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We
hold workshops on Sundays from 10.30am to 3.30pm at Durley
Memorial Hall SO32 2AD and Soberton Village Hall
SO32 3PF. See the bottom of this page for maps of the two venues.
Bring Your Own Lunch or you could try the pub up the road (although possibly
not at Durley where there is no pub within walking distance of
the hall). Tea, coffee and biscuits will
be available and you can bring your own mug if you wish.
FASH
members £10, non-members £14 and it costs just £10 to
become a FASH member.
We usually run eight workshops between September and April, comprising
six of various kinds of folk dance with live music and excellent callers,
one West Gallery music with the Madding
Crowd and one 'Do Something Different Day'. Past 'different' sessions
have included handbells, bones/spoons, miming, story telling, singing
together, shanties and more! In 2022 we had an informal get-together instead
of the "DSDD", with lots of dance and some music, which we later
called the 'FASH Winter Gathering'. This proved so popular that it has
become an annual event!.
If you fancy repeating any of these activities or can suggest new ones,
please do contact us.
A copy of our 'FASH Workshops and Covid19' Supplement is here
and we would ask you to read it before attending a workshop to see what
precautions we will be taking at the venues, and what we ask our attendees
to do to protect everyone involved.
Details of the workshops we have planned for 2026-27 are below. Please
also see our Facebook page 
for updates and news of FASH workshops. A flyer listing this season's
workshops is available here.
We
have set up an on-line calendar for those who might like to use it. You
will need a Google account (if you have an @gmail email address, you already
have an account, but if not you can register for a new account). Sign
in to your Google account then go to your google calendar. On the left
you should see something that says 'My calendars' and below that 'Other
calendars' and a '+' sign. Click on the '+' and then 'subscribe to calendar',
then where it says 'Add calendar' enter the account info for the FASH
calendar which is fashfolk78@gmail.com
If
you are a newcomer to folk dancing you might find it easier to try a ceilidh
or a dance club first to learn the basics, but everyone is welcome - with
a partner or on their own. We are a friendly crowd and will make sure
you always have someone to dance with. These are workshops, as against
"a dance night", by which we mean that the dances will be taught
and there may be a focus on improving some particular aspect, or on different
styles, or perhaps dancing in different positions. The emphasis on these
Sundays is always on enjoyment.
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18th Oct 2026
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Durley Memorial Hall
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Rachel Bending: music from
Linda Game and Thomas Bending
The music will tell you: experiments with music and
dance.
A mixed programme of dances encouraging us to play with the same figures to different music.
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15th Nov 2026
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Soberton Village Hall
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Victoria Yeomans: music from
Dave Yeomans and Linda Game
General Relativity
Einstein's theory considers time and space as two aspects
of the same concept which are inextricably interconnected
and yet have their own distinctive characteristics. We'll
explore this in a dance context through the day, using
dances from across the genres.
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13th Dec 2026
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Durley Memorial Hall
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The FASH Winter Gathering! Not a workshop!
Mainly dancing but with a few extras - a mix of callers, musicians
and styles.
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10th Jan 2027
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Soberton Village Hall
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Louise Siddons: music from
Pete and Sue Hall
From the Stage to the Social Dance Floor
Morning: Theatricality
Dances and tunes alike were written
for the theatre, appearing within plays and as entr'acte
entertainments. We will dance some of the most delightful
and learn a little bit about the plays they come
from.
Afternoon: Extras: Dances for Any Number
Theatre directors can decide how many dancers to have on
stage, but callers don't have the same luxury! From the
earliest days of social dancing, choreographers have
accommodated any number of dancers in inventive and playful
dances that welcome everyone to the floor - we'll see which
ones we need!
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14th Feb 2027
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Durley Memorial Hall
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Ivan Aitken: music from
Pete and Sue Hall
Morning: Ancient and Modern
A wide range of dances from Playford to the present day in
various styles by choreographers from both sides of the
Atlantic, and set to tunes old and new.
Afternoon: One for the Pot
A collection of Ivan's own dances, written over the last
48 years of calling, most written to celebrate
birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions and
commissions, in various different dance styles.
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28th Feb 2027
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Soberton Village Hall
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The Madding Crowd - West Gallery Music
A popular annual workshop - come to sing or play your instrument
or swap around and do both!
Booking essential
to: info@fash.org.uk
or 07779 818638
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21st Mar 2027
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Soberton Village Hall
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Nicola Scott with Claire
Coxwell, Judith and Rick Beton
Morning: English dances inspired by Scottish
moves
Some figures originated (probably) in Scottish Country
Dance and have inspired ECD choreographers. We'll dance some of them!
Afternoon: Dances from
Williamsburg
There are lots of lovely dances from the Williamsburg
group in the US, from Gail Ticknor, Lou Voosten, Jenna
Simpson and others. We'll enjoy some of their
choreography.
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25th Apr 2027
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Durley Memorial Hall
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Nigel Close: music from Pete and
Sue Hall
Morning: More or Less
We are all accustomed to 32 or 24 bar dances
made up of 8 bar phrases, but there are some interesting dances with
very different lengths. Nigel's choice for the morning session spans 5
to 40 bars!
Afternoon: Now and Then
The first thing that attracted Cecil Sharp (and many
others) to country dances was the music, often by
well-known composers, that they were set to. In recent
years, modern choreographers have plundered the archives
to find superb tunes for their new dances. Nigel has a
selection for the afternoon session that connects the past
and present in this way.
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May 2027
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The FASH AGM
Details tba
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Our AGM for 2025-26 was held on 17th May 2026.
Southern
Stepping workshop led by Simon and Jo Harmer with JigFoot at Twyford.
March 2014 |
West Gallery
workshop led by Mike Bailey of Madding Crowd. February 2014 |
And some of the comments
we have received about our workshops........
| Mentally
challenging but their dances were very interesting |
| Very clear instructions
so it was easy to dance |
| Good dancing
which seemed to be enjoyed by everyone |
| They are such
skilled musicians and make it so easy to fit the steps into their
music. Brilliant quality |
| Great music made
you want to get up and dance |
View Soberton
Village Hall in a larger map
For directions to the Soberton Hall click here.
If you use what3words for navigation, Soberton Village Hall is located at ///advising.backhand.trumpet
View Durley Memorial Hall in a larger map
For directions to the Durley Hall click here.
If you use what3words for navigation, Durley Memorial Hall is located
at ///diggers.mediate.additives
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