Programme
What will the days and nights at FolCon look like?
You do not need to register for the free accompanying program or the evening parties.
However, you must register in advance for all workshops! Registration is separate from payment, so please sign up even if you have registered for a Full pass and accommodation via the registration form. Choose carefully and click the button in the questionnaire:
On Friday afternoon
we will kick off with workshops and an accompanying program. In the evening, the first party awaits you, offering fun for everyone whether you dance or play music. If you’re unsure what to choose, let the atmosphere guide you, and you’ll surely find something you love. Are you a complete beginner worried about joining the nightime events? Don’t worry — Already the Friday workshops will prepare you for the evening festivities!
Party venue is ARTBAR on Štefánikova 1
19:00 doors
20:00 Gruagach
later session
On Saturday
we’ll continue at the same pace with workshops starting in the morning. In the evening, enjoy a party at ARTBAR with dancing, two bands, and a session.
19:00 doors
20:00 Folk-Knock
21:00 Duo Cardamon
later session
On Sunday
—more workshops! We know that Monday marks the start of September with all its responsibilities, so the official program ends on Sunday afternoon. However, if you want to extend the fun into the evening with an afterparty, you probably won’t be the only one!
Registration for the workshops is mandatory. If you’re unsure, take your time and sign up later. Please be responsible and register only for workshops you will definitely attend! We need to set capacity based on registrations, and it could happen that we have to reject someone due to the large number of attendants. If you need to cancel later, please let us know by email.
Download schedule
Workshops
Sean-nós dance
We will learn and establish a few reel steps and variations in the steps. We will address the role of weight distribution on the feet and how that affects the overall technique and personal style.
Percussive dance methods for improvisation and creativity
We will learn basic moves from a shared repertoire of percussive dance styles from various regions. We will break down a basic step dance improvisation method and build a personal vocabulary of moves to practice. We’ll explore the possibilities and creative potential of these steps as expressive, choreographic, and musical tools.
Workouts
Mobility, strength, and flexibility for (percussive) dancers, musicians, and everyone else
One-hour of exercises based on pilates, yoga, release technique, somatics, and traditional stretching. We will focus on counteracting the effects of sedentary lifestyle, practicing music, and repetitive movements occuring in percussive dance (Irish step dance and other footwork based dance styles).
What is a session?
Are you a dancer, musician, fan of Celtic music, or a curious passerby wanting to learn about the world of traditional music sessions? Join me as I share insights from my 12-year journey as a freelance dancer and musician, participating in sessions across Ireland, Scotland, England, California, Canada, Germany, and the Czech Republic. We’ll explore the various types of sessions, the occasions they happen, and its unwritten ethics and rules.
Scottish party minimum
We will take a few basic dances for Scottísh dancers and familiarize ourselves with them. We will dabble into simpler ceilidh dances as well as more systematic Scottish country dances. And then we delve into variations and specials. We will learn how to get lost in the dances and find ourselves again so that everyone can enjoy dancing 🙂 Suitable for beginners, advanced and older children.
IMPRO or PREPARED WITHOUT PREPARATION
The workshop is intended for everyone who wants to try something new and discover that sometimes you don’t need sheet music or a precisely planned choreography to express yourself artistically.
During the workshop, we will try out the basics of improvisation techniques and games together. At the same time, we will look at our dance and musical expression a little differently. Can tools have a dialogue? Can a story be told through dance? How does my body speak, how does my instrument speak? Let’s unwind together and enjoy creating in the present moment.
Irish ceili dances
Come and tune in for an evening concert! This workshop will take you through the basics of Irish ceilí dancing. You will learn the basic positions, steps and a few dances that you will then use right from the start on the dance floor with live music. Let’s dance!
Forgotten ceilí dances
Together we will dive into the little explored waters of forgotten ceilí dances that you won’t see on the dance floor. You will learn the specific techniques and dances that have been forgotten for a long time. Let’s enjoy this trip into the depths of the past, let’s become “dance archaeologists” for a while and let’s “dance” them into new tomorrows.
Harp for dancing
The idea of a combined workshop of dance tunes for the harp arose during a casual meeting with Anička Ward. The aim is to infuse dance music with authentic dance steps, tempo, and the essence of the dance itself. Thus, our approach involves first learning the dance itself, followed by translating it into music. The workshop will follow a folk format — without a sheet music. Melodies and accompaniments will be learned by ear, with ample space for improvisation.
Choreographic studio
Are you a choreographer? Do you want to try choreographing in a team? Or wouldn’t quite call yourself a choreographer yet but it’s definitely something that appeals to you? Let’s create together! Every choreographer has their own creative world in their head, let’s share it, learn something new and create something that no one could do alone like we will together!
Video for dancers
Social networks, promotions, reels, videos… it’s all around us all the time. If it’s still quite a challenge for you, this short workshop is for you! Let’s just go ahead and make a social media video. In two hours!
What you need to know: if you have a phone that can be used for filming, advantage to you, but it’s not necessary. And since we want a nice video for networking, we want to be nice! A nice dress, or stylish workout clothes to wear!
Try irish hard shoes
Have you ever had hard shoes on your feet? It’s a bit like ballet shoes, but better! (Because you can make noise with it!) Just come and try it out. There will be an experienced Irish dance teacher available to try out some very basic steps with.
What you need to know: we can’t guarantee that all sizes of hard shoes will be available.
Celtic knots
How to make a Celtic knot? Come and try it out! There will be strings and twine of different colours and sizes.
What you need to know: you can take the finished knots away
Whistle
The goal of his tin-whistle workshop is to simply delve into the six-holed world of this peculiar instrument. Depending on the skills and capacity of students, we will explain and learn the fingering and scales playable on the tin whistle, dig our fingers into basic ornamentation used in Irish traditional music, learn a few fun tunes, and talk about methods to transcribe them. We will also talk about whistles in other ‘keys’ and their use (not only) in Irish traditional music. As it is a workshop it will be open to various other topics concerning the whistle.
Participants are required to bring a tin whistle in the key of D, preferably tuneable (a low D whistle is also welcomed), along with any recording devices they wish to use (e.g., a phone).
Irish Session Tunes
The workshop will focus on the repertoire of Irish sessions. It will aim to answer some seemingly knotty questions about repertoire. How to choose tunes that are “tailor made” for a particular session? How to adapt your repertoire to the instrument line-up? And what can be considered a session tune? What recordings can be recommended to expand the session player’s repertoire? This workshop is not recommended for complete beginners, at least a basic knowledge of Irish tunes is required.
Folk Piping — use of Scottish smallpipes, Border pipes and Highland pipes in a folk band
Through this workshop you can expand your repertoire with a few tunes from less-common traditional as well as contemporary tune types.
Crash-course in Scottish Gaelic Through the Medium of Traditional Songs
Participants will explore bits of Gaelic language while learning a couple of Gaelic songs and ‘mouth-music’ — ‘Puirt à Beul’. There will be different songs each day.
Odd Signatures in Irish/Scottish Folk Music
In the Bodhrán workshop the musicians are invited to learn how to play uncommon, but increasingly popular odd signature rhythms in contemporary “Celtic” music, such as 5/8 or 11/8. and mixing these with traditional jigs, reels, polkas and others.
Irish dance for children
Workshops will be focused primarily on the joy of movement — an essential component of life.
Caring for (not only) dancers
A panel aiming to create an environment for shared experiences and insights on sustainable dance practices, nurturing longevity and passion in the art form.
Irish dance basics
Do you like Irish music? Have you ever seen Irish dances somewhere and don’t understand where and how to move your feet? Do you enjoy movement? Have you ever Irish danced, but everything is covered in a thick layer of cobwebs? Come learn or review the very basics of Irish dancing! In the workshop, we will look at the technique of Irish dancing and its correct execution in basic elements, we will get to know the rhythms in Irish music, we will learn to distinguish them and then we will put it all together. Bring comfortable clothes, shoes with non-staining soles (shoes or sneakers) and a drink.
Balfolk
Learning to dance in one afternoon? Yes, you can, and no, you don’t have two left feet. Balfolk is dancing for people made simple.You arrive, you dance straight away. Do you already know balfolk? Come anyway, you’ll have fun and who knows, maybe we’ll dig up something interesting that you don’t normally find at dance parties. You need shoes with gentle soles, clothes that are comfortable rather than formal and a water bottle, because you will get warm.
Balfolk, that is dance and music from Europe with folk roots. But don’t expect traditional costumes and your great-uncle’s morality. Balfolk is fun for people of today and tomorrow, regardless of where you come from and whether you prefer cake or salad.
Breton dances I. and II.
Rhythm, contact with the floor and connection with all the other dancers. In Brittany, the ancient foundations of dance have been successfully brought into the 21st century. At the workshops, you will discover:
- how many rhythmic layers we can find in the music and how they relate to the dances
- how to make our body work as a whole and not as a set of limbs that we have to control separately
- how to dance Breton dances so that they don’t look like Macarena
- that repeating six steps over and over can be really exciting
Workshops I. and II. will be different, but they are not follow-up sessions — you can come to either one or both. The dances and techniques taught will not be fundamentally basic, but you will benefit from the workshop regardless of your entry level, so don’t be afraid to come if you have never encountered Breton dances before. We recommend shoes with firmer soles so that you can hit the floor just right, but if you are a barefoot fan, you’ll manage just as well. However, we suggest keeping the three-inch heels for tango argentino at home this time.
Audiotechnics for musicians
What you needed to know about sound engineering but were afraid to ask:
A workshop about what and why a sound engineer might want you to do, how to work effectively with him and make the best possible concert together. Using examples from practice, we will discuss what is useful to communicate to the sound engineer, how to cooperate and what to try to avoid. There will be a selection of sound equipment including more common microphones with different characteristics to try out (instruments and/or vocals with you) and experiment. I will be happy to try to answer your other questions as part of the workshop.