2022 News Archive

2022 was the year that NYFTE returned to public performance. Provisional programmes in previous years had to be changed / cancelled, and so it was with great excitement that we were able to attend events we had previously had to postpone.

The NYFTE year started with the return of our February residential weekend, the first time since 2019 that we had been able to meet indoors! Following the auditions, we welcomed several new members bringing our numbers near to the largest team we have had for a while. This weekend was also the first 'normal' event a number of our existing members had experienced, as they had joined the team just before the first lockdown in 2020.

As well as performing traditional English music and dance, some team members have taken up the opportunity to learn other folk traditions. During and after lockdowns, a number of team members have been learning to call for ceilidhs. They were then invited to call a ceilidh at IVFDF 2022 in Sheffield, a great experience for all concerned.  

During the winter 2021 / 2022, a number of the NYFTE team had been rehearsing their entry for the Dance England Rapper Tournament (DERT2022) competition held in Lincoln. Normally this event involves each team dancing around a number of venues in the host city, followed by a showcase in the evening. Also, there are usually a number of different competitions, including a youth element (DERTy). However, the 2022 competition only allowed one team per organisation performing a single dance once, and there was no DERTy. NYFTE won the open competition! We are looking forward to the 2023 competition, to be held in Rochdale.

Following an action packed training week in April, we hosted a Spring concert in Shirehampton, a new venue on the edge of Bristol, where we showcased our entire repertoire that we had been rehearsing during the training week. This was followed by a return to Chippenham Folk Festival, as well as appearances at Warwick Folk Festival, and a NYFTE-run event in Sheffield. During August, several NYFTE musicians, callers  and their families ran a ceilidh at Sidmouth Folk Festival 2022. It was with great sadness that we said goodbye to four team members at Wallingford Bunkfest: we wish them well with whatever they do in the future.  

We are looking forward to another busy year in 2023. During the 2022 / 2023 winter, team members have been working hard, both on rapper and clog dance. February will see us welcoming new members; April will see us revising, rehearsing and performing our 2023 repertoire and the following months will see us performing in Upton-upon- Severn, Chippenham, St Albans, and Buxton. There are still dates to confirm, so watch this space.

In other news, we are pleased to announce the development of our new Family Support Fund. A generous donation given in the name of Mike and Mary Isaacs, has enabled us to support those families struggling to attend NYFTE events because of financial pressures. For more information, please see the Family Support Fund page. We would also like to thank our other benefactors, named and anonymous, without whose support we would struggle.