Welcome to
The Centrepiece
Sunday 8th Sept 2026
@ 18:30pm UK TIME
Dear Dancers,
It’s been a busy transition from September into October.
I have felt the crisp autumn chill walking through the forest here in Scotland as the leaves began turning to golden hues. For the first time this year, thanks to my new hearing aids, the sound of the season feels different, I’ve noticed subtle changes in the local crows’ tones. As autumn sets in, their calls shift from the softer, high pitched chatter of summer nesting into deeper, raspy territorial caws as they gather and get louder. We have two nesting right by us, and hearing those distinct vocalizations has been a lovely revelation!
With that fresh perspective, I set off for Portugal to teach and attend the Sunflow Dance Festival 2026. It felt truly special to be there, invited by the lovely Dalia and Francesca, who were exceptionally gracious, relaxed, and community, oriented hosts which meant the world to me.
My journey started in Lisbon, where I met up with a dancer from Friedel’s community, Margaret (See below), followed by Stefan Freedman. Meeting Stefan in person for the first time was deeply inspiring, he is so genuinely warm and musically talented. I feel so grateful to have met him and such wonderful presenters from both Germany, Brazil & Portugal at Sunflow. While the overarching theme of the festival was peace, what truly shone through was the shared passion and love within our circle. I thank all the guests and presenters for their support and friendship…It will stay in my heart!
If you’d like to be part of something special that is very much gaining momentum, do follow them on Facebook Sunflow Festival. It is a wonderfully rustic setting with a beautiful church hall, nestled in a countryside rich with deep traditions…
Speaking of tradition, I am currently preparing for ceilidh season with a few events right around the corner, leading up to our annual New Year celebration in the hall. I can t wait to get my kilt on and have some fun with some weddings and birthdays!
Reconnecting with these traditional dances is always such a joy.
A Few Updates for the Centrepiece:
- Music License: Our annual music license renewal is coming up soon. Please consider contributing to help keep this vibrant space alive! here
- Seated Serenade (Next Event – Nov 8th): Join myself, Anne Crowe, Celia Naumann, and Anne Catherine McConnell for a cozy, winter themed event. Here is you zoom code:
Topic: Seated Serenade 11 – Seated dance – Winter
Time: Nov 8, 2026 18:30 London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86969016160?pwd=HbCqTz1ph5q6JUbGYr7pmeU5CYdzGj.1
Meeting ID: 869 6901 6160
Passcode: winterseat
- Winter Tidy: Between our upcoming events, I’ll be taking a time to tidy up the website and app, upload fresh videos to YouTube, and organize our schedule for next year.
Keep an eye on your inbox for the next official newsletter to stay connected!
A opportunity for You All: Stefan Freedman and I were chatting about Greece Paros and are planning to host a retreat there from June 8th – 15th! If you fancy a relaxing getaway filled with plenty of dancing, please reply directly to this email to let me know if you’d like to travel with us email – brant.bambery@thecentrepiece.org.uk & Watch video below!
Until our Seated Serenade on November 8th, wishing you all lots of dancing!
Hugs from Scotland
Brant Bambery
P.S. A Roots of Sacred Dance event will be coming online very soon watch this space!
Sunflow Festival 2026
