"It's Welsh - It's Folk - It's Traditional"
Dawnswyr Tawerin are from Swansea. Tawerin literally translates as the ‘folk of Swansea’, a very appropriate name for a Folk dancing team from Swansea. Tawerin was founded in 1975 by former members of the highly successful Swansea University. Our experienced team meets weekly in Hendy, and regularly competes at the National Eisteddfod and the Cerdd Dant Festival. We also enjoy travelling, especially to international festivals, in order to share our traditions with the rest of the world.
The team has competed at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod and have won the premier competitions and trophies at the Welsh National Eisteddfod and Cerdd Dant Festival on numerous occasions as well as successfully competing at the Pan Celtic Festival. The team, representing Swansea and Wales, has shared memorable dance experiences from as far afield as Sweden, Belgium, Poland, and Brittany. The Basque and Galician regions, Isle of Man, Scotland, Ireland, Yugoslavia, Canada and throughout the USA.
The dance group is taught by Karen Grayson-Cooper, a very experienced teacher who consistently sets high standards, in both interpreting and performing our dances. Mavis Williams Roberts is the Team President and a founder member. She has contributed to the development of Welsh folk dance by her research as well as composing new dances, based on traditional steps and figures winning a number of prestigious national awards in her own right.
Tawerin’s costume is based on the traditional patterns and Welsh wool flannel material of our region. The black and white, and particularly the red colors are attributed to the local dyes, which are said to be obtained from the famous cockle harvests of the nearby Gower peninsula.
The dance repertoire includes the elegant court dances of the 18th and 19th centuries, complex social and community dances and the boisterous and colorful fair dances, which were once common and so individual to Wales. Our musicians play both original and specifically composed Welsh music to complement our performances.