May Heydays

Callers and music for International and National dance

4 days of dancing covering..

English programme of workshops and dances offers modern and historical dance (including Playford and other styles and eras) with a variety of live bands from England and/or the States. In 2019 Eastbourne started offering two English Balls for which dancers were invited (but not obliged) to wear historical costume or formal dress. For our first event post-Covid we had just one, but in 2023 we will again have two.
Festival-goers also enjoy a great selection of American contras and squares, again with a variety of live bands from England and/or the States. These workshops and dances will be led by callers from the UK and/or the States.

Our International guests will teach dances from different regions of the world, with a special emphasis on the Balkans. Owing to the range of tunes and styles involved in International dancing, workshops are mainly taught with recorded music; only for the evening dances will there be live musicians.
May Heydays also offers an eclectic mix of other dance styles, traditional and modern. To give you a few examples, we may throw in French and Northern European couple dances, Jive, Lindy Hop, Cajun or Argentinean Tango. In 2022 we had Regency, Bollywood and Belly dancing.

A further string to the festival's bow is our commitment to providing opportunities for Caller Training. May Heydays will continue the Eastbourne tradition of offering club callers the chance to call for a festival audience. There will be a Callers' Workshop, and later a Callers' Training Session followed by a Callers' Showcase with live music

Disabled Facilities: We are based in a school so we have disabled fascilities and are inclusive to all