Thinking of starting a new folk dance club?

English Dance and Song Winter 2022

This article appears in English Dance and Song, the magazine of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. The world’s oldest magazine for folk music and dance, EDS was first published in 1936 and is essential reading for anyone with a passion for folk arts.

Janet Maile set up Juice of Barley Country Dance Club in November 2021 and, based on her experiences, she has some advice for those thinking of doing the same.

I did a number of things wrong when I started my folk dance club.

I belong to the local u3a group, which has over 900 members, so I thought this would be a good place to find people who’d like to go dancing. However, I had to take the group out of the u3a as I had plans to invite guest callers and musicians and was told only members could attend the dances. So I went independent.

Think creatively about your choice of name

It seemed logical to name our club the Orpington Folk Dance Group, as that’s where we are based. It was only later that I realised it did not reflect a sense of fun – dancing fills me with joy and makes me forget any problems or worries I might have. Also, the name suggested we were a fixed group of dancers who went out entertaining. So, after a break in the summer, I decided to change the name. I thought long and hard about a name that would be clear about what we did and also sounded interesting. I settled on Juice of Barley Country Dance Club, named after a 17th century dance.

Ensure you find a venue in a good location with a suitable time slot

Initially, finding a venue was not easy. Most halls were already fully booked. I managed to get a slot, but it ran across the lunch hour, which was difficult for those who wanted to do something else in the morning or afternoon. So, after the summer break, I found a different venue in the centre of town, well served by train and bus routes.

Consider dances that suit your audience

I had always done Playford-style dances, so that’s what I chose to teach – but these are not easy for a beginner. When my 30 dancers became nine, I realised I was doing something wrong. So, in July, I put on a Jubilee dance with easy ceilidh dances. It was a great hit and it showed me the way I needed to go.

Think about your music

Live music is always a better experience than recorded but bands can be expensive. I advertised for musicians and was lucky enough to find three who were just setting themselves up to play for folk dancing. So, I booked them for the Jubilee dance and the Christmas dance.

Make sure you have a website

A well designed website is essential these days – and it need not cost you anything. There are companies with programs that are no harder to use than a word processor and that are free to use provided that you include their name in your website address. I used a company called Weebly. 

It takes time to set up any enterprise and in the current economic climate it is particularly difficult. But hopefully, after a bit of trial and error, I’ve got it right. And I hope my experiences help anyone who would like to do the same. 

Juice of Barley Country Dance Club takes place on the first and third Thursday of the month at The Liberal Club, 7 Station Rd, Orpington, BR6 0RZ. 

English Country Dance class at Cecil Sharp House: photo by Rosie Reed Gold