We were delighted to welcome Charles Garth, New York-based teacher, performer and research in the field of historical dance, back to Sydney for our inaugural Festival of Early Dance. Workshops spanning four centuries of dance from Renaissance to Nineteenth-century culminated in a Soirée of Music, Song and Dance, introducing Allegrezza, a newly formed ensemble, and including audience participation. The Festival was successful all round, with weather kind, and both Workshops and Soirée very well-attended and enthusiastically received. We hope to announce another before too long!

Allegrezza is an early music ensemble specially formed for the Festival, combining voice with recorder and flute, viola da gamba, lute and guitar. The name means "joy" or "gaiety" befitting the belief in dance as a natural and lively expression of happiness. It comes from a dance of the late 16th century, Allegrezza d'Amore, a lively cascarda created by the Italian dance master Fabritio Caroso, and published in his treatise Della Nobiltà di Dame ("On the Nobility of Ladies", Venice, 1600). Nadia Piave, Matthew Ridley and Jennifer Eriksson have all appeared with the Early Dance Consort on many occasions variously as members of The Musicke (dir. Tommie Andersson) and Pastance (dir. Alex Cronin), and as part of the Marais Project.  They were joined by lutenist/guitarist Andrew White, who made his debut with the Consort, to present a delightful programme of music which ranged from the 16th to the 19th Century.