Monthly Balkan / Greek Saturday Afternoons
I have been leading this monthly group for a couple of years having taught a regular evening class in Hebden Bridge for decades .
WEEKLY EVENT
🌿 Circle Dance at Saltaire Methodist Church Hall
Location: Saltaire Methodist Church Hall, Saltaire Rd, Saltaire, Shipley BD18 3HJ
When: Wednesdays, 10:30am – 12:30pm (with a tea break)
Led by: Sophia Hatch
Join our friendly and welcoming circle dance group! We’ve been dancing together for decades, but newcomers are always warmly welcomed.
Autumn restart will be Wednesday 10th September for 7 weeks
Pay for the block up front: £49
Pay on the door £10.
1/2 term break 29th October.
Restart 5th November till 10th December for 6 weeks.
Pay for the block up front: £42
Pay on the door £10.
SAMHAIN: Dancing Deeper into the Dark… and Awakening the Flame Within
‼️Women only & experienced circle dancers
Wainsgate Chapel, Wainsgate Lane in Old Town Hebden Bridge HX7 8SU
Friday October 31st 7.30 – 10pm
November 1st & 2nd 10-1 pm + 5-10pm
Sunday 2nd November 10-1 pm
Honouring the Crone: A Weekend of Dance, Reflection & Ceremony
With Sophia Hatch
📍 Wainsgate Chapel, near Hebden Bridge
🗓️ Weekend Gathering
As the days grow shorter and the veil between worlds thins, we gather to honour this sacred time of year—a time for letting go, turning inward, and connecting with our inner wisdom. We come together in celebration of the Crone, the wise woman within, and to pay tribute to our ancestors.
🌕 The Weekend Includes:
- Circle Dance – both recent and traditional dances
- Free Movement & Dance
- Personal Sharing & Guided Visualisation
- Simple Ceremony & Candle Dances
Saturday
- Morning: Learn the circle dances that will form the heart of our evening session
- Evening: A more focused, intentional gathering including:
- Visualisation to meet the Crone
- Dances learned earlier
- Free dance, ceremony, and candlelight dancing
- Shared Lunch: Please bring food to share
- Evening Meal: A meal will be arranged (cook to be confirmed)
The venue is a beautiful old building with a square wooden floor, high ceilings, and a special atmosphere. There’s a bus stop near Wainsgate Lane.
Sunday
- Closing dances and a completion circle
🛏️ Accommodation & Transport
Some low-cost accommodation is available nearby. Lifts from Hebden Bridge can be arranged.
💷 Cost
£150- £95 Self select – pay as your purse allows.
£80 for those in benefits only
A non-refundable deposit of £25 is required ASAP to secure your place.
Please pay the balance by 30th September.
🙏 Important
This is a full weekend gathering. We ask all participants to commit to the whole event – it is not a drop-in session.
We need a minimum of 13 dancers for the event to go ahead.
💌 Interested? Get in Touch!
Please contact Sophia with any questions or to register your interest:
📧 sophiafreedancer@talktalk.net
📫 Sophia Hatch, 3 Boston Hill, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8SS
WINTER SOLSTICE Circle Dance
Thursday 18th December 2025 with Sophia @ Saltaire Methodist Church Hall
1pm – 2pm Shared festive vegetarian food – if you like … BRING a festive dish.
2pm – 6pm Dancing.
2pm PROMPT start! Till 3 pm /3.30 pm with some live music from John Hofton flute / recorder gemshorn & Adrian Dobson: Accordion / Guitar + Hurdy Gurdy + voice.
3.30 – 6pm to include T break… More dancing to recorded music, short Solstice meditation, and candle dances to end.
Priority will be given to regular Saltaire dancers + if space any others too. So book early! . Minimum 15. Max 30.people
£25. Pay by 18th November £20. Cash / cheque or on line.
ENQUIRIES / BOOKINGS: sophiafreedancer@talktalk.net
07761213280
Winter Solstice Circle Dance Celebration
With Sophia Hatch
Saturday 20th December 2025
2pm – 7.30.pm pm Start with! LIVE! MUSIC! For about 1.5 hr from John Hofton on flute / recorder / + gemshorn, AND Adrian on Accordion / hurdy gurdy + guitar /voice. Tea break followed by recorded music + ending with candle dances …
Finish with a shared festive vegetarian food for those that want to.
At: St Johns church, Church Bank Lane, Cragg Vale, near Mytholmroyd HX7 5TF. W Yorks.
Large, light, modern spacious venue – no pews!. First come first served. ..So do not delay! Open to men and women.
SOLSTICE means “standing still of the sun “…… this is the darkest point of the year so we will celebrate that fact AND the turning point + the returning of the sun and the light with beautiful candle dances at the end... Both lively + slow dances with a short meditation mid-point as well as a tea break
Wear your dark + sparkly clothes or dress as the sun!
Cost £35 -45 Self-select .On the door £50.
EARLY BIRD : IF paid before 20th November. £30
ENQUIRIES: sophiafreedancer@talktalk.net for details of payment options.
www.sophiafreedancer.co.uk
TEXT : 07761213280
Sophia Hatch - Free Dancer