Past Performances

Down the years we have performed both whole shows and short performances. They have been both with and without audience participation and often at the annual Early Dance Circle Festival. Some of these can be seen below.

We joined Mike Ruff at the Strumpshaw Tree Fair in 2025 for the launch of his book on the History of English Country Dance. Mike had given a talk on this subject beforehand and we now demonstrated some of the dances. There was also audience participation for a couple of the dances like the Auld Almaine. As Mike said:“The dances are a fairly random selection but all fairly basic including a couple of Branles, an Almain, Country Dances from Sellenger’s to Duke of Kent and Tars of Victory and more recent dances that might appear at Barn Dances and Ceilidhs.”

NHD.Strumshaw.2025.Mike Ruff — The Auld Almaine.1821.

NHD.Strumshaw.2025.J.o.Barley.1842 — ‘Juice of the Barley’. NHD at the Strumshaw Tree Fair in 2025

NHD performing at the Strumshaw Tree fair..2025 — The dance ‘Childgrove’.1837. NHD performing at the Strumshaw Tree Fair..2025

NHD performing 'The Duke of Kent's Waltz' at Strumshaw Tree Fair, 2025 — NHD performing ‘The Duke of Kent’s Waltz’ at Strumshaw Tree Fair, 2025

Audience participation as Mike Ruff walks two NHD dancers and two of the audience through one of the dances.

Pastime with the Pastons

‘A celebration of the Paston dynasty in dance’

For example, one of our performances centred on the Pastons, the Norfolk family whose letters have provided such and insight into medieval life and the rise and fall of one notable family, who were the subject of an exhibition by the Records Office at Norwich County Council. Other topics are shown below.