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The Melbourne Colonial Dancers have been meeting weekly since 1974 in an attempt to save a very rich heritage that was almost swamped by the first World War.
As we meet every week that gives us the opportunity to do a range of traditional and folk dances including Australian Old Time and influences from England, Ireland, Scotland, Europe and America. Since 2003 we have been fortunate to have had Ian Kendall to teach us some Welsh dances. More recently Julia Grant has helped with the Scottish dances, and George Ansell has helped with the English ones. That leaves our tireless team of Coral Eden, Robin Simpson and Garry Clarke to take care of everything else. Matthew King, Janet King and Norm Ellis also assist at Ashburton.
The planned program for the live music nights, on the second Wednesday of the month, in 2012 at Abbotsford is shown below. It is subject to change, but as these will be the dances that the band practises for little change is likely! In the month preceding each live music nights, these dances are practised.
To help with the dances we are making an effort to provide the instructions for them.
Dances marked with an asterisk (*) can all be found in the book "Merry Country Dance" that has been written by Peter Ellis. You can see that some dances for each month on our proposed program are included in this book. There are instructions for over 170 dances in this book. When Colonial Balls, Woolshed Balls or Tea Dances are being organised then at least 75% of the dances on those programs (and sometimes over 90%) are in this book.
"Merry Country Dance" is sold through the Bush Dance and Music Club of Bendigo. You can purchase it from the Secretary (Mary Smith) 03 54421153. E-Mail Mary by clicking here. The cost is $35 plus 8.60 postage (which will allow you have three books sent).
The instructions for any Welsh dances marked with a hash (#) can be obtained by clicking here.
The instructions for the Dorothea Waltz
can be obtained by clicking here.