BAL: French and Breton Dances

As our French and Breton Dance Week draws to a close, you're invited to join our ace tutor team and the course participants for a French Bal.

The teaching team of Peter Clifton, Yannick Minvielle-Debat, Richard Heacock and Paul Hutchinson will be joined tonight by guest musicians Helen Gentile (clarinet) and Lewis Wood (fiddle).

Helen and Lewis (Threepenny Bit and Granny’s Attic respectively), combines the talent of two musicians who are firmly embedded into the folk music community in England, with many festival credits between them. Their material comprises traditional, contemporary and original European folk dance music, with loose, ever-evolving arrangements creating space for improvisation and showcasing the interplay between the instruments. In 2024, they released their first studio album, Violet Sky (produced by Tarren’s Alex Garden). Described by Songlines as ‘folk dance at its finest’, it was also nominated for Album of the Year by Bright Young Folk. Whether playing for dance or in concert, the duo are sure to leave dancers and listeners spellbound.

Peter Clifton is an expert tutor of French and Breton Dance, and teaches regularly at the French Dance Stroud monthly events. He has also run workshops at Pentreffest, European music and dance festival (Kinnersley), Shrewsbury folk festival and the Festival des Panards.

Yannick Minvielle-Debat ’s involvement in traditional French and Breton music ranges from singing for dancing in a band, The Wizards of Noz and in a duo with an accordionist, Steve Turner, organising an annual French music festival in Todmorden, teaching Breton call and response songs to running dance workshops for all abilities and ages.  She also plays the hurdy-gurdy to the great despair of her husband! Born in France, Yannick now lives in Keighley, Yorkshire within earshot of the heritage railway line featured in the Railway Children.
www.frenchdanceschools.org.uk

Richard Heacock (violin) began playing for folk dance with The Vale Islanders Playford group and Icknield Way Morris. He later joined English traditional group Boldwood, and produced their first CD “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now.” He discovered French and Breton dance music in 2004 and played in a duo with accordionist Becky Price at Kinnersley, Horsley and Ide. He currently plays in Breton trio The Andro Sisters, and with Paul Hutchinson. Richard is a frequent visitor to Halsway, and has taught and played on the Playing Playford, French Dance and Poldark Dance courses.

Paul Hutchinson (accordion) is a regarded as one of the top accordionists in the UK, is the resident accordion tutor at Cecil Sharp House, and a regular tutor and musician at Halsway Manor. Paul is much in demand as a player for dancing which has resulted in appearances at festivals in the UK, Europe and the USA.