Dancing in a garden

The particular garden in question is the spectacular Alnwick Garden and to be precise the pavillion of Alnwick Garden. Through the generous programme  run by the Alnwick Garden Trust I am able to keep a  group of dancers who are all over 50  meeting once a week. We have been going for over 15 years as a group originally at Alnwick Playhouse as 'Dance for Fun'. The name  has stuck although is not the best of names. All the women who come along on a Friday morning love dancing and the joy of the setting makes it quite unique. The floor of the pavilion is heated using  themal core heat and it is like an exquisite spa to lie down on at the end to relax. However it is not all about relaxing and we sometimes amaze visitors to the garden with the amount of fun we have getting into character for the dance. I must add at this point it is for our pleasure and wellbeing and we don't performe unless they just happen to be passing! Last year we enjoyed a sewing and craft theme called 'Thread  & Thrift' with the artist Mandy Pattullo inspiring the themes for the dance through the props, costumes and decor she and the sewing group created for us.To see more of her work http://threadandthrift.blogspot.com/  This was supported  by highlights rural touring scheme http://www.highlightsnorth.co.uk/ and last years Contemporary Craft tour.

The key to the contiued success of this group is a willingness to enter into the spirit of any dance or theme without taking ourselves too seriously and believe me this gives us lots of  freedom and pleasure.