Workshops with Elena in your organisation
Introduction
Since 2012, Elena has been teaching weekly folk dance classes and workshops in Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, and beyond, with great pleasure and professionalism.
She can come to your location in Belgium or abroad to lead dance workshops, with or without a dance partner, and with or without live musicians.
You can choose the theme, or Elena can suggest themes (based on the musicians playing at the same event, for example).
Elena
- Over 20 years of regular dance practice
- Folk dancing teacher since 2012, dance workshops in Belgium, France, Germany & Poland since 2012
- 3 years of body oriented psychotherapy training (massage, Energy work), and 3 years of training in Biodanza SRT
- Speaks 4 languages fluently (En, Fr, De Nl) and has good notions of Spanish
- Elena can teach alone or with an experienced dance partner
Content of workshops
Whatever the subject, we will combine learning or going deeper in a repertoire, dancing technique, the relationship between music and dance, and pleasure. If the number of participants allows it, dancers will receive individual feedback and corrections.
Below, you’ll find a presentation of our Folk & Traditional Dance Workshops, primarily designed for organizers seeking dance instructors.
Feel free to get in touch to discuss your preferred workshop.
Level of difficulty
My workshops are aimed at dancers of different levels:
(*) = Absolute Beginners
(**) = Medium level dancers wishing to expand their repertoire or go deeper in a (type of) dance
(***) = Advanced dancers looking for specific tools, or wanting to (re)discover / explore a specific dance repertoires
(The use of several stars – for example * / ** – means this workshop can be opened to several types of public at the same time without causing progression problems to some, or frustration or others)
Music
Elena works with recorded music or with live musicians. Some come from Belgium (Naragonia, Airboxes, Julie Fèbvre …), others from France (Duo Supernovas, Simonnin-Esbelin …).
In some cases, it’s possible to combine Elena with professional (or semi-professional) musicians of your choosing.
Dance partner
Elena usually works alone. In some cases, she comes with an experienced dance partner. In other cases, the organizer may suggest an experienced partner.
Catalogue
- General Folk
- Couple dances, including various waltzes
- Bourrées of all kinds (Elena’s specialty)
- Dances from Southwest France
- « Breathing Circles »
- Techniques for a good dancer – body and sensory development, « Elena’s Frame Games », …
- Dances from the Bal Musette
- etc.!
Length of workshops & formats
Dance workshops can take the form of a few hours, a day, a weekend, or a week, depending on the organizer’s needs and the chosen subject.
It is possible to offer very specific workshops of +/- 2 hours (also for the format “workshop in several parts” mentioned below).
Two workshops in the same week(end) allows work on more difficult themes, and/or going much deeper in a subject, if the majority of participants follow the two parts.
Some of these workshops may be viewed as series, where one can discover at regular intervals (several days in a festival, monthly, yearly …) new or more and more complicated things (bourrées & choreographies, Sud-Ouest, rhythmic variations for scottish or mazurka, variations and diverse forms of the waltz …). This pre-requires a regular group of dancers.
Most subjects also work well as workshop in several parts (distributed over a weekend, for example). Participants have the time to assimilate (and possibly practice during ball night) a first layer, before continuing on the following day. This format also allows me to offer a level (* / **) workshop followed by a level (** / ***) and participants can choose to follow one or both parts, according to their level.
Promotion of your event
I can send you detailed descriptions of the content and level of each workshop.
You can download photos and videos from this site.
If it makes sense, your event can be published on our website, our Facebook page, and appear in our newsletter.
Logistics
Transport: I live near Brussels, which is very well connected by train and plane, and have a car.
Accommodation: I appreciate it if you can provide for a real bed, so as to offer me the sleep necessary for a good working day.
Dietary requirements: If possible, I avoid gluten, dairy products and meat. But I can adapt.