English Country Dance
English Country Dancing is the direct ancestor of contra dance and is still very much alive today, with newly composed dances entering the repertoire all the time. ECD offers much greater variety in musical styles, dance formations, and styling than contra dance does. It can be lively and raucous, it can be very elegant and beautiful, and it can be everything in between. It can also be more challenging than contra, and dancers who dance both ECD and contra find that their contra dance skills improve, thanks to the skills practiced in ECD.
The music for English Country Dance is as varied as the dances. For many of us who love ECD, the music is an important reason why. You'll hear some of the same jigs, reels, and waltzes that you hear at a contra dance — remember, contra descended from ECD — plus many, many more, ranging from classical compositions of Purcell and Handel to bawdy pub tunes.
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Click the play button to hear Newcastle from the album English Echoes.
Since English Country Dancing has more variety than contra dancing, we've selected a few videos to illustrate that variety and put them here, on a separate page.
Where and When is ECD?
There are two ECD groups in the Houston area: in the Heights and in Clear Lake. There is also a spring English Country Dance weekend. This year Dallas is hosting the event on March 19-21. Click here for a flier (PDF).
Heights ECD
Heights ECD meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at Oxford Hall, 1135 Oxford in the Houston Heights, from 7:30 to 9:30 PM. A donation of $3.00 is requested. Call 713.861.4185 or 713.812.1027 to confirm.
See the Schedule for exact dates.
Heights ECD is led by Joseph Pimentel, Mike Head, Fred Todt, and Keith Holmes.
Join the HATDS mailing list to receive reminders of ECD in the Heights.
Photos by Celine Billings
Clear Lake ECD
Meets at Clear Lake United Methodist Church, 16335 El Camino Real, usually every 1st and 3rd Friday from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Email lattema -at- comcast -dot- net to confirm and click here to visit Clear Lake ECD's web site.
Clear Lake ECD is led by Barbara and Lee Attema.
Live Music
We're really fortunate to have Kendall Rogers playing for both groups. In the Heights Kendall is joined by members of Fish & Chips, whose playing adds a rich, orchestral sound to the evening.
When someone blunders, we say that he makes a misstep. Is it then not clear that all the ills of mankind, all the tragic misfortunes that fill our history books, all the political blunders, all the failures of the great leaders have arisen merely from a lack of skill in dancing?
~ Moliere, 1622