Jane Austen in Calgary

Jane Austen Society of North America in Calgary

Fine dancing, I believe, like virtue, must be its own reward. (Mr. Knightley, Emma)

Sprigged Muslin Dancing

Dancing in Jane Austen's novels plays a pivotal role in courtship and family entertainment. The Jane Austen Centre in Bath provides a good description of Regency Dancing and the History of the Waltz.

In Calgary you can learn the dances and share laughter with the members of "Sprigged Muslin". Our Dance Mistress, Ruth Steven helps us find the real spirit of dancing in the Regency period. Descriptions of the dances are available in pdf.

Usually we meet to learn and practice on the last Monday of each month, at Prairie Sky Co-housing at 100 - 403 31 Ave NE.

Our latest practice focused on Mr Beveridge's Maggot, which looks much better in the movie video from Pride and Prejudice. A complete description of all the dances in Pride and Prejudice movies is at Earthly Delights website.

If a performance is in the offing, we agree on a more frequent schedule to polish our dances. Our most recent performance was at the Birthday Tea for Jane Austen in 2011 January 15. More photos can be seen on the Photos page.

Dancers may be members of JASNA Calgary, but everyone is welcome. We dance mainly for our own pleasure, although we do perform for seniors groups, JASNA galas, etc. For performances we create costumes, and experienced members help with suggestions and sources. If you would like more information contact us at JASNA Calgary.

For a peek at group similar to Sprigged Muslin in the UK, watch video interviews with Jane Austen dancers

In the UK, a new site describes in words and action how to do many Regency Dances. They invite others to contribute to their online library. (This is a very new site and your browser may need a few tries to find it.) Also, online videos can help in learning new steps and dances.

In 2010 May we performed for the Canadian Federation of University Women - Calgary North. Under the direction of Pat Barton, members of the CFUW participated in a set of readings from Pride and Prejudice. At intervals, Sprigged Muslin performed dances.

Sprigged Muslin