Who are we?

For all general enquiries, subscriptions, etc.
Email: secretary@historicaldance.org.uk

I am a qualified bookkeeper and am currently studying for an accountancy licence so that I can open my own practice specialising in work for charities and freelancers.  It hasn’t always been my ambition, there have been quite a few others – to start with I was a serious ballet student but then I broke my shoulder and the loss of complete mobility put an end to that.

When I left school I went to work in a hospital but my heart was in the Arts so I got a job at the Old Vic in theatre administration and from there I worked for theatres and productions in eight theatres in the West End, English National Opera, and the Royal Albert Hall.  At the moment I work at the London Library in Piccadilly where Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities and Bram Stoker wrote Dracula and scribbled disrespectfully in the margins of many of the books on werewolves.  I am married to a Mummer.

Anne Daye is a founding member of HDS, having been the first Secretary of the Dolmetsch Historical Dance Society, then its Chairman. As a trustee, her role as Director of Education and Research involves planning courses, encouraging good teaching and stimulating excellence in dance research.

Anne’s primary research and teaching interests are in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and she is also a leading expert in the Elizabethan and Stuart masques, the ballet de cour of England, having completed a doctoral thesis on the Jacobean masque from a dance perspective. Another speciality is in the country dance in Britain across the centuries, alongside the cotillons of the Regency period.

Several publications in leading journals and edited dance books, alongside the production of dance instruction books and music recordings for HDS, keep Anne busy, as well as teaching and coaching dancers for HDS, Bedford Early Dance and Music and Herts Early Dance.

Helen Young was first introduced to historical dance in 2002 at an initial course run by HDS and Anne Daye. Immediately hooked, she (with husband Stephen) took advantage of every opportunity to build her skills and understanding, particularly in dance of the 15th and 16th centuries.
With a background in adult education and staff development it was a fairly natural progression that she would be drawn to teaching opportunities in historical dance. Having joined Herts Early Dance in 2004, she now shares in teaching and leading dances at the club on a regular basis, organises the dance programme, and in recent years helped to keep dance going for the club over Zoom.
Helen is also a member of Stratford Renaissance Dance and is enthusiastic about bringing historical dance to a wider audience through HDS activities, or whenever events present themselves.
Helen’s retirement in 2020 afforded her even more time to devote to HDS in an organising capacity and she is an active member of the Teachers’ Subcommittee. She assists in preparing publicity and overseeing bookings for events and as trustee and summer school director, she is responsible for organising the annual summer schools.

Natalie D Kershaw BA (Hons) PGCE MA (Mus)

I am a musician, teacher, and current PhD research student at the University of Birmingham researching the role of the 17^th and 18^th century musician. I am a Trustee on the HDS committee, and I bring my background of education, music, community outreach and engagement with me. I am particularly interested in the music side of the society and the role of the dance musician. I am also passionate about encouraging young people to engage regularly with HDS. I am new to dancing, but am thoroughly enjoying having a go!

Stephen Collins – Trustee