Queer Social: Balfolk dancing for beginners with Stevie

This event will be half social chats with a bunch of like-minded queer people and half fun, educational and interactive dancing workshop. Come along and learn a variety of popular folk dances from France, Bretagne and Europe. Enjoy a liquorice all-sorts selection of dances done in pairs, big circles, snaking lines and sets. This is a fun and inclusive class teaching traditional dances. In paired dances, we use positional terms that are gender-free and encourage dancers to try both sides (lead and follow). Warm and welcoming, no partner or experience necessary! All dances are genuinely easy and quick to learn. What will we cover? In this class, we will: Learn basic steps for popular folk dances like the ‘hanter dro’ and ‘bourrée’ Practice comfortable hand and arm holds, learn non-verbal communication and strategies to exert agency on any dance floor Try the dances to traditional and modern pop music Learn about customs as well as where to find queer-friendly folk dance communities What to bring? Wear something comfortable. Any shoes are good, but we recommend avoiding heels – you can also dance in socks! Accessibility • Wheelchair Accessible Venue • Gender Neutral Bathrooms • Quiet Spaces • Free Tickets for First Nation Attendees Who will be teaching? Stevie Bee (they/she) is a dancer, teacher, academic and poet. Their research focuses on social justice, inclusive classrooms, trauma and harm prevention. Dance has been a salve – and Stevie wants to spread this joy, this strength in community and opportunity to ‘exhale’ from the daily challenges of living on this little blue dot. Stevie has danced professionally in Australia, Ireland, and France – and delivers weekly classes here in Melbourne. They’re passionate about queering traditional folk dance spaces and creating opportunities to get more people dancing more often. You can find out more about Stevie’s classes here @melbourne.balfolk or https://linktr.ee/Melbourne.Balfolk Important info: Buy a gift card Terms and conditions FAQ More about accessibility Photo by teacher Any other questions or accessibility requests we can help you with? Just shoot us an email at [email protected].