Nottingham World Dance and Kilikia Dances for Armenia

30/09/2024

Saturday dancing Dun on the centrepiece

09/08/2024

Dancing at the gaida festival in Koufovouna

05/01/2024

For the last 25 years I have travelled extensively, especially through Greece, Armenia, Turkey and central Asia, Nepal and India learning and studying village culture and dance. Nothing is so thrilling, moving, and heartwarming as these traditional and sometimes really ancient dances. After all, if a dance has survived two thousand years it must be really special.
The dances often have stories, rituals or specific celebrations or customs associated with them. Dancing with village people is incredible. People who have danced their dances all their lives, who live and breathe their dance in everyday life. Frequently I have been welcomed with open arms into these dance circles by people with whom I have no language in common but we have spoken through our common love of dance.
What I have learnt goes far beyond dance or steps or even music. I have learnt about survival, tenacity, perseverance, patience, love, respect, generosity, gratitude, joy, humour, honouring the earth, honouring our ancestors, loss, death, growth, friendship….. the gifts have just been endless.
Slowly I began to take others with me on these trips to dance with local teachers and villagers and groups have travelled with me to Istanbul, Bursa, Cappadocia, South East Turkey, Corfu, Pelion, to the Roma people in Turkish Thrace, Armenia (several times) and Black Sea Turkey.
Now that we are able to travel again, I am very excited to be able to invite others to join me on two new trips to Georgia and Azerbaijan September 9 - 20th 2024 (few places left now) and to Village India March 18th - April 3rd 2025. During the latter we will also visit the Golden Temple of Amritsar, Dharamshala the home of the Dalia Lama and the romantic Taj Mahal.
If you would like to join us message me your email and I will send you the tour brochures.

14/09/2023

https://youtu.be/2HqA8aqUrNk?si=DEcdnripvqfnCdfR

A dance choreographed by Chrisandra. Part of Chrisandras Dances from the Silk Road collection.

29/04/2021

Come take a walk and dance along the old Silk Road with me. Learn about the people who live there, their stories. music and of course dances.

I would like to invite you to my next dancing zoom offering on Wednesday May 5th 19.00 - 20.30 pm London time. or check your local time. This will be my last zoom offering for a little while as my real life classes are gradually opening.

I will offer a selection of dances from the places and peoples along the old Silk Road. These will include:

A simple traditional Armenian village dance

A beautiful lyrical Armenian dance about how people have to emigrate to support their families

A Roman or Roma dance from the Edirne Roman spring festival in NW Turkey

A Greek dance from Adrianople (present day Edirne NW Turkey)

A slow and lovely Turkish dance from the Teke region of SW Turkey

These are mostly traditional village dances. The stories will be about the people that live along the route, and will be ones that I have collected during my travels in these areas.

If you joined me to travel on the Silk Road in January/February/March these are different dances.

All the dances will be easy and you are very welcome to join in, or watch and listen. Everyone is welcome and booking is now open.

Please support those of us who share dances to continue to do so. Suggested donation is £8 (or 11 USA dollars).

The music and film of all the dances will also be available for those who would like this for an additional £8 (11 USA dollars)

Please send donation by Paypal or contact me for Bacs details. Donation with trigger an email to you with all the joining details.

Looking forward to dancing along the old Silk Road with you.

02/04/2021

Chrisandra dancing at Findhorn last week

27/03/21 "The Centrepiece" session 17 - 130+ guests - Free eventTheme - Spirit of India Online Sacred/Circle Dance sessions Dance and teacher names at end ...

21/03/2021

Come take a walk and dance along the Old Silk Road with me. Learn about the people who live there, their stories. music and of course dances.
I would like to invite you to my next dancing zoom offering on Wednesday March 31st 19.00 - 20.30 pm London time. or check your local time here: https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/
I will offer a selection of dances from the places and peoples along the old Silk Road. These will include:
A Georgian perkhuli dance (round dance with beautiful music sung by dancers) from Kakheti region
A simple Kurdistan dance from southern Turkey
An old Armenian dance from Eastern Anatolia originally danced by women whilst they waited for their yogurt to mature
A dance from Nepal inspired by the Boudh Stupa an important Buddhist temple and a significant stopping point on the Old Silk Road
A Bollywood dance from Mumbai India.

These are mostly traditional village dances. The stories will be about the people that live along the route, and will be ones that I have collected during my travels in these areas.

If you joined me to travel on the Silk Road in January/February these are different dances.

All the dances will be easy and you are very welcome to join in, or watch and listen. Everyone is welcome.

Please support those of us who share dances. Suggested donation is £8 (or 11 USA dollars).
The music and film of all the dances will also be available for those who would like this for an additional £8 (11 USA dollars)
Message me for the zoom link.
Hope to meet you along the Old Silk Road.

18/02/2021

Come take a walk and dance along the old Silk Road with me. Learn about the people who live there, their stories. music and of course dances.

I would like to invite you to my next dancing zoom offering on Wednesday Feb 24th 19.00 - 20.30 pm London time. (PST 11.00 - 12.30, EST 14.00 - 15.30) or check your local time

This time I will offer a selection of dances and stories specifically from the countries of Armenia/Georgia, Asia minor and Turkey that lie alongside The Old Silk Road. These will be mostly traditional village dances. The stories will be about the people that live along the route, and will be ones that I have collected during my travels. If you joined me in January these are different dances.

All the dances will be easy and you are very welcome to join in, or watch and listen. Everyone is welcome.

Please support those of us who share dances. Suggested donation is £8 (or 11 USA dollars).

The music and film of all the dances will also be available for those who would like this for an additional £8 (11 USA dollars)

TOTAL if you would like to attend the workshop and purchase the music and film of the dances is £16 or 22 USA dollars.

To book by PayPal click here to Pay Chrisandra by PayPal. If you pay by PayPal please choose the option 'Friends and family'
Or to pay by BACs its Sort code 07 04 36 Account number 21339112 Account in name of Chrisandra Harris Nationwide bank. If you pay by BACS be sure to include your name on the payment or send me an email to tell me you have booked so that I know who to send the zoom link to.

I will send you the Zoom link for the workshop when you book and if you choose to include the film and music these will be sent after the workshop.

I hope you can join us.

Picture shows Dancing in the shadow of Mount Ararat in Yeghegnadzor Armenia, group dance tour with Chrisandra.

04/02/2021

February Dances from the Old Silk Road:
I would like to invite you to my next dancing zoom offering on Wednesday Feb 24th 19.00 - 20.30 pm London time. (PST 10.00 - 11.30, EST 13.00 - 14.30)
I will offer a selection of dances and stories specifically from the countries of Armenia/Georgia, Asia minor and Turkey that lie alongside The Old Silk Road. These will be mostly traditional village dances. The stories will be about the people that live along the route, and will be ones that I have collected during my travels.
All the dances will be easy and you are very welcome to join in, or watch and listen. Everyone is welcome.
Suggested donation is £8 (or 11 USA dollars).
The music and film of all the dances will also be available for those who would like this for an additional £8 (11 USA dollars)
TOTAL if you would like to attend the workshop and purchase the music and film of the dances is £16 or 22 USA dollars.
For details of how to book message Chrisandra with your email.
I will send you the Zoom link for the workshop when you book and if you choose to include the film and music these will be sent after the workshop..
I hope you can join us.
Picture shows Dancing in Yeghegnadzor Armenia, group dance tour

10/01/2021

I would like to invite you to my next dancing zoom offering on Wednesday January 20th 7.00 - 8.30 pm London time.

I will offer a selection of dances and stories specifically from the countries of Armenia, Asia minor and Turkey that lie alongside The Old Silk Road. These will be mostly traditional village dances. The stories will be about the people that live along the route, and will be ones that I have collected during my travels.

All the dances will be easy and you are very welcome to join in, or watch and listen. Everyone is welcome.

Suggested donation is £8 (or 10 USA dollars).

The music and film of all the dances will also be available for those who would like this for an additional £8 (10 USA dollars)

TOTAL if you would like to attend the workshop and purchase the music and film of the dances is £16 or 20 USA dollars.

For details of how to book message Chrisandra with your email.

I will send you the Zoom link for the workshop when you book and if you choose to include the film and music these will be sent after the workshop..

I hope you can join us.

Picture shows dancers from Kadirga dance festival, Black Sea area tour with Chrisandra, Turkey August 2019

09/12/2020

We are meeting online at present. Message us if you would like to join in.

25/10/2020

Dances of Mystery and Imagination' on Wednesday 28th October 7.00 - 8.15 pm London time
With Chrisandra Harris

I will share dances that have a mysterious or intriguing feel to them that are relevant to this time of the year as we move into the dark season. Bring a candle if you can, we will light them together to find our way through the darkness.
You are very welcome to join in if you dont want to dance but would like to watch/listen and feel part of our community.
At the end of the session there will be an optional chat/sharing.

If like me you get few or no opportunities to go out at present, you may like to dress up in a suitable mysterious way for the event!

Contact [email protected] for link to join in.