Topette!! Summer Bal + dance workshop with Kerry Fletcher

Introduction to Balfolk Dances workshop with Kerry Fletcher* 6:45 PM (doors 6:30 PM)

Topette!! Bal at 7:30 PM

Andy Cutting – diatonic button accordion

James Delarre – violin

Julien Cartonnet – bagpipes, banjo

Tania Buisse – bodhrán

Barnaby Stradling – acoustic bass guitar

The Anglo-French acoustic dance band Topette!! occupy a unique position in the current folk and traditional music landscape. A collaboration between five highly-regarded individuals, they’re the kind of perfect idea that, if they didn’t already exist, someone would have to invent. Yet Topette!! are no mere ‘project’ band. They’re a fully-formed and functioning group of the kind that rarely comes around nowadays. Topette!! are a true collective - bonded as much by the joy found in each other’s company as in their shared musical vision.

Julien Cartonnet is a powerhouse on both bagpipes and banjo. Fiddler James Delarre’s innate melodic and harmonic sensibilities make him the perfect match for accordion virtuoso Andy Cutting. Tania Buisse’s propulsive bodhrán playing and Barn Stradling’s singularly distinctive bass grooves complete a sound that is irresistible to ears and feet alike.

Come to the bal!

Free workshop for all ticket holders - Introduction to balfolk dances with Kerry Fletcher from 6:45 - 7:25 pm

The style of dancing we do is known across Europe as balfolk. It's a fun, easy-to-learn form of folk dance, similar to ceilidhs. Find out about the dances - visit our Starter's Guide to Balfolk. The balfolk community is welcoming and inclusive. You can come on your own or with friends. Join in the dancing or just sit and enjoy the live music.

*Note: Jo Freya has had to take some unscheduled time off from teaching dance, so Kerry Fletcher will be leading our Introduction to Balfolk Dances workshop.

Kerry Fletcher is a popular and highly-experienced choreographer, traditional dancer and dance workshop leader. She is Co Artistic Director of Folk Dance Remixed, a freelance community folk dance artist and is the coordinator of the English Folk Dance and Song Society’s (EFDSS) national Folk Education Network.

The bal/concert is suitable for all ages (we offer a discount to under 25s. Although there are no age restrictions, all under 18s must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult).