Bernie Culkin is a dance teacher and caller based in Cheshire in the UK, who loves the dances of Playford as well as modern choreographies in the Playford style. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she was quick to move her calling onto Zoom and regular hosted virtual ECD dance sessions for her own and local clubs, attracting dancers from across the UK and US.
Bernie is known for her clear calling style and calls at clubs across the Northwest of England, as well as at evening dances and weekends across the UK. Past appearances include Casteron, Eastbourne International Folkdance Festival, Scarborough and Edinburgh. This year, Bernie is also appearing at Folk Festivals such as Lichfield and Southam and further afield at NVS Summer Folk Camps, in the Netherlands.
Bernie is the co-founder of Kindred Spirits Folk Dance Club in Cheshire (www.kindredspiritsfdc.co.uk), where the focus is on dancing with style. As a dance teacher, she wants all dancers to dance to the best of their ability by encouraging good technique, timing and teamwork.
Bernie is also a committee member of the following organisations.
- Cheltenham Assembly for the Cheltenham Playford Ball (https://www.facebook.com/CheltenhamPlayfordBall)
- Adlington Folk Dance Club in Cheshire (https://adlingtonfolk.co.uk)
- Friends of English Dance (www.FriendsofEnglishDance.org.uk)
She is webmaster for:
- The Pat Shaw Legacy Group http://www.patshaw.info
- Malvern Folk Dance Club https://bculkin.wixsite.com/malvernfolkdance