Hazel Metherell

Hazel did some Scottish social dancing while at school, and progressed into other dance styles in clubs at university including The Round at Cambridge which specialises in Playford and other 17th century dancing.

She joined the Newcastle Cloggies when she moved to the North East in the early 1980’s. After several years learning and performing English and Scottish clog and step dances she started helping with teaching the beginners and childrens groups at workshops and festivals. She later got involved in the research side, particularly with the Dot Murphie interviews.

She was a member of Short Circuit rapper sword dancers for ten years. They were the first women’s team to win the national competition, which they repeated two years later. When the team dissolved, she joined the High Spen Pink Diamonds rapper team and continued for several more years.

She is a distant member Six Jolly Miners / Six Tommy Soldiers, a longsword team near Sheffield who have developed a dance to commemorate mining disasters, and one for the Great War.

More recently she is involved in organising and teaching the dancing for local Regency Balls, Twelfth Night Revels and other special events. She is interested in the value of traditional dancing for older people in maintaining physical and mental agilities and takes occasional groups.

Hazel also plays Northumbrian Smallpipes in a trio called Pipers Wyrd, and produces textured fused glass pictures.