Playford-to-the-Present 2023

Here are photos and videos from our Playford-to-the-Present 2023 English Country Dance Ball. We had such a wonderful time at our annual event, as attendees from across California enjoyed delicious treats, good company, and energetic dancing to exquisite music.

Playford-to-the-Present 2023

The ball was held on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Pasadena, California. Bay Area dance leader Alan Winston presided over the event, and was accompanied by music from an exceptional trio of musicians: Anna Patton, Audrey Leigh Jaber, and Jeffrey Spero. It was a wonderfully full weekend of dancing and music as Alan, Anna, Audrey, and Jeff oversaw our Friday night final review too.

Want to know more about the history of our ball? Check out our page A Brief History of CCECD.

(Click on an image to enlarge.)

Playford-to-the-Present 2023
Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
Our wonderful band and caller. Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
Our wonderful band. Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Spero.
Our special presentation for Sparky Sotcher. Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
Our special presentation for Sparky Sotcher. Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Our special presentation for Sparky Sotcher. Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
Our special presentation for Sparky Sotcher. Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Our special presentation for Sparky Sotcher. Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Our special presentation for Sparky Sotcher. Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Kathy Neal.
Photo courtesy of Tom Burke.
Photo courtesy of Tom Burke.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Spero.
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Spero.
Photo courtesy of Sierra Schepmann.
Photo courtesy of Sierra Schepmann.
Photo courtesy of Sierra Schepmann.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
Photo courtesy of Alice Williams.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
The Anaheim Group. Photo courtesy of Tom Burke.
The Anaheim Group. Photo courtesy of Renée Camus.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
The HTDS group. Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
The HTDS group. Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
The HTDS group. Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
The CCECD group. Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
The CCECD group. Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
The CCECD group. Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Playford-to-the-Present 2023
Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
Photo courtesy of Aileen Poehls.
2023 Playford-to-the-Present Flyer (page1)
Playford 2023 Flyer page 2

Playford-to-the-Present 2023 Program of Dances (in program order): Zorinsky (S), Cheshire Rounds (S-I), Newcastle (FTWK), All Saints’ Day (S-I), Movement Afoot (I), Mendocino Redwood (S), Jaque Latin (S-I), New Map (FTWK), Bluebonnets (I), Good Man of Cambridge (I), Woodshed (I-C), Hudson Barn (I-C), Joy After Sorrow (FTWK), Leather Lake House (I), Meeting and Parting (I).
(S=Simple, I=Intermediate, C=Complex, FTWK=For Those Who Know.)

All images used with permission as noted. CCECD thanks Tom Burke, Renée Camus, Kathy Neal, Aileen Poehls, Sierra Schepmann, Jeffrey Spero, and Alice Williams for sharing their photos with us.

Playford-to-the-Present 2023 Videos

Here are videos of dances from the Playford-to-the-Present 2023 ball.

Free waltz (April Waltz)

A short video of a free waltz. The tune is April Waltz, by Selma Kaplan. Thanks to Sierra Schepmann for filming and sharing it with us.

Mendocino Redwood

A short excerpt of the dance Mendocino Redwood, written by Mary Devlin. Bob Fraley, and Elizabeth Zekley in 2005. The tune is Woodlands Walk, by Jonathan Jensen (2005). Thanks to Sierra Schepmann for the video.

Zorinsky

This dance is Zorinsky, from Longman and Broderip, 1796. It was the first dance in our 2023 Playford-to-the-Present ball program. Thanks to Renée Camus for the video.

New Map

This is the English country dance New Map, written by Margaret and Jeff Bary in 2022. The tune of the same name is by Anna Patton, 2022. Anna is playing it in this video, along with Audrey Jaber and Jeffrey Spero. Thanks to Renée Camus for the video.

Want to see more of our videos? Check out our Videos page, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Did you miss the ball this year? Be sure to join us next year!

See more Playford-to-the-Present photos.