London, Ontario, Canada

The 24th Annual English Dance Weekend

March 25 - 27, 2011
Brookside Banquet Centre
99 Brookside St., London, Ontario

The 2011 Dance Weekend Brochure is available - CLICK HERE to download your copy

The event consists of a Friday night dance
Saturday workshops, a banquet and costume ball,
and a Sunday "Farewell Dance".

Leader: Judi Rivkin (Ewing, NJ)

Judi Rivkin has been dancing all her life, and started on her path as a dance leader when she moved to Seattle from New York in 1991. Weekly English country dance workshops she started in Seattle have been the source not only for dancers of all experience levels to grow and expand their knowledge and repertoire, but also for several Seattle bands to develop.

Judi's goals as a dance leader are to maximize dancing time through initial clear, cheerful and concise teaching; offer "style points" to raise the level of dance; calling in such a way that dancers feel as though they have a “personal prompter” – hearing the calls if needed, without intruding on the music; and creating an atmosphere that is comfortable for all, and conducive to goodwill and learning. She never forgets that dancing and socializing in the community are meant to be fun, that discretionary time (and funds) are at a premium, and that there's more than one way to learn a dance. Her latest endeavor has been a series of English Country Dance classes taught through the Princeton Adult School.

Judi's main influences in dance leadership have been Genny Shimer, Sue Salmons, Brad Foster, Fried de Metz Herman, Bruce Hamilton, Helene Cornelius, Christine Helwig, and her parents, who met while folkdancing in New York City. Her dad was at one time a ballroom dance teacher at Arthur Murray's own Fifth Avenue studio; later on, for many years, he led square and round dancing.

In November 2001, Judi left Seattle to return to the East Coast. She currently resides in Ewing, NJ (between Princeton and Trenton), and is an active participant in dance communities up and down the coast. When not dancing, Judi enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews, sings, and is the events manager for a program at Princeton University.

Music: Childgrove (Ann Arbor, MI)

Childgrove features Martha Stokely on oboe, pennywhistle, recorder, and kazoo, Debbie Jackson on piano, and Ann Ogren on fiddle and viola. The three bring their fluid, eclectic approach to the elegant and compelling melodies of English country dance, drawing on their backgrounds including classical, Celtic, jazz, Klezmer. and other intricate styles featuring complex rhythms and unusual harmonies. The effect is always spirited and completely danceable. Hearing this music makes you want to learn the dances that go with it.

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