The joys and benefits of circle dancing
Have you ever danced in a circle, holding hands and moving as one? International circle dance teacher Judy King discusses the concept of circle dancing, the role of traditional dances and contemporary choreographies, and the meaning of dropping deeper into the dance. She explains that, in the circle, enjoyment and acceptance are more important than performance, and why many dancers are in their sixties or beyond.
If you are new to podcasts, simply click on the arrow to listen to Judy and Mariette, or on the download button to download the conversation onto your device.
In ep. 127 of the weekly podcast series Calm, Clear and Helpful, international circle dance teacher Judy King touches on
what circle dancing is and how it originated
the magic of circle dancing
what to bear in mind when you’re drawn to circle dancing but believe you’re not good at dancing
how Judy came to be a circle dance teacher
where her work has taken her geographically and in terms of personal development
a special experience: dancing in cathedrals
dancing and the role of intent
how to go deeper into the dance, dropping out of your head and into your body and the experience
the cohesion that forms in a circle
having live music in the circle
the centre piece or focal point
circle dancing, choreography, and the circle dance repertoire
the use of sacred geometry in circle dancing.
In this podcast episode, Judy mentions her life partner and fellow circle dance teacher, Mandy de Winter, who passed away 5 years ago; the South African circle dance teachers Yvonne Shapiro and Gail Howarth; the dance master Bernhard Wozien; the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland; Sir George Trevelyan; Saint Francis of Assisi; the Grapevine and Yemenite step patterns; Friedel Kloke-Eibl, a circle dance teacher living in Germany; the UK circle dance magazine, Grapevine, and the SA circle dance magazine, Drumbeat.
All photographs used in these podcast notes: © Judy King
Scroll down for more info on Judy, including finding circles worldwide.
The circle moves into a spiral
Information on dance circles in the UK and South Africa:
Explore https://circledancegrapevine.co.uk/ for groups in the UK.
The South African Circle Dance Network produces Drumbeat two or three times a year, and all the members receive it by email. Drumbeat contains articles about circle dancing and dancing in general, links to circle dancing resources, and information on circle dancing groups in South Africa. A year's membership of the Network costs only R70. For more information, email sa.circle.dance.network@gmail.com or look for "Circle Dancing South Africa" on Facebook.
You can read Judy’s article on “What and where is the sacred in dance” here.
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Judy with Mandy de Winter
About Judy, including her contact details
Judy King is a former Physical Education teacher who’s been teaching circle dancing full time for 35 years. Based in the UK, she travels extensively to teach.
Contact details:
Website: https://www.judyking.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR1T3Eq2vPjhZxjU7uS1ut9kXxfe99vC6LC8e5Z_z0UQH96-U30FkYbtH0s
Facebook: Judy King
The free podcast series Calm, Clear & Helpful is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Player FM and Iono.fm – I hope you’ll subscribe!
Music by Mart-Marie Snyman