Our Dance Program

Home
What's so good about Colonial Dancing
Classes at Glen Iris
Oncoming Events
Colonial Balls
Our Dance Program
Display Group
The Band
Contacts
Young People Meet

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 Glen Iris.

The planned program for the live music nights, on the first Wednesday of the month, in 2008 at Carlton is shown below. It is subject to change! 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 about half of the dances 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.

March 5th  2008

  1. Evening 3 Step *
  2. Walls of Limerick
  3. Lancers *
  4. Circle Waltz *
  5. Llanthony Abby
  6. Felix Fancy Free
  7. Wellington Waltz
  8. Good Man of Cambridge
  9. Duke of Atholl's Reel
  10. Swing Waltz *

    11.  

April 2nd 2008

No live music night due to the National Folk Festival that is held in Canberra at Easter time. There is no dance, at St Michael's hall in Carlton, on the Wednesday preceding Easter or the Wednesday following Easter.

May 2nd 2008

  1. Charmaine *
  2. Barn Dance *
  3. First Set *
  4. Bristol Bridge
  5. Spanish Waltz *
  6. Eightsome Reel *
  7. Plain Schottishe */Polka mazurka *
  8. Catch the Wind
  9. La Russe *
  10. Lucian's Waltz

June 4th 2008

  1. King's Waltz *
  2. Durham Rant/Reel
  3. Australian Ladies *
  4. Cyclone
  5. National Quadrille *
  6. Mairi's Wedding *
  7. Nottingham Swing
  8. Siege of Ennis *
  9. Scottish Man of War
  10. Pride of Erin *

July 2nd 2008

  1. Boston Two Step *
  2. Soldier's Joy *
  3. Love and Kisses
  4. Arkansas Traveller *
  5. The Leaf
  6. St John River *
  7. Colonial's Quadrille *
  8. Naughty Nancy
  9. Virginia Reel *
  10. Swing Waltz *

August 6th 2008

  1. Gypsy Tap *
  2. Round the house and mind the Dresser
  3. New French Cottilion
  4. Sybil's Roundabout
  5. Music Makers
  6. Walpole Cottage
  7. Waltz Country Dance *
  8. Brief Encounter
  9. Twelve Reel
  10. Dorothea Waltz *

    11.  

Sept 3rd 2008

  1. Maxina *
  2. New Madrid Waltz with fans
  3. Powell's Fancy #
  4. Lancers *
  5. Varsovienna */ Waltz Mazurka *
  6. Belle Of Bon Accord
  7. Cornish 6 hand Reel
  8. Love 'em and leave 'em
  9. Double Sir Roger de Coverley *
  10. Victory Waltz
     

Oct  1st 2008

  1. La Rinka *
  2. Adelaide Race Day *
  3. Irish Rover
  4. Alberts Quadrille *
  5. Gates of Derry
  6. Waltz Cottillion *
  7. Thady U Gander *
  8. Bunch of Fives
  9. Royal Irish *
  10. Doris Waltz *

Nov  5th 2008

  1. Military Two Step *
  2. Well Hall
  3. Fitzroys Quadrille *
  4. Mairi's Wedding *
  5. Killarney Waltz
  6. Gumnuts Quadrille
  7. Cadwyn Catrin
  8. Weavers Jig
  9. Chain Double Quadrille *
  10. Scottish Waltz

Dec 3rd 2008

  1. St Bernard’s Waltz *
  2. Antrim Reel
  3. Shrewsbury Lasses
  4. Trip to Bavaria *
  5. Margaret’s Waltz *
  6. Double Posties Jig **
  7. Charmaine *
  8. Sweets of May *
  9. Queen of Sheba *
  10. Tangoette * 

** Based on Posties Jig which is in the "Merry Country Dance" book.