Performing group dedicated to Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Regency, Victorian and Vintage Dance. Classes offered weekly at the Australian National University in Canberra.
Interstate and Overseas Tours, Festivals and Dance Events.
Earthly Delights Historic Dance Academy
Dr John Gardiner-Garden is a dance teacher, researcher, performer, leader, choreographer, organiser and musician (on hurdy-gurdy, border pipes and wooden flute) with 25 years of experience. He is well-respected for the rigour he brings to his historical research, the creativity he brings to his his productions and the enthusiasm he brings to his teaching. He is literate in every dance notation system from the 15th to the19th century and possesses a library of over 200 historic dance manuals. He is Earthly Delights' band leader, dance troupe artistic director, and main dance leader for public classes, workshops and balls.
John Gardiner-Garden
Aylwen has 25 years experience in historic social dance, as a professional event organiser and arts administrator, tour director, dance performer and as a historical costumer. She has danced in Australia, the US & UK, is costume director for the Earthly Delights Historic Dance Academy, has been director of Jane Austen Festival Australia for 6 years, teaches historical costuming classes and shares her antique costume collection whenever possible. She is happy to travel both interstate and overseas when requested to share her skills or organise an event.
Aylwen Gardiner-Garden
The popularity of the historical novels of Sir Walter Scott (a contemporary and favourable reviewer of Jane Austen) gave rise to costumed balls to which guests would come dressed as characters from his novels (his first in 1814 entitled ‘Waverley’) and groups of friends would try and costume to the same theme for the opening quadrille. Soon any historical dress was acceptable and Waverley balls were even being held in Australia and New Zealand.
Let’s revive the glory! Any dress from the Medieval to Georgian era, or something Regency, Scottish or from the 1840s (the height of the craze) will be equally appropriate. The evening will feature dances from the 1820s-40s (as previewed in daytime workshops), a dinner break, a desert break, a costume parade, prizes, displays and lots of farewell fun!
Calling is in English by John Gardiner-Garden. Daytime dance classes offered at http://janeaustenfestival.com/program/