Balfolk.
Balfolk is a dancing party with folk music, with the emphasis on enjoyable dancing with each other and not on executing the steps in exactly the right way. It has existed in France for a while, in Belgium it has become a phenomenon in the last couple of years and now it is also up-and-coming in the Netherlands.
The dancing is always accompanied by live music. Many dancers are also musicians and vice versa, the interaction between both adds up to something great. The bands are from the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany.
On a folk ball in the Netherlands a limited amount of dances are danced. Apart from a lot of couple dances like the waltz, mazurka, polka and scottish there are also choral dances like andro and hanterdro, and circle dances in which partners are switched constantly, like the magic circle and the jig. Many dances are from northwest Europe, some from certain regions like France. The Swedish polka is also danced on occasion. All the choral dances are from Brittany.
All over the Netherlands dancing parties like these are being organized.There is almost always a dance explanation at the start and even when there’s not the dances are easy to learn. You don’t have to bring a dance partner, because partners are switched in some dances you’ll meet someone you like to dance with by oneself.
Playlist:
1. Naragonia: Andanças / Shake Hans / Le petit Tarré (Toon van Mierlo), 3:59. CD Naragonia: Tandem. Appel Rekords APR1305
2. Malbrook: Rockhaver (traditioneel, arr. Malbrook), 2:36. CD Malbrook: Qwade Wulf. Westpark Music 87150
3. Sakura: Barababaa (traditioneel, arr. Sakura), 2:46. CD Sakura: Demo. eigen beheer, SAKURA 01
4. Lirio: Rondo (traditioneel, arr. Lirio), 4:03. CD Lirio: Lirio. Appel Rekords APR1309
5. Madlot: De bon pottasie (traditioneel), 3:34. CD Mota: Van Folkguerilla tot Balfolk. Stichting Folkfusie FF01
6. Gonnagles: Mazurka un et deux (traditioneel (Frankrijk), arr. Gonnagles), 3:49. CD Gonnagles: Skwiek!. Parkweg Records pwr013
7. Lirio: Andrito (Wouter Kuyper, arr. Lirio), 3:02. CD Lirio: Lirio. Appel Rekords APR1309
8. Sakura: Waardevol (Hilke Bauweraerts), 4:23. CD Sakura: Demo. eigen beheer, SAKURA 01
9. Naragonia: Calimero (Pascale Rubens), 2:59. CD Naragonia: Janneke Tarzan. Appel Rekords APR1313
10. Slomobabes: BAM (Sandra de Jong), 3:49. CDMota: Van Folkguerilla tot Balfolk. Stichting Folkfusie FF01
11. Brume: Brume (Gérard Godon), 5:00. CD Brume. RGTG 1
12. Lirio: Blauwbaardwals (Wouter Kuyper, Sander van der Schaaf), 4:27. CD Lirio: Lirio. Appel Rekords APR1309
13. Naragonia: Le beau rosier (Toon van Mierlo), 3:21. CD Naragonia: Tandem. Appel Rekords APR1305
14. Maria Jonsson, Ian Carr, Mikael Marin: Kvarnbergspolska (Ian Carr), 4:23. CD Experience the Nordic tradition!. Nordic Tradition NTEX01
15. Gonnagles: Beardance (traditioneel (België), arr. Gonnagles), 3:06. CD Gonnagles: Skwiek!. Parkweg Records pwr013
16. UU: Colonne La Gavre (traditioneel), 3:03. CD Mota: Van Folkguerilla tot Balfolk. Stichting Folkfusie FF01
