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Balls
In September a Dinki Di Old Time Ball is held at the Eaglehawk Town Hall and the Gay Charmers from Lake Charm share with Emu Creek for a very special evening and combine for the grand finale. The ball commences at 8pm and goes until late. Club members and friends often attend other district functions and the Woolshed Ball in Melbourne (see VFMC website) similar functions organised by the Colonial Dancers, TSDAV and FS&DS respectively.
Community Activities
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Over the years the club supported many events with dancing displays and in processions such as at the Kangaroo Flat Family Fair, Eaglehawk Dahlia & Arts, and Easter Fair. St Lukes Family fair was another local service that was supported and on Australia Day every year since the club's inception dance displays and music have been provided for community functions.
In more recent years the club has also performed and run workshops at folk festivals; in particular at Port Fairy, Maldon and the National Folk Festival at Canberra. The display in costume of the diagonal Royal Irish was of sufficient standard to have been filmed for television and included in a segment by Ted Egan and Geraldine Doyle on Getaway.
The club dancers and the Emu Creek bush band have both entertained the elderly at homes such as Ann Caudle, Bethlehem, Mirridong and St Laurence Court. These concerts have always been well received. Other special activities included the opening of the Porcupine Village at Maldon, participation at the Axedale Colonial Fair, centenary of the Shamrock Hotel ball, opening of the Victoria Hill historic site and the launch of the Campaspe Run at Elmore. The club has supported the Maldon Folk Festival for many years by running a family Colonial and Old Time Bush Dance on the Friday night and has supported the Victorian Folk Music Club Inc. (VFMC) Woolshed Balls in Melbourne since 1979.
Although the primary aim is to promote that which is Australian, there is very much recognition of the important multicultural influence from as early as the goldmining era of the 1850s. This contribution was one hundred and thirty or more years before the multicultural term was in the common vernacular. But it is no less relevant, in fact as much a part of goldfields society (a veritable United Nations) as that of the post war population and also that of the Snowy River scheme one hundred years later. The BDMC and/or its musicians have supported and interacted with local ethnic groups in various capacities.
This includes the Caledonian Society, German Heritage Society, Irish Society, Italian Club and the Eurofest Organisation.
When finances have permitted the club has contributed to charities such as the Salvation Army and bought several seats for the refurbished Capital Theatre and provided a donation towards the renovation of the Spring Gully Hall.
Dances
The Club runs a family dance at Holy Trinity Hall, Keck Street Flora Hill, on the 3rd Saturday of each month except January, September and December. Dance admission is $8 non members, $5 members, children 16 and under free. A plate of food such as sandwiches, cakes, biscuits or fruit is always appreciated as a contribution towards to supper.
The program is a mixture of Colonial and Old Time dances alternating with Bush Dances. It commences at 8pm and goes until around midnight with a break for supper around 10.30. The dances are very sociable and the sets are called (walked through if necessary), the couple dances are easy to follow and are interspersed with novelties and prizes and a special lolly scramble for children.
The club's dance program contains at least 15 dances, or medleys of dances, each month. There is always considerable variety of couples' dances sharing the regular program. These include waltzes, two-steps and three steps, polkas, schottisches, mazurkas, barn dances and varsovianas as well as the favourites, Pride of Erin, Evening 3 Step, Parma Waltz, Maxina and Gypsy Tap.
An important feature of the program is the inclusion of very sociable set dances where people dance together in groups. There are at least six set dances for the night. Three of these set dances are Quadrilles, a type of square dance for four couples such as the Lancers, Alberts, Exions, Fitzroys, First Set, Royal Irish, Waltz Cotillon, Colonials Quadrille.
The other set dances are Country Dances or in the modern vernacular Bush or Folk Dances. These include a choice of Sicilian Circle dances; examples being the Waltz Country Dance, the Dashing White Sergeant, the Highland Reel, the Tempest, The Circassian Circle (Part 1) and the Siege of Ennis. Another choice is made from Longways sets such as the Waves of Tory, Virginia Reel, the Galopede and La Galopade, Strip the Willow, the Willow Tree, Pop goes the Weasel and the Haymakers Jig. There are also a few circular dances such as the Stockyards or Circassian Circle (part 2) and Circle Waltz.
Childrens' dances such as the Hokey Pokey, the Mexican hat dance, the Chicken dance or the Bunny Hop followed by a lolly scramble are a regular feature to cater for family groups.
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