North/South Folkdance Teachers’ Seminar

Are you a folkdance teacher who would like to hone your skills or a dancer who would like to learn to teach? If so, plan to come to the N/S Folkdance Teachers’ Seminar!

About

North/South Folkdance Teachers’ Seminar is a gathering of teachers focused on improving teaching skills and sharing information and ideas with other teachers. All Folk Dance teachers, both current and prospective, are welcome. Each annual seminar features two master instructors who have specialized knowledge of folk dance.

The 2024 North/South Master Teachers are France Bourque-Moreau and Michael Ginsburg. They will lead workshops on Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning, plus cultural or teaching presentations. Both France and Michael are professional teachers with decades of experience in welcoming and retaining dancers in the folk dance world.

Price

$320 with on-site accommodations, $270 off-site; $10 surcharge for credit card / PayPal / Venmo payments; $50 deposit to reserve; Final payment due August 25, 2024. Price includes meals from Saturday breakfast through Sunday lunch and all activities. On-site accommodation is dorm-style with shared bathrooms.

Featured Instructors

Michael Ginsburg

Michael Ginsburg began teaching Balkan Folk Dance in 1964 at Michael Herman’s Folk Dance House in New York City. He continues to teach a weekly Balkan Dance Class in New York City. He has taught workshops in Balkan Dance all around the United States and Canada, as well as in Brazil, Japan, Israel, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Michael has been on the teaching staff of many folk dance camps and seminars, including Stockton, Kolo Festival in San Francisco, the Annual Balkan Music and Dance Seminars in Mendocino, California, and Rock Hill, New York, as well as the Macedonian Pearl Seminars in Berovo, Macedonia. Also a musician, Michael plays tupan with Cherven Traktor, a band that plays Bulgarian folk music on traditional instruments, and trumpet with Kavala Brass Band, a band that specializes in the brass music of Aegean Macedonia. He is a founding member and lead trumpeter of Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band, formed in 1983. In 1987, they were the first foreign band to appear at the Annual Gathering of Trumpeters in Guca, Serbia. They also represented the United States in the first International Competition at Guca in 2010. Michael also heads the Program Committee of the Golden Festival in Brooklyn, New York, an event that attracts 4,000 participants and features over 60 musical groups each year.

France Bourque-Moreau

France Bourque-Moreau lives in Montreal, Quebec and for the past thirty-five years has been active in Canada and abroad teaching folk dances for children and conducting special seminars to train school teachers in this field. Her current repertoire includes hundreds of dances and rounds from all parts of the world especially designed and adapted to various age and experience levels. Ms. Bourque-Moreau also puts emphasis on the French and French-Canadian repertoire which is widely used in the Canadian school curriculum. She has been a regular consultant to the Montreal School Board. She was also actively involved with Montreal’s annual Children Festival ( La Fête des Enfants de Montréal ) as coordinator of the «Entrons dans la Danse» participatory workshop. Read more…

Monte Toyon Camp & Conference Center

Helgesson Hall, Monte Toyon

Monte Toyon Camp & Conference Center is an idyllic oasis right in the heart of Aptos, California. Just a short drive from the west coast beaches you’ll head inland on a road that meanders through a beautiful wooded forest opening to our doorstep. Situated in a gorgeous and refreshing redwood forest setting, there are short nature trails that circle the camp for a peaceful walk in forest beauty. Monte Toyon is a short drive to nearby Nisene Marks State Park, Seacliff State Beach, and Santa Cruz Beaches and Boardwalk. Wi-Fi is available in meeting areas. Read more…

Open registration starts April 30, 2024…

Visit our Facebook event page for additional details and discussion.