Festival of the Oaks

For the 77th Festival of the Oaks, there will be a morning workshop with Andy Taylor who will teach dances of Carpathian Europe, followed by optional lunch, an afternoon dance party, and more. Refreshments will be provided. Oh, and be sure to shop at (and/or donate to) the pre-owned folk dance costume sale (12:30 pm – 4:30 pm).

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Andy Taylor

Andy Taylor’s passion for international folk dancing began at a young age, nurtured by her parents, Marianne and Conny Taylor, co-founders of the renowned Folk Arts Center of New England. Growing up, Andy was immersed in the vibrant Boston folk dance community. The Taylors regularly hosted large-scale events, bringing in international dance teachers from far and wide. Andy had the opportunity to assist with teaching, learning and experiencing dance through her parents’ pioneering vision. At age 17, Andy was certified to teach Scottish Country Dance. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Social Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her professional dance career spans over 40 years of performing with local and international choreographers, including a prolific 20-year tenure with Prometheus Dance. She continues to teach International Folk and Contemporary dance forms in schools, at public functions, and in other spaces.

Andy is the artistic director for multiple groups. She leads the Boston Scottish Country Dancers in local performances and serves as artistic director for the Back Pocket Dancers, an intergenerational ensemble that tells stories through narration, movement, and music. Since 2009, she has been artistic director of the Wheaton College Dance Co. A contemporary company at Wheaton College located in Norton, MA. In 2006, following her father’s passing, she founded Mladost Folk Ensemble, a youth folk dance troupe, continuing the spirit of both her parents’ work. A unique part of her heritage, Andy also recorded and produced a CD of Austrian Jodels (yodels) from a book by Werner von Trapp, a project originally produced by her father, Conny Taylor. She continues to teach this Austrian-style yodeling tradition.

Recently, Andy was deeply honored to collaborate with Mike Protenic, an experienced folk dance teacher and performer. For the past 20 years, Mike has meticulously researched the music and dances of the Rusyn, Lemko, Hutzul, and Boyko people of Europe. These are historically significant dances, collected by Mike’s grandfather, Johann, in the Austro-Hungarian regime between 1893-1903 and passed down through his family. Mike has since reconstructed them from old notes and stories. Andy is privileged that Mike has asked her to teach and share these rediscovered dances with recreational folk dance communities while he is unable to do so.
International Folk Dance was Andy’s beginning and remains her truest home in dance. For Andy, dance is a vital process of breathing, growing, and exploring the self. It is a powerful force for community building and a gift that provides health, friendship, and lifelong connections. More about Andy…