About us

What is aads?

AADS stands for ‘Anglo-American Dance Shop’. It is a folk dance society in Flanders, which is a region in Belgium. It was founded in 1990, with a specific dance programme and a specific aim. The programme consists of dances from Great Britain and America. The aim is to provide services without purpose of gain, namely to organize and support initiatives to stimulate recreational practising of Anglo-American dance. The AADS has no members but interested people can subscribe to its periodical.

The AADS has no ideological ties and its revenues come mainly from subscriptions to its periodical, from the sale of dance related books and music and from registration fees for courses. Furthermore, since January 1993 the AADS is subsidized as an organization for adult education by the Ministry of the Flemish Community.

The AADS has good contacts with similar organizations abroad, especially with American and British ones, but also in many countries in Europe. This enables dancers to have pleasant and instructive foreign contacts.

Dance programme

English and American dances meet contemporary recreational and social demands very well. The AADS programme is based on two cornerstones.

The first cornerstone consists of country dancing. These in origin 17th century dances have evolved a great deal and now belong to a thriving dance tradition that is adapted to our modern taste. Because of centuries of development and a wide geographical spread these dances offer a broad range of styles, figures and music such as English country dance, New England contras, American squares (New England, Southern). Occasionally more specific dance styles like morris dance, sword dance, country and line dance, clogging and Scottish country dance get a chance.

The second cornerstone consists of couple dances, American rounds, Old Time and Sequence dances. The rounds and sequence programme especially attracts senior dancers but is available to all dancers of course.

The approach is recreational for all kinds of dances. Therefore dancers wear comfortable leisure clothes and (dance) shoes adapted to their own taste and to the kind of dances they practise.

Dance activities

Country dancers can attend dance weekends in Belgium at least twice a year. During these weekends people stay over in full. Usually there is a high foreign attendance, often with three or more different nationalities. Each weekend has a theme, like a particular dance type or period or choreographer, and often foreign callers and musicians are invited. Other dance organizations also get the opportunity to work with these foreign callers by means of a tour.

Country dancers also have monthly dances in Ghent. Furthermore there are various dance events throughout the year, like day courses, series of evening workshops, social dances, etc., some with live music. During the summer vacation trips abroad are sometimes organized.

Senior dancers can enjoy a whole dance week once or twice a year, sometimes abroad. Throughout the year there are numerous day-workshops where the round and sequence dance programme is extended. Moreover, advanced dancers have monthly dances near Brussels, Bruges and Ghent.

Callers can learn new dances, work on style, talk about various problems related to teaching or enlarge their background knowledge during yearly refresher courses organized by the AADS.

Sales and publications

The AADS sells books and recorded music mainly from Great Britain and America, but also from European contacts. Callers as well as dancers will find a wide choice of dance descriptions, teacher's aids, records, music cassettes and CDs. The stock contains for instance a large selection of round and sequence dance records and CDs with dance descriptions included.

The AADS itself has published several basic sets, each consisting of a music cassette and an accompanying booklet with dance descriptions. Almost all booklets are also available in English and German.

In 1997, the AADS produced its first CD: “Both Sides of the Atlantic” by the Dutch band “The Little Tinkers”, with accompanying booklet.

Other publications are found on our website.

Items not mentioned in the catalogue can be ordered for you personally. You can order by mail, email, fax or telephone.