Preview: SHAKESPEAREAN DANCE WORKSHOP, York International Shakespeare Festival

Photo credit: John Saunders

Yesterday (26 April), we attended a Shakespearean Dance workshop at York St John as part of the York International Shakespeare Festival. Welcoming participants of all ages and levels of dance experience, this two-hour workshop led by Lottie Adcock taught the group iconic dances of the Shakespearean era such as the Pavan, the Queen’s Almaine, and La Volta.

The session started with a reading of a passage from Twelfth Night between Toby Belch and Aguecheek talking about attitudes towards dance in the era. Throughout the workshop, Adcock explained the importance of certain dances and specific steps. For example, we learnt that the high jump in a Galliard is an opportunity for men to show off to their dance partner. We found out that dance was not only a social and cultural activity, but also deeply political, as certain dances would reveal whether you had been to court, and therefore your level of political importance.

With this context in mind, we then moved on to the dances themselves. Adcock was an excellent (and very patient) teacher, starting off with easier dances such as the Pavan and working up to more complex sequences. The atmosphere in the room was supportive and friendly, allowing people to experiment and have fun, which we certainly did. Our highlight was trying the different kicking steps in the Galliard such as the Donkey or the Heron; it is said that Queen Elizabeth I did the galliard eight times each morning for her exercise, and after trying it for ourselves, we can certainly see why.

This engaging workshop was a hands-on way of learning more about the social and cultural practices of Shakespeare’s time. Not only did we thoroughly enjoy ourselves as a fan of dance, Shakespeare, and history, but we also came away feeling like we had learnt something new.

Written by Anna Nichols

For more information about York International Shakespeare Festival, please click here.