Henry has been described as "the Swiss Army Knife of Traditional and Western Dance". Equally at home conducting an advanced workshop for experienced dancers or a party for a group who have never danced before, Henry is your ideal choice for your next dance event - particularly where versatility and adaptability is the key to success!
Henry and Barbara's wide dance interests and experience are reflected by their membership of many professional organisations including the English Folk Dance and Song Society (Henry is a former Director and Chairman of the South East Area), Cymdeithas Ddawns Werin Cymru (the Welsh Folk Dance Society), the British Western Dance Association and the Square Dance Callers Club of Great Britain, having organised the Contra and Traditional Dance section of the British National Convention for many years. Henry has represented the Society for International Folk Dancing at Danceworld at Olympia and is one of only three members of Contralab in this country. Henry and Barbara, are the UK representatives of the Lloyd Shaw Foundation (The USA's premier traditional dance association).
In between calling and cueing dances, Henry has written three books on dancing and numerous articles in specialist dance publications. His depth of knowledge and choreographic skills are equally respected on both sides of the Atlantic. As well as calling at venues as diverse as the York Hall, Cecil Sharp House, the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and Sandown Park Race Course, Henry has taught dance at many colleges throughout London, Surrey, Kent and Hampshire. He has called and taught choreography at the New England Folk Festival in Boston, Mas and Scottish & Historical dance at UOP Stockton, CA. Henry was the only English Contra dance Caller to be featured at the 50th American National Square Dance Convention in Anaheim in 2001 where the immediate reaction was to invite him to call at the 51st as well! He is now probably the only British caller regularly to receive an invitation to this prestigious annual event.
Both Henry and Barbara work on their own (and sometimes together) with recorded music as well as with a number of bands including Banish Misfortune, Cumbrae, Barnstorm and a Band like Alice. They are also members of the "Stars & Bars" line dance disco and "Best of Both" (a combined ceilidh and party disco specialising in wedding entertainment). Together they founded "Merry Andrew", an International Folk Dance Club in Eltham, which they ran for 14 years before moving to Hampshire where they are now resident callers at the Durley Outlaws Line Dance Club.
Just some of the many "bouquets" we have received:
Great music and the caller presented the dances we'd chosen in a way that guests who'd never danced before could do them.
We didn't know what we really wanted when we contacted you. Your ideas and suggestions proved just right. Everyone's been telling me how much they enjoyed the evening.
Not just the Organizing Secretary, but each one of the Directors rang me today to say how terrific the group supplied for us was.
It's difficult to describe the magic of Barbara's calling - except that it is just that - pure MAGIC.
Thank you for your help in making our Anniversary such a success. All your advice beforehand contributed just as much as your deft organization on the day.
Our best AWAY DAY ever - and all down to 2-4-1. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it all. That's never happened before!
Barbara is an encyclopedic resource of traditional dances from both sides of the Atlantic.
I'd been to Barn Dances before, so I was less than enthusiastic when I went along. By the end of the evening I had booked both caller and band for my own wedding.
Henry is one of that rare breed - traditionally innovative; combining the old dances with modern ideas in a way only possible from someone in total harmony with the idiom.
The hall was cold, but not for long. The excellent group you had provided soon heated up the floor.
Superb organization; everything went just like clockwork throughout the entire fortnight. Many thanks.
We're giving your phone number to all our friends who want a similar event - in the hope that they'll invite us!
Our youngest guest was 5 and the oldest was 85. It was marvelous to see them (and everyone else) enjoying themselves.
At the end I just had to rebook for next year - the rest of the committee would have murdered me otherwise.
Experience has taught us to cancel the event if Barbara or Henry can't do the call.
Scottish Country Dances, Israeli Folk Dances and Cowboy Line Dances all presented so effortlessly and flawlessly! Thanks a million.