AVID (Awaken Village Interest in Dance) aims to interest more people in folk dancing – whether by dancing, playing or calling. We run informal dances once a month (on a Tuesday or Wednesday) in different villages in the North Lincolnshire and North Nottinghamshire area. The dances are run on a session basis, and we have a lot of fun!  

The last dance of AVID's Spring & Summer 2010 Programme is:

June 9th		Coronation Hall		Owston Ferry		High Street, Owston Ferry DN9 1RE

Dances run from 8pm to 10.45pm. Admission is still £1  (50p for children).

The 2010 AVID Autumn Dance Programme is:

September 8th		Community Centre		Misson		Vicar Lane, Misson DN10 6EG
October 13th		Village Hall		Gringley-on-the-Hill		High Street, Gringley on the Hill DN10 4RE
November 10th		Imperial Hall		Epworth		Chapel Street, Epworth DN9 1HJ
Dec 8th		Village Hall		Finningley		Rectory Lane, Finningley DN9 3DA

What sort of dancing do we do? Anything people want to do, so long as someone can play the music and call for the dance. Many of the dances are English, but we have also had Scottish, French and Spanish dances.

What about the musicians? We do not book a band – whoever turns up and wants to play form the band. The music is played acoustically and we do not limit the numbers in the band. We cater for all levels of experience and have published two AVID tune books for when there is doubt about which tune to play next!

Who calls? We encourage those new to calling as well as experienced callers, who will often try that new dance out!

It is quite common for individuals to move between dancing, playing and calling. In fact, we encourage musicians to dance since it helps them to understand the pace and feel required for the dance.

What happens on a normal night? A typical evening’s dancing will attract about 30-40 people of whom up to 10 could be musicians. We will probably dance about 12 dances, ranging from perennial favourites such as Roger de Coverley, Boston T-Party and Willow tree to not so well-known ones from original sources. The music is largely taken from the AVID Tune Books, although the level of difficulty of the tunes played depends on who is there. It is quite common to play one tune for the dance; John Kirkpatrick would be proud of us!

For all that we currently charge only £1 so that anyone can afford to come along. With the accent on fun and informality, the club has some memorable nights.

Where to find us? We run dances in the area on the west side of the Trent bounded by Crowle in the north; Beckingham in the south; and Finningley and Bawtry in the west. The current programme is at the top of this page.

To find out what's happening at AVID "do it yourself ceilidhs", visit this website regularly. If you have any questions, email peter_barnard.squeeze@virgin.net.

The AVID Music Sessions

There is a mainly English session on the third Wednesday of each month and a French music session most first Wednesdays, both at The Blue Bell, Gringley on the Hill. For dates of the French sessions, keep an eye on the Myspace page (see "Related Links").

We have been holding music sessions since 1984, starting at the Crooked Billet, Owston Ferry and later moving between the Waterfront, West Stockwith and the Blue Bell, Gringley on the Hill with occasional sessions at the Haxey Gate, Misterton.
There is no charge for admission, whether as a performer or listener, and all musicians are welcome to join us regardless of experience.

For more information contact 01427 890151 Or 01427 873937