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.  

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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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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