Spring 2008

Crook Folk Dance Group has been running continuously for 33 years and provides a broad range of English country dancing from the sedate 'Playford' style from the mid 17th Century to the modern, and more energetic, contras and squares. The group meets every Thursday evening at the Crook Memorial Hall, about a mile north-west of the village of Crook on the B 5284 between Kendal and Bowness on Windermere.
Dancing is from 7.30pm until 10.00pm. The season starts on the first Thursday in September and finishes on the third Thursday in the following July. (This last event of the season is traditionally held at a different venue in South Lakes). Singles and couples of any age are very welcome. We also welcome dancers who are holidaying in the area. The charge for the whole evening is £1.50 per person and this includes tea and biscuits.
The Group is well provided with callers from its own ranks, which ensures a wide variety of dances throughout the season. Nevertheless, other callers from within the area are also invited to call. There are also "mixed bunch" evenings, which are proving highly successful. All callers call a dance or two, but the evening really provides the opportunity for others within the Group to 'have a go' at calling.
A recent innovation has been a dance workshop specifically for those in the Group who might not otherwise attend the more formal dance workshops organised in other parts of the North-West. Ian Jones, who founded the Crook Folk Dance Group 33 years ago, provides the instruction and music, and the evenings are a great success.
Crook FDG organises three major dances during the dance season.
"Reelfolk" is usually held on the second Saturday of September and is an all day event, with workshops in the morning and afternoon and a dance in the evening. It is now held at the Victoria Hall in Grange over Sands. This increasingly popular location for our dances offers plenty of choice for refreshments at lunch and tea times, followed perhaps with a gentle and relaxing walk along the promenade. On previous occasions this event has been accompanied with the warm and sunny weather we expect at this time of year. This year this event will take place on Saturday 13th September starting at 10.00am and we have Andrew Swain calling, accompanied by Folkus Pocus.
"Merrie Neet" is also held at the Victoria Hall and it will take place on Saturday 20th December. Although this is an evening-only event there is usually a demonstration or turn associated with Folk, either with singers, instrumentalists, or dancers, during the interval.
Our Spring event is held at the Casterton Girl's School, and is usually held around the Easter period. This event is usually booked out well beforehand. The Saturday evening dance usually witnesses 200 dancers on the floor, with 160-170 dancers on the school campus at any other time! This year the event was again a great success. The combination of callers Andrew Shaw, Ian Jones and Colin Wallace and bands Cumbrian Gap and Deo Volente ensured a memorable occasion.
The First Sunday Club, which is associated with the Crook FDG, meets (usually) on the first Sunday afternoon of the month, at the Endmoor village hall, from September until May. This is a dance workshop run by Ian and Margaret Jones and starts at 2pm and finishes at 5pm. These workshops are for those dancers who already have some dancing experience and would like to improve their technique.
For further details contact the Crook Folk Dance Group secretary Alan Headech on 01229 861545.