Welcome to Hampshire Regency Dancers
The Hampshire Regency Dancers is a dance group based in Winchester, England.
Our aim is to promote, practise and enjoy the dances from the late Georgian and Regency periods, circa 1775-1830; and to have fun while doing so.
We meet to learn the Country Dances, Cotillions and Quadrilles danced by Jane Austen and her contemporaries. Jane lived most of her life in Hampshire and is buried in Winchester Cathedral. Her heyday as an author was while she was living in the village of Chawton, where we regularly perform.
Dances are taught with the help of experts in historical dance. We walk the figures through in advance, practise any new steps and then dance them to the music of the period. Some of the dances are lively, but others are slow and stately such as those you might have seen in film or television adaptations of her work.
Regency dances are suitable for adults of all ages and abilities and you don't need to bring a partner or a costume to join in.
We practice every Wednesday evening at venues in the Winchester area.
Anyone is welcome to attend our dance sessions but please contact us first if you would like to visit.
Visit our Dance Sessions page for more information and the calendar for dates and locations.
Throughout the year we perform at events in Hampshire and in the surrounding counties and would be delighted if you came to see us dance and even join in some dances with us.
The Hampshire Regency Dancers are also available to perform for film & TV projects and at public & private functions and events. Please take a look at our portfolio, and contact us for further information.
Since 2005 we have held an annual Grand Regency Ball in Hampshire, each with a different theme. Guests are invited to come in period costume and enjoy popular dances of the time.
The Ball has an international following. Tickets usually sell out months in advance so it is advisable to book early, as places are limited.
Resources
Members of the Hampshire Regency Dancers have worked hard to pool together resources that would be useful to others in the group and in the regency dancing community.
We have ever-growing guides for dancing and historical costuming, among these we have our HRD Masterclass for footwork, a full dancing glossary, and a fabric guide for regency costuming.
As seen on...
Hampshire Regency Dancers is an affiliated member of the English Folk Dance and Song Society