Review of the Tribe of Doris Summer School, Wellington, Somerset August 20th- 26th 2002
by Anna Povey, Sally Meadows, Pat Wright

Tribe of Doris was one of the most exciting dance experiences of my life. I don't know if it was the live drumming at every workshop, the experience and quality of the teachers, the opportunity to try so many different forms of dance (I loved Capoeira), or just the chance to relax and enjoy the companionship and sense of oneness that made it special. Whatever it was there is definitely a magic quality to Doris that I have not experienced anywhere else.

A particular highlight for me was the Berber Awash Night. The drumming by Hassan Erraji and Chas Whitaker was electric and vibrated through the beautiful dome tent and through my body long after the party ended. Jacqui Jamal resplendent in red and gold, danced every beat of Hassan's drum, until we were all exhausted just watching her! And on she danced inviting us all to join her in an Egyptian Zaar, driven relentlessly by the drumming, enticing us all to let go and enjoy the moment. 

The icing on the cake was a sauna after the party, up in the woods, in a dear yurt style sauna hut (nay, complex!), complete with cold shower and a wood burning fire to dry yourself by in a cosy tepee afterwards. Delicious! We watched the stars, sitting on a settee under a canvas awning, drinking Love Potion Number 9 (warm, spicy and rather addictive) and eating apple crumble and custard. On our way back to our tents that night, sitting in the beautiful Doris heart-shaped garden, a moon so bright bathing its light on the field with a beautiful rainbow aura in a mackerel clouded sky. The lanterns lit and the wind-chimes adding to the magic playing gently in the breeze listening to the sound of people drumming and dancing and singing around the campfire in the distance. My moment to cherish and remember. For me a very special moment in time.

The next morning, I ran out of energy so spent a morning reading and an afternoon pampering myself at Rachel's Sudanese beauty parlour. First a foot soak and scrub (bliss), then a reflexology massage (heaven) and finally a facial (wondrous indulgence). My only regret was not being quick enough off the mark to claim one of the available slots for an aromatherapy massage - next year I'll be first in line.

Jacqui taught at least two hours of workshops each day and as with all of the workshops on site ( there were many!), they ran to time with the usual high quality of teaching enhanced rather than diminished by our verdant surroundings. There was plenty of arab action as both Chas and Hassan also did two hours per day. Then Russell Harris and friend John (Buckfastleigh) dropped in to treat us to their virtuoso and studied playing of middle eastern music and there was the high-octane Rachel de Garang with Sudanese dance. We were joined by a group of Somalian women who were very smiley and beautiful; it was lovely to dance with them in a daily women -only workshop, secluded from onlookers in the Turkish Gur.

As for other new experiences, there was Olu's Animal Spirit workshop. The programme said you should try it at least once during the week and it was right. Olu took us through a wide range and mixture of exercises, encompassing stretching, tai chi, yoga, dance, meditation, visual awareness raising, working with different partners and individually, all leading to a visualisation and movement exercise at the end of the session. It was a process of awakening self-awareness, and with the variety of exercises and Olu's wicked sense of humour the three hours passed very quickly.

None of us had done any singing since school days and after our first class with Yvette, who was teaching British and specifically local folk songs, we discovered that not only could we sing but that we thoroughly enjoyed it - in fact we have since been to a weekend workshop with Yvette and are keen to do more.

Although Tribe of Doris takes place in the Somerset countryside, it is very well organised and comfortable. The teachers are very accomplished, some of them academics, on holiday from the day job. On a more domestic (but equally important) note, there are always hot showers and reliably clean loos (usually complete with loo paper). There is lots to do for children - the play each afternoon is the best drama education that can be had for children anywhere and a joy to watch at 6.30pm each day before feeding the tired little teddy bears and pouring them into their sleeping bags. They also did metalwork, crafts, trampolining - the 'Youth' made music together and cut their own CD's. 

Nothing stopped! The food was always there, delicious and varied. There are three main cafe's - Glenda's (home-cooking) and Gifty's (Jamaican) were both very good, and Abdullah's (Afghan) was my favourite. We had really good fun: the drumming, the energy, the dancing, the enthusiasm, the singing, the laughter, good company, the inter-activity between people from different backgrounds and countries and the friendly, relaxed atmosphere that pervaded the whole site all contributed to a perfect week. The sun shone, the moon shone. What could be more perfect.

And maybe most amazing of all was that over a period of six days, camping in a field in Somerset, we only saw one shower of rain, now that is truly extraordinary!