elements of voice and movement through rhythm, with Gaelic mouth music, beatboxing, step dance and body percussion. Sophie's Workshop: Saturday 2nd April Sophie will be sharing versions of steps from the 'Flowers of Edinburgh' - a solo, percussive, Scottish step dance. |
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Angela Gergel
Angela and her daughter Vera have been coming to Scotland for many years, where they have learned step dance at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Ceòlas and Fèis Rois. They have a language school for children in Kiyv where they also teach their students' scottish step dancing. The children have made yearly trips to attend Fèisean in Scotland and are probably some of the best, young Scottish step dancers in the world. Scottish Step Dance in Ukraine Workshop: Saturday 2nd April Angela and Vera will share some of their favourite Scottish steps as well as a traditional Ukranian step. |
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Yaëlle Azoulay (Québec)
Yaëlle Azoulay is a professional dancer/choreographer specialised in Quebecois traditional dancing and percussive dance (jig). She started dancing as a kid with folk ensembles from Laval and Montreal. She then explored new ways of performing and choreographing by joining the professional dance company [ZØGMA] in 2003 and becoming a part of the contemporary jig community (Fuxi Club, BIGICO) in 2005. Through a musical approach, she’s been actively developing step-dancing teaching methods for all ages and levels. Yaëlle is also a dance caller, passing on Quebecois traditional dances in various contexts of animation, Despite her young age, she has been teaching stepdancing and calling social dances for the past 15 years all over North America and abroad, which has given her a recognition as one of the best in her field on the Quebec scene. Québecois Waltz-Clog Workshop: Saturday 2nd April |
