Mike Ruff
Mike Ruff has been performing and teaching historical and country dances for many years and delivering various talks on the subject since 2012. Introduced to Country Dancing while still at school it became a major passion leading to festivals in the UK and abroad, work as a caller and musician in various bands and eventually a full time career from 1989, teaching in schools through the educational charity Tradamis. A trip to Australia in 1996 produced an understanding that the context for all the dances, music and songs he enjoyed was quite important and this has led to so much of his work since then.
Many of his activities as a musician, and professional Folk Person can be found elsewhere on the Mike Ruff Music site so do not really need repeating here.
Pat Simpson
Pat says, “I consider Mike one of my oldest friends. Meeting frequently at various festivals and days of dance for both folk dancing, and in my case, north-west Morris dancing. Also, together, we have enjoyed the challenge of teaching historical dances to Year 9 in secondary school when I was Head of History at a local academy. When he asked me if I would like to contribute to Dance Through History by producing a basic social history to provide a little context, I said yes of course.
History has always been an interest of mine, so when I had some ‘spare time’ after work, I studied first for a BA Hons in History with the Open University then went on to a Master’s Degree with Hertfordshire University. After that I took a year off studying except for a couple of archaeology courses with Birbeck. Then studied for a PGCE with the then Institute of Education, before spending twenty years in teaching, as a second career, before deciding to leave the profession after Covid.
I am now embarking on my third career and published my first crime novel in 2023. A combination of police procedure and fantasy. The second one is proving just as difficult as the first, but I am fighting off imposter syndrome and soldiering on.
Contributing to Mike’s book has been a pleasure. I wish you the same pleasure in reading it.”
