Home > Dancing at the Late Renaissance Courts of Italy, England and France
Dancing at the Late Renaissance Courts of Italy, England and France
Summer School 2025. Friday 11th to Monday 14th July 2025 or Friday 11th to Friday 18th July at Bromsgrove School, West Midlands.
Course Outline
The aim of our summer school is to provide people with the time to study a range of dances, to improve dancing ability and confidence, and to have fun in good company. The full course provides an in-depth dance experience while the weekend courses are perfect for those with less time available or those just wanting to try out dancing of this period. You do not need to come with a dance partner.
Participants will study with their chosen tutor in daily classes, to develop technique and learn a selection of dances. A varied choice of afternoon workshops led by course tutors and other specialists will offer an opportunity to enrich your experience. Sociable evening activities will include informal dancing, talks and activities, with Tuesday afternoon free to rest or explore this beautiful and historic region. Each course will conclude with a celebration to share dances learned, for which you may wear a costume of the period (not obligatory).
Your teachers and their classes:
Markus Lehner
Markus studied historical dance with a number of specialists, most notably Barbara Sparti and Lieven Baert. Since 1984 he has regularly taught historical dance, particularly Renaissance and English country dance. His work in the field of dance research led to the publication of the ‘Manual of Sixteenth-century Dance Steps in Italy’ in 1997. Since 2004, he has organised the international symposium for historical dance at Rothenfels Castle, most recently in 2022 with the topic ‘The Ball - Pleasure, Power, Politics’.
His class is based on the repertoire of Italian sources from c.1560 to c.1615 and is aimed at dancers with previous experience in this style. You will be working on a variety of balletti and cascarde for couples or groups, as well as studying the characteristic elements of the various dance rhythms of the period, such as pavane, gagliarda, saltarello, etc. A special emphasis will be placed on the required gestures of courtesy, which played an important role in shaping the image of the dance, and we will also explore in depth the possibilities for creativity that the choreographies allowed the dancers.
Anne Daye
Anne is a leading teacher of Renaissance dance, always working from the original sources and their music. In her teaching, she nurtures skilful stepping, graceful carriage of the body and musicality with an awareness of the social context and manners of the time. She has published extensively on historical dance, contributes to international conferences and also to dance-related topics in the media. Anne is Director of Education and Research for HDS.
Aimed at dancers with some experience, this class will feature a selection of dances from the Valois and Bourbon courts. You will be able to extend your skills and explore improvisation in such dances as the pavan d’espagne, gaillarde or canarie, while enjoying the social forms of pavan, allemande and courante, also characteristic of the courts of Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I. Through the bourrée, branles, mascarades and dance-games, you will experience the lively and glamorous French ballroom.
Robert Huggett (weekend course only)
Robert first took an interest in historical dances in 1987 and since then has attended courses by a wide range of English and European tutors, from which he has evolved his own style. From the beginning he has focussed on the period from 1450 to 1650, favouring the dances of the Italian masters. Robert was the principal tutor for the dance group Renaissance Footnotes from the early 1990s until he moved to Wales in 2018 and he also taught workshops to a number of historical re-enactment groups and other dance groups. Under his leadership Renaissance Footnotes performed on numerous occasions at historical palaces, houses, museums, galleries and on television.
This introductory/Improvers course will focus on core skills and in addition to working on generic dance skills, aims to provide the student with a solid grounding in the footwork, common sequences, features and structures of sixteenth century dance. The course will focus on English and Italian court dances with particular emphasis on the dances of Caroso, his contemporaries and the Inns of Court manuscripts.
Practical Details
Our venue is Bromsgrove School, Worcester Road, Bromsgrove (satnav address B61 7HP). The school is set within 100 acres of beautiful grounds with a range of architecturally diverse buildings. The dance, drama and music facilities are superb and we will have the use of an excellent range of dance spaces, as well other facilities. The school campus is within easy walking distance of the town and 10 minutes’ walk from the accommodation. (Lifts can be arranged if required).
The fee includes modern, high-quality, full-board accommodation per person. Rooms are single and en-suite, with a few twin rooms available for those who wish to share . Visit www.bromsgrove-school.co.uk for more information.
How to get there
The school is centrally located in Bromsgrove town and is easily accessible for local, national and international visitors.Bromsgrove is close to the M5 and M42 motorways and there is ample free parking on site. There are taxis and a shuttle bus service to the school from Bromsgrove train station, and rail connections to nearby Birmingham International Airport.
Fees
The fee for the weekend course (Friday 11 July to Monday 14 July, depart after breakfast) is £309 for HDS members, £319 for non-members. The fee for the long course (Friday 11 July to Friday 18 July, depart after breakfast) is £745 for HDS members, £ 755 for non-members.
Bursaries
HDS may be able to offer a bursary to appropriate candidates. Details and the application form can be found here: https://historicaldance.org.uk/summer-school Applications should be made by email to bursaries@historicaldance.org.uk by 30 April 2025.
Recordings
Please be aware that we may wish to take photographs or short videos during the course for HDS purposes.
Booking forms and further details. NB bookings close on 20th June 2025
Please book online below. When booking, you will be asked which class you would like to attend and whether you are booking for one of the three weekend courses or one of the full week courses.
Alternatively, you can complete the booking form you can download here and post it with your payment.
Cancellation and Refunds
If you have to cancel your booking HDS will provide a full refund until 14th June 2025. We advise you to take out holiday insurance as, depending on circumstances and the timing of the cancellation, we may not be able to provide you with a full refund after this date. If HDS has to cancel the course due to circumstances beyond our control then HDS will provide a full refund.
If you have any queries or questions or would like to discuss your needs you are welcome to contact Gill Plant, Summer School Administrator: Tel – 07811 782104 or email summerschool@historicaldance.org.uk
You may like to take this opportunity to become a member of The Historical Dance Society. Please check the fees and how to join on our website (student discount available).
Join HDS – The Historical Dance Society