Gillian mannell
Gillian lives in the hills of Perth in Western Australia. She loves dancing and started circle dancing in the early '90s, and has taught in a variety of settings and places ever since. She has run regular weekly groups, week-end retreats, focussed on themes for specific events, started a number of circle dance groups in small country towns in Western Australia and taught people with disabilities.
Gillian goes to lots of music festivals and is a great promoter of Australian music, has choreographed many dances to music of all genres.
She went to Findhorn in 2004 for the Sacred Dance Festival. She danced with Laura Shannon and Andy Bettis at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland for two years running. Laura choreographed and Gillian led circle dances for hundreds of people in the Fire Event Closing Ceremony at the end of the seven-day festival. Set in bushland in a huge amphitheater, the annual event attracts an audience of 10,000 people.
Gillian draws inspiration from the music from many cultures, special teachers like Laura Shannon and June Watts, the Aboriginal women of Australia's central desert whom she danced with yearly for eight years.
Neskaya Virtual Dance Camp
Friday August 13th 7 pm to 9 pm EDT 2021
List of dances:
You got me singing
Music: Leonard Cohen
Choreography: Gillian Mannell
Steps: see PDF
Don't give up on us
Music: Shane Howard
Choreography: Gillian Mannell
Steps: see PDF
Singing bird
Music: Greg Champion
Choreography: Gillian mannell
Steps: see PDF
End of the line
Music: The Traveling Wilburys
Choreography: Gillian mannell
Steps: see PDF
Bridal Train
The song is about a train for Australian Second World War brides of US soldiers that ran from Perth in Western Australia across to Sydney and Brisbane in Eastern Australia in 1945 and 1946. This train allowed the war brides to join their husbands in the USA. To learn more.
Music: The Waifs
Choreography: Gillian Mannell
Steps: see PDF
Come Healing
A wonderful dance to do with a person or people in the center to receive healing. The dancers can consciously bring the energy up from the Earth and then down from the heavens. The people in the center can be physically present or symbolically placed in the centrepiece.
Music: Leonard Cohen watch him on YouTube, live in Dublin with the Webb Sister's
Choreography: Gillian Mannell
Steps: see PDF
The Earth is Singing
This dance and song gives recognition to the Earth and helps us to connect and interact with it with reverence and respect as well as playfulness and love.
Music: Shane Howard
Choreography: Gillian Mannell
Steps: see PDF
Miam Makian
From an Australian compilation of Aborigine and Native musicians here is a Quebec musician who sings in his native Anishinabeg language. In the video, the words to the song are translated into English.
Music: Florent Vollant
Choreography: Peter Smith
Steps: see PDF
Kol Rina
Fun bouncy Klezmer dance.
Music: Dead Sea Pedestrians
Choreography: Gillian Mannell
Steps: see PDF
Looking back to country
"This dance evokes the wide open spaces of Australia, especially part 4 where the dancer's scan the distant horizon." according the Brian Smith: "Traditional aboriginal movements are about" walking gently on the Earth "so feet are lifted and placed lightly down." "Arm movements are also about brushing the earth lightly while looking for familiar signs on the ground and folding in the good energy of the Earth for strength to carry on. The sight line for the part 4 is about surveying and connecting with the Country (the land) as far as the horizon.
Music: Gathu Mawula by Gurrumul Yunupingu available from Itunes
Choreography: Brian Smith (see video)
Steps: PDF
Somos El Barco - We Are the Boat
Bringing people together in this time of need.
"We are the boat, we are the sea, I sail in you, you sail in me."
Inspiring and perfect dance for the times we are living in.
Music: Pete Seeger and Lorre Wyatt featuring Emmie Lou Harris
From CD: A more perfect Union
Choreography: Gillian Mannell
Steps: see PDF