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Last revised - Nov 9th, 2009.
Some recent comments from my customers: 'The caller for the 2008 dance week will again be John Turner who provided a truly excellent week of dance for us here in 2007. He was recommended by many who had been to previous dance weeks as an individual who would be very suited to the nature of this dance week in France. He certainly made the week extremely enjoyable with his bright, easy going style, his laughter, his fun dances and his wonderful ability to be able to cater well for a range of dancing abilities, including for those who had little experience.' - Angela & Bob Pane (Organisers of Les Ripettes Folk Dance Holiday, Nr Macon, France, Sept 2007). For more customer's comments click here & here |
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Background
John born & bred in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, now lives in Southampton with his wife Hilary. John (& Hilary) have been folk dancing for over 35 years, and John has been a caller for more than 30 years, & a morris musician for 20 years. John has called at several of the UK's Festivals (incl Sidmouth, Chippenham, Eastbourne, & Whitby) & also for folk dance holidays in the UK, USA, Spain & France in recent years. He has also recently returned from teaching 'English Country Dance' onboard one of Fred Olsen's Cruises. |
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- John is a member of:
- The English Folk Dance & Song Society (EFDSS),
- The Country Dance & Song Society (CDSS) [of America],
- The Halsway Manor Society.
- The Folk Association of South Hampshire (FASH)(currently Membership Secretary).
- The Country Dance & Song Society (CDSS) [of America],
Calling/Workshop Repertoire
John enjoys calling for beginners as well as experienced dancers.
He enjoys the challenge of the workshop situation and workshop type dances.
- John can offer the following:
- Challenging dances & workshops for the more accomplished dancer,
- Workshops on Dance Technique, Etiquette, and the Caller's art.
- Dances and Workshops for the less accomplished, and the beginner.
- Workshops on Dance Technique, Etiquette, and the Caller's art.
- Dance Repertoire
- John enjoys calling a variety of dance styles including:
- Playford or 'Historical English' Dances (i.e. Dances from the mid 17th to early 19th Centuries danced in the English Courts,
Stately Homes & Assembly Rooms),
- New England Contras, & Squares,
- English Traditional Social Dances.
- Contemporary Dances in all the above styles, including Ceilidh Dances,
- Running Set (also known as ‘Kentucky Mountain Squares’ or in the USA ‘Old Time Dancing’).
- New England Contras, & Squares,
- John believes that:
- Social Dance is an artistic expression, but it has got to be fun too.
- We should aspire to improve our dancing skills and technique but not at the expense of courtesy & cordiality.
- English Country Dance is a social activity, where dance etiquette plays an important role.
- The customer is always right (Well! almost always).
- We should aspire to improve our dancing skills and technique but not at the expense of courtesy & cordiality.
John's favourites are Playford style (old & new), & Contras.
- Philosophy
Future Bookings
- Public dances, workshops, festivals, dance weekends & dancing holidays, etc.
aimed at the folk dance enthusiast.
For more detailed information on any event please email me.
Other Events
John & Hilary are also leaders of a 'New England' Contra Club (approx monthly)
at Chilworth, Nr Southampton.
John regularly calls Club evenings for: Guildford,
Halsway (Somerset), Salisbury, Felpham & Middleton, & Eastleigh (Hants) folk dance clubs.
John also calls for local community "barn dances" in South Hampshire & private functions.
Recent Events: Public dances, Dance weekends, Festivals, & Dancing holidays, etc
Aimed primarily at the enthusiast, in which John has been the leader or has
played a major role:
| 2005 | ||
| Hastings FDC, Sussex. Dec 2005 | Hampton in Arden, Warwickshire. Dec 2005 | |
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Morecambe, Lancs. Nov 2005. | ||
| Wroughton FDC Annual Dance, Wilts. Nov 2005; | ||
| 'Folk Dancing for Fun' for 'HF Holidays', Oct 2005. | Member's Weekend, Halsway Manor. Oct 2005. | |
| Whitby Folk Week. August 2005. | 'HF Holidays', Haytor, Devon. July 2005; | |
| Stonesfield FDC Dance Weekend, Oxfordshire. June 2005. | Chippenham Folk Festival, Wilts. May 2005 | |
| Eastbourne Festival. April / May 2005. | GuildfordContra, Surrey. Apr 2005 | |
| Seaford FDC, Sussex. Mar 2005 | Hampton in Arden, Warwickshire. Feb 2005, | |
| Guildford FDC, Surrey. Jan 2005 | ||
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Bournemouth, Dorset. Jan 2005. | ||
| Halsway Contra Club, Somerset. Jan 2005 | ||
| 2004 | ||
| Hastings FDC, Sussex. Dec 2004 | ||
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Scarborough, Nth Yorks. Nov 2004.. | ||
| Friday Folk, St Albans, Herts. Nov 2004 | ||
| 'HF Holidays' , Freshwater, I o W, October 2004; | ||
| Third Friday Club, Oxford, Oct 2004 | Nth Oxford FDC, Sept 2004, | |
| Kingswinford FDC (W Midlands), Sept 2004 | Croydon FDC, July 2004, | |
| Alterations Contra, Guildford, Surrey. July 2004, | ||
| 'HF Holidays' , Brecon (Powys), June 2004; | ||
| Salisbury FDC, Wilts. June 2004, | Stonesfield FDG, Oxfordshire. May 2004, | |
| 'HF Holidays' , Alnmouth (Northumberland), April 2004; | ||
| Frenchay FDC Dance Weekend, Woolacombe, Devon. Mar 2004. | ||
| Bexhill FDC, Sussex. March 2004, | ||
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Bournemouth, Dorset. Jan 2004. | ||
| Hampton in Arden, Warwickshire. Jan 2004, | ||
| 2003 | ||
| Hastings FDC, Sussex. Dec 2003 | Warehorne FDC, Kent. Nov 2003, | |
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Scarborough, Nth Yorks. Nov 2003. | ||
| Willand FDC, Devon, Oct 2003, | ||
| 'Ring of Eight' Playford Ball, Dorset, July 2003, | Croydon FDC, Surrey, June 2003, | |
| Stonesfield Dance Weekend, Oxfordshire, June 2003. | ||
| Weymouth Festival, May 2003, | Purbeck Spring Revel, April 2003. | |
| Shoreham FDC, April 2003, | Canterbury FDC, March 2003, | |
| Ashford FDC, March 2003, | Third Friday FDC, Oxford, Feb 2003, | |
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Bournemouth, January 2003. | ||
| 2002 | ||
| Bexhill FDC, Dec 2002, | Croydon FDC, Dec 2002. | |
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Malton, Nth Yorks. Nov 2002. | ||
| Beckenham & Croydon FDC, Oct 2002, | Lichfield FDC, Oct 2002, | |
| Watendone FDC 40th Anniversary Dance, Sept 2002, | ||
| ‘Between the Bays’ Dance Camp, Traverse City, Michigan, USA. August 2002. | ||
| ‘Royal Oak’ Workshop & Dance, Detroit (Michigan, USA), August 2002, | ||
| Stonesfield FDG, Oxon, May 2002, | ||
| Bromyard Spring Festival Day of Dance, May 2002. | Bletchingley Festival, April 2002. | Hastings & St Leonard’s CDC, April 2002, | Croydon FDC Feb 2002, |
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Bournemouth, January 2002. | ||
| 2001 | ||
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Ross-on-Wye, November 2001. | ||
| Stonesfield FDG, Oxon. Nov 2001, | ||
| Seaford FDC, Nov 2001, | Croydon FDC, Oct 2001, | |
| Purbeck Dance Weekend, Dorset, September 2001. | ||
| Ring of Eight Playford Ball, Dorset, June 2001, | ||
| Winchester Festival, April 2001, | Canterbury EFDC, March 2001, | |
| Ashford FDC, March 2001, | Croydon FDC, Jan 2001, | |
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Bournemouth, January 2001. | ||
| 2000 | ||
| New Year House Party, Halsway Manor, December 2000. | ||
| Marlow Christmas Dance, Dec 2000, | ||
| ‘English Miscellany’ Silver Anniversary Weekend, Halsway Manor, December 2000. | ||
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Symonds Yat, Herefordshire, September 2000. | ||
| Broadstairs’ Folk Week, August 2000. | ||
| Salisbury FDC June 2000, | Winchester Annual Playford Ball March 2000, | |
| Canterbury EFDC, March 2000, | Wroughton FDC, March 2000, | |
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Bournemouth, Jan 2000. | ||
| 1999 | ||
| Stonesfield FDG, Oxon. Dec ‘99, | Guildford FDC, Dec ’99. | |
| English Country dance, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Sept '99. | ||
| Michigan Dance Heritage Fall Weekend, Camp Cavell, MI, USA. Sept ’99. | ||
| Contra Dance, Binghampton, NY, USA. Sept '99 | ECD Workshop, Binghampton, NY, USA. Sept '99 | |
| Contra Dance, Albany, NY, USA. Sept '99 | English Country Dance, Bloomsburg, PA, USA. Sept '99 | |
| ‘Labor Day’ Dance Weekend at Suttle Lake, Oregon, USA. Sept ’99. | ||
| Contra Dance, Royal Oak, Detroit, MI, USA. Aug '99 | English Country dance workshop, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Aug '99. | |
| Contra Dance, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Aug '99 | ||
| ‘Between the Bays’ Dance Camp, Traverse City, Michigan, USA. Aug ’99. | ||
| Chippenham Folk Festival May ’99 | ||
| The Light-hearted Dance Weekend, Halsway Manor, Mar ’99 | ||
| 1998 | ||
| Westward Ho! Dance Weekend, October ’98 (Guest Leader). | ||
| Purbeck Dance Weekend, Dorset, September ’98 (Joint Leader). | ||
| Broadstairs’ Folk Week, August '98. | ||
| Sidmouth International Festival of Folk Arts, August '98. | ||
| Chippenham Folk Festival, May '98. | ||
| Winchester Festival, April '98 | ||
| 1997 | ||
| Sidmouth International Festival of Folk Arts, August '97. | ||
| Winchester Festival, April '97 | ||
| English Country Dance Holidays, Torremolinos, Costa del Sol, Spain, January '97 (Joint leader). | ||
Recent invitations declined due to non-availability include:
Purbeck Dance Weekend, Sept 2010.
Whitby Festival, Aug 2008.
Eastbourne Festival, May 2002.
Broadstairs Folk Week, Aug 1999;
English Country Dance Holidays, Malta, Jan 1999
English Country Dance Holidays, Majorca. Jan 1998
Summary
As well as the above events John calls regularly for folk dance club’s weekly / regular meetings.
Recent club events include: Ashford FDC (Middx), Guildford FDC, Halsway FDC, Salisbury FDC,
as well as clubs more local to Hampshire, and public dances & workshops for
FASH (The Folk Association of South Hampshire);
The vast majority of bookings are through personal recommendation and repeats comprising:
Dances for the more accomplished dancer (see above list);
Public Dances for beginners & non-regular dancers (e.g. Community events, WI Events);
Private dances, weddings, anniversaries and other family celebrations.
John & Hilary run a series of Dance Weekends for enthusiasts entitled
The Light-hearted Dance Weekends,
at various venues around the country, currently 2 per year, where John shares the calling
for the weekend with a guest caller. The music is provided by guest musicians
(usually a two-piece band).
Their annual event at Bournemouth (The Hotel Piccadilly) accommodates 90 people,
the other accommodates approx 80 people. The events are fully subscribed every time.
John & Hilary also lead Dancing Holidays for 'HF Holidays'.
They also run a Contra Dance series entitled
'Chilworh Contras'.
References
John is happy to provide the names and addresses of satisfied clients.
The list comprises dancers, organisers and artists (callers & bands).
Brief Summary of Experience prior to 1997.
1977 Caller for Whirligig FDC, Southampton (until 1987).
1977 Commenced calling at community dances through friends and the Contactaband Agency.
1976 Commenced calling at a small FDC in the New Forest, Hants.
1973 Introduced to Folk Dancing through Ramsgate Folk Dance Club (FDC)
Some previous major events prior to 1997
Winchester Festival 1992-96;
Annual Dance for Bournemouth Dance Club 1989 - 1996.
Wimborne Festival 1995;
Annual Dance for Berkshire EFDSS 1982 - 1993;
Sidmouth (Children’s) Festival 1986 - 1988;
Joint - Leader of South Hants Annual Dance Weekends at Halsway Manor. 1986-88;
Intervarsity Festival, Southampton 1985;
Christchurch Festival (Dorset) 1980;
