The Dancing Bear was an organisation that organised concerts with folkmusic roughly from 1975 - 1988 in Theater Aan De Haven (Theatre at the Harbour) in Scheveningen, Netherlands. It had a separate office in the adjoining town of The Hague. Theater Aan De Haven was also the initial home of PAN Records.

Unlike most of the folkclubs of the Dutch folkrevival of the mid-1970s, which existed in student towns and which were run by volunteers, the Dancing Bear had a profesional fulltime staff. Staff and office were paid by various government grants, plaatsvervangende dienstplicht. Dancing Bear and PAN Records were set up by members of folk group Kings Gayard, who later changed their name into Kings Galliard. Kings Galliard played Irish and Dutch and South American traditional music and were considered one of the top five traditional folkgroups from that period (together with a.o. Fungus and Wolverlei). Because concerts were subsidized, higher fees than the average folkclub could be paid, which meant that various wellknown bands from the British Isles, Ireland, and France, that were usually above the financial range of the folkclubs, could be booked The Dancing Bear ran on Sunday evenings, and were closed in holiday periods. In a season there were usually around 35 concerts and 2 festivals (which ran in 2 halls and included afternoons). Festival were attended on average by audience of 250 - 350, evening concerts by 75 - 150 audience. Recordings were made on TEAC 35-2 stereo tape recorder, and Neumann microphones type: ?? Sometimes Dolby DBX was used, sometimes not.

Recording engineers: Frenk van Meeteren, Jørn Plas, Giel Hekkens (only Travelling festival summer of 1979), Bernard Kleikamp (only Travelling Festival) Tapes used were always with 27 cm spool, usually Ampex. Tape speed was usually 38 cm/sec, sometimes 19 cm/sec. Tapeboxes often had only the name of the recorded group, not the date. Everything was recorded at Theater aan de Haven, except Travelling festival summer of 1979. Very few of the tapes are digitised. From the collection of recordings 2 LPs were released (PAN 0102 and PAN 0204). Mastertapes of LP productions for PAN Records were usually recorded on other locations with better acoustics and environment. After 1983 (?) recording of the live concerts was terminated by the Dancing Bear, but permission was granted to Willem Bakker, a regular visitor of the folk concerts at Theater aan de Haven to continue recording on his own equipment. Willem Bakker recorded until 1990 (?) when concerts were terminated. List 1 Tape recordings made by “De Dansende Beer” in Theater aan de Haven, Scheveningen List is not edited, probably some items are doubly mentioned. Most comments in Dutch. 1977 23 sept. Crooks OPNAME Scotch tape P{ro Pack 250. 2 okt. Christy Moore OPNAME Maxell tape 35-180B, 27 cm 1978 29 jan. Saffron Summerfield (geen opname) 5 febr. Pijpekruid, Wannes Raps. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool 11 feb. Wolverlei. kant 2 van opname 11/02/1978 26 feb. Festival van de Lage Landen. Kant 1: Gaerne, Irolt. kant 2: Folkcorn, Scharluin. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool 12 maart King’s Galliard, Mike Whellans. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool EMI Tape, 27 cm spool 16 april Muzsikás Tape, 27 cm spool 25 sept. Battlefield Band en Jan Erik Noske + Kate. Maxell tape 35-180B, 27 cm. 2 tapes. 8 okt. 1978 Shebeen. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool. Halfspoor (op calgija tape) 22 okt. 1978 Ramshackle Stringband. 22 okt. 1978 De Snaar (+ Laury Randolph. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool 26 nov. Kees Ouwejan Circus. half spoor. EMI tape, 27 cm. 3 dec. 1978 La Chifonnie. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool 10 dec. 1978 Oisin. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool kant 1 17 dec. 1978 Taberna Mylaensis. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool kant 2 1979 14 jan. 1979. King’s Galliard, Bernard Davey, Amankay. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool 28 jan. 1979 La Bamboche. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool, 7,5 ips, 2 sporen 4 februari 1979 Voorheen Turf. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool 1979 Reizend festival Haamstede. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool Side 1: Perelaar, Zürich String Quartet (without solo guitar). Side 2: Alakondre Amsterdam 22 juli EMI tape, 27 cm Side 1: Zürich String Quintet, Alakondre Side 2: Alakondre, Zürich String Quartet, Folkrock Group Utrecht, 13 en 14 juli, EMI tape, 27 cm Side 1: Alakondre Side 2: Alakondre 11 juli 1979 Den Haag, Malieveld. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool side 1: King’s Galliard, Bert deivert, Perelaar, Sharon Bradley. Side 2: Ramshackle stringband, trefioler, Kees Ouwejan, Alakondre, Roelof Rosendal Unknown date Oisin + Mick Ryan. Maxell tape 35-180B, 27 cm Ramshackle Stringband + Schnappsack Balkan Festival: Calgija. 11 juni ?? EMI Tape, 27 cm spool Keltisch festival. Reel Union, Paul Davies, Planedenn, Bernard Davey Group. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool.

Keltisch festival. Ar Log, King’s Galliard. EMI Tape, 27 cm spool (kant 1: Schnappsack) Balkan festival. 3 tapes EMI Tape, 27 cm spool. Prelaz, I Laiki Muziki, Cabari, sessie. Balaton, Lautarii, Prelaz. Calgija. List 2. Comments in Dutch Folkfestival der Lage Landen (FLL) 78: kant 1: Gearne, Irolt / kant 2: Folkcorn, Scharluin; 26-02-78, produktie: Frenk resp. Jørn. FLL 78: Pijpekruid; 05-02-78 / kant B: Wolverlei; 11-02-78, produktie: Jørn. Reizend Festival (RF) 79: kant 1: Kings Galliard, Bert Deivert, Perelaar, Sharon Bradley / kant 2: Ramshackle, Tre Fioler, Kees Ouwejan, Alakondre, Turkse dame met Roelof; 11-07-79, Den Haag. Christie Moore: band I; spoor 1/2, 02-10-77. Battlefield: tape I; 25-09-??. Battlefield: tape 3; 4-sporen, produktie: Frenk. Battlefield: tape 2: Jan, Erik & Kate / hele tape Battlefield Band; beiden 25-09-??. De Perelaar: II (live): titellijst op los papier binnen in; 4-sporen. De Perelaar: I (live '77): titellijst op los papier binnen in; 4-sporen, 06-11-77, Den Haag. Chickenfeed; 20-11-77, 2-sporen. McEwans: III. Roemeens I: Benone Damian; 10-09-77; gemixed op half spoor 19 cm. Roemeens II: Benone Damian. Iain Mackintosh / Canny Fettle. Iain Mackintosh, Dennis Ryan & gasten; ??-09-78. Iain Mackintosh, Ossian, Dennis Ryan, Frenk; ??-09-78. Balkan: stukje Sessiun / Balaton / Lautari / Prelaz, voor de helft. Balkan: Prelaz / I Laiki Muski / Caban /Sessiun. Ruud Elshout. Calgya: II & stuk Prelaz; half spoor, produktie: Jørn & Frenk / Shebeen; 08-10-78. Calgya: kant 1 & session (track 1+4) / Festval 11-06-?? (track 2+3). Grand Rouge: opnamegegevens op los papier binnen in; 21-10-79, produktie: H. van Hooydonk. Renbourne; 14-10-79; 2-sporen 19 cm. Melusine. Bamboche: kant 1: Bamboche (spoor 1/3) / voorheen Turf (spoor 2/4); 28-01-79 resp. 04-02-79, produktie: Jørn resp. Frenk. La Chiffonie; 03-12-78. Crooks; 23-09-79. Peter v/d Linden. Crooks: II / Tailtoddle II: titellijst op los papier binnen in. Tailtoddle I / Crooks I. Country Ramblers / Crooks / Jerry (kant 1) en OPO (kant 2); CR: 05-03-78. Crooks. Snaar / Larry Randolph: + Ramshackle; 22-10-78. o.a. Reel Union: Keltisch Festival: kant 1: Paul Davies / Reel Union, kant 2: Reel Union / Planedenn / Bernard Davey + groep. Shine: Master: titellijst op hoes: 20-05-82, 2-sporen. Oisin: + Mick Ryan. (??Paradijs II, 4 november??). Hoketus. Ossian + Bully Wee: kant 1: Ossian / Bully Wee, kant 2: Bully Wee; 18-03-79 resp. 25-03-79, produktie: Frenk. Iona, Ossian: kant 1: jan Duindam / Iona, kant 2: Ossian; 11-03-79. Snapsack (kant 1) / Keltisch Festival: Ar Log / Kings Galliard (kant 2). Ramshackle Stringband: ongebruikte masters. Zuid-amerikaans / Kings Galliard / Mike Whellans; 12-03-78. Kings Galliard: titellijst op hoes; 08-05-77 & 23-10-77, produktie: Frenk. KG: Kings Galliard; 02-04-78. Kings Galliard + Bernard Davey; 14-01-79 / Amankay. Clodhoppers: tape 1; 09-10-77. Clodhoppers: tape 2; 09-10-77. Clodhoppers: tape 3; 09-10-77. Yaravi + Canny Fettle II: Yaravi (spoor 2/4 38 cm), CF (spoor 1/3 19 cm). Tailtoddle III + Morning Dew; MD: masters. McEwans + Micky Ryan: II. McEwans: I. Sebö. Dougie Maclean: + Alan Roberts. Zweeds: titellijst op hoes. Lena Willemark. Bob Davenport & the Rakes: + Perelaar. Z.A.: Zuid Amerika master; met Peter. PAN 001A: Kings Galliard met Bernard Davies; 21-05-78.