English Country Dance instructors visit the Lower School
Lower Schoolers learn English Country Dance from guest teachers.
On Friday, September 21, the Lower School students had the opportunity to learn how to do English Country Dance from instructors Phil and Jo Ann Staples. The Staples, who live in Nashville, TN and own a summer home in Sky Valley, GA, were invited by Ms. Agata Potter to be guest teachers in her class for the day.
The Staples, whose enjoyment of English Country dancing grew out of a shared love for Jane Austen and her works, provided the children with a history of English Country Dance. The lesson included pictures of large English estates, discussions on the clothing people wore when the dance was first originated in the late 1400’s, and etiquette while dancing such as proper eye contact, distance, and how to hold your partner’s hand. The children were very engaged in learning about what life was like during that time and why the dance was developed. The kids were then invited to stand up and learn some of the basic dance steps and they enjoyed the chance to put what they had learned to use.
The Staples shared that English Country Dance is still popular throughout the world and that most large cities in the US have English Country Dance societies and hold dances. Locally, there are dances held several times a month in Asheville, NC and Atlanta, GA and workshops for English Country Dance are held at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School
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Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is a private, coeducational day and boarding school for grades Pre-K through 12. Centrally located between Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, and Asheville, NC, we prepare young people for college, career, and a lifetime of leadership and service.
