The 2026 residential course was again held at the University of East Anglia, this time with Sam Gosk as tutor.
“The Allemande: from Couple to Cotillion”
The course ran from Friday 10th to Sunday12th April 2026 in the peaceful and expansive campus of the University of East Anglia with its unique Sainsbury Centre art museum. A practical course studying the Allemande and the Cotillion was taught by Sam Gosk.
Reflections of a Newbie at the Early Dance Weekend in Norwich By Nathalie Bending
So, in August 2025, I decided that I’d like to have a go at making costumes and dancing, so I looked it up and by September, I had joined the Capriol Society for Early Dance. Suddenly I was flung into an exciting world of arming and siding and remembering dances, and then came the opportunity to spend a whole weekend doing it!
Sam Gosk demonstrates an Allemande turn move during the cotillion workshop of the course ‘The Allemande and the Cotillion’
The weekend was titled ‘The Allemande’ and it began with Sam Gosk leading us through the basic steps and the Allemande Turn. I was encouraged and aided all through the weekend by the much more experienced dancers, but Sam made it all very clear, backed up by some very well researched dance information, history and background knowledge. By the end of the weekend we could all dance all nine changes of a cotillion.
La Ronde, the starting and final ‘change’ in a Cotillion dance taught by Sam Gosk at the UEA workshop in April 2026
The weekend was a lovely mix of short ‘easy’ dances, long, very complicated dances and some odd little dances from a ‘bouquet’ of blossom dances. Everyone in the room, from the total beginners like me, to the vastly experienced dancers, learned lots of new moves, dances and position changes. The dancing was great fun, and the organisation by Norwich Historical Dance, was impeccable. The food was great, the accommodation was on the campus and good and the company was splendid. All in all, a fantastic weekend all round………….And my calves have finally stopped hurting…
All smiles as the ladies dance the Ladies Chain as part of the ‘Figure’ in a Cotillion taught by Sam Gosk in his workshop, ‘Allemande and the Cotillions’.Sam Gosk demonstrates steps in a dance at the start of the weekends workshop ‘The Allemande and the Cotillion’Tutor Sam Gosk calls the moves during a complicated manoeuver in a Cotillion, April 2026Dancing one of the ‘Blossom’ named dances from the French Court, performing a pousette, during the ‘Allemande and Cotillion. workshop, April 2026
Norwich and Cambridge’s annual weekend Historical Dance workshop for 2025 at the UEA brought together dancers from across the country and from France under the excellent tutoring of Kath Waters“Then turn both hands once around”, in ‘Adson’s Saraband’ from Playford’s 1561, “The Dancing Master” at the UEA 2025 with Kath Waters as tutor.Hands crossed for the next section of the Italian Renaissance dance ‘Chiaranzana’, a change of pace in the workshop at the UEA 2025.The dance, ‘Dull Sir John’ from John Playford’s 1651 Edition of ‘The Dancing Master’, described as “a figure dance for eight” during the workshop weekend at the UEA in 2025.Norwich and Cambridge Early Dance Weekend 2024. Courtly Italian 17th century dances.Norwich and Cambridge Early Dance Weekend 2024.Kath Waters calls the steps.Norwich and Cambridge Early Dance Weekend 2024. Getting the Reverence right..
Sasza & Moira demonstrating Polka and Scottishe steps during the Norwich and Cambridge for 19th Century quadrilles Langley High School, April 2023Sasza & Moira demonstrating polka steps in the Ball-room at Langley, April 2023Sasza demonstrates a Lebanese dance as part of the Saturday evening social dancing. Belsey Bridge, 2022Sasza & Moira show the way with Polka and Scottishe steps Langley High School, April 2023 Norfolk,Sasza and Moira demonstrating part of the dance movement for the polka quadrilles, Langley High School, Norfolk, April 2023,
A light and airy room and good dance floor as dancers study with Jurgen in 2017In close for part of ‘La Bizarre’ dancing at Belsey Bridge 2022Enjoying ‘La Bizarre’ at Belsey BridgeSasza indicates the start of the Lebanese dance on Saturday evening
A relaxing walk in the spring sunshine on the Saturday afternoon of the Belsey Bridge weekendNot all dancing; time for tea on the lawn at Belsey Bridge.Dancing at Belsey Bridge in 2019Under the Tutors eye…Belsey Bridge 2019
