I thought this might be of interest to some.<BR> <A HREF="http://corantoearlydance.com" TARGET=_blank>http://corantoearlydance.com</A> <P>This is a small company of dancers, whose director I trained with at College. She decided she preferred this form to ballet, and has specialised in it, continuing to study under Belinda Quirey after completing her other dance training.<P>For anyone who may be interested in this dance form, they also do workshops, as well as demonstrations.<P>

Oh how interesting! I would love to try that - and also get to wear those beautiful clothes, too!<P>I can see where ballet training would be an asset - the modified turnout, the elegant hands and arms.<P>Fans, gloves, lacy sleeves.....yes, I could go for this.<P>

I had a friend who was into historic dance for a while and the beautiful clothes certainly were an important part of the activity.<P>I adore the music for the Tordion, the zippy, macho dance for men with high scissor kicks, but I feel that the dance may be a tad too energetic for me. <p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited December 13, 2001).]

Ever tried Morris dancing, Stuart?

Not necessarily, Stuart. The medieval stuff is actually quite staid, as I recall. It's not frightfully energetic until the later periods.<P>You will possibly have seen her in action in the film 'Elizabeth', on which she was assistant choreographer, and also appeared briefly in a few scenes. I understand her next project in that line was a new film 'The Four Feathers', which recently finished production.

No, but I've done a bit of Playford english dance, which is sprightly and charming.<P>There ain't nothing staid about the Tordion Red Shoes - it's the boys showing off their macho prowess. <P>

I'm no expert, and it was a long time ago that I studied Historical Dance, but I remember the Galliard (from Gallo?) was energetic, though it's later than what I'd call Medieval. <BR>The Medieval stuff is so slow it verges on boring, but then the dances are governed by dress, and the ladies who would have been dancing would presumably also have been wearing heavy and cumbersome garments.<BR>I do remember doing a set to some Mozart and there was a lovely sedate part, and also a very nippy bit, which left us all a-dither... That's a much later period again though.<P>I like Morris dancing (not much call for it here, of course), and we studied many English and Scottish Folk dances too, which was great fun, and very relaxing after ballet!