The 2026 Statewide Folk Dance Festival, the highly-anticipated annual weekend festival of folk dance and parties, returns June 12-14, 2026 in Chico California. This year’s Statewide theme is “Village Dance-What is it anyway?”

Statewide 2026 features

• Ahmet Luleci (Turkish dance)
• “Kotse” Marinov (Bulgarian dance)
• Petar Aleksiev (Bulgarian music)
• Evening parties dancing to live music by Da! Mozhem
• And more…

Instructors and Band

Ahmet Luleci – Turkish Dance

A native of Turkey, Ahmet is an accomplished choreographer, dance teacher and performer as well as a researcher of Anatolian culture. He is currently the artistic director of the Boston based Collage Dance Ensemble, which allows him to further his goal of making folk dance and music accessible to a wider audience.

Since arriving in North America in 1985, he has taught many workshops and camps throughout the United States as well as Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Holland, England, Switzerland, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Norway, Italy, Spain and Australia. He has set innumerable suites of dances for the stage working with dance organizations around the world. Read more…

Konstantine “Kotse” Marinov – Bulgarian Dance

Konstantin “Kotse” Marinov is from Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. From the age of five he performed with Ensemble Zagorche. Kotse was born into a dancing family; he and his father, mother, and sister all have dancing in their blood! His father is a choreographer, and is a long-time soloist of the Military Ensemble in Sofia. His mother dances with the Ensemble Zagore.

In 1987, Kotse entered the State Choreographic School (now the National School of Dance Arts) in Sofia, graduating with a diploma as artist/ballet dancer and teacher of dance arts. He has danced as a soloist with Ensemble Zagore and the Ensemble Slănčev Brjag, was assistant choreographer with the Ensemble Zornitsa, and he toured with both Slănčev Brjag and Zagore in Europe, Canada, and the United States.

In 2000 Kotse emigrated to the United States and settled in the Chicago area, where he established several Bulgarian folklore clubs that preserve and nurture Bulgarian folk dance and folklore in a dynamic way.

Kotse organizes annual festivals in Chicago that feature multiple Bulgarian folk ensembles and cultural groups under the umbrella and name of his Vereya dance ensemble. Kotse has produced other concerts and festivals in North America and Europe. Read more…

Petar Aleksiev – Bulgarian Music

Petar “Usmivkata” (The Smile) Aleksiev was born in Varna, Bulgaria. He graduated from “Philip Kutev” Music School in Kotel, then from Plovdiv’s Academy for Music and Dance Arts. He was part of the representative folk orchestra of the Plovdiv Academy. There he received his master’s degree in Music Arts with honors, specializing in bagpipe.

While he was at school Petar accompanied the world-known Grammy-winning women’s choir Le Mystère Des Voix Bulgares. He has participated in many groups in numerous projects, and has played with the most famous musicians and bands in Bulgaria. Petar has made recordings with the Bulgarian National Radio, and Bulgarian National Television. He has participated in many international projects, folklore events, and festivals in Greece, Italy, Malta, Israel, Netherlands, Belgium, Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia, and elsewhere. Petar frequently composes for dance groups and bands, and is a member of the UNESCO International Organization for Folk Art.

Since 2008 Petar has been living in Chicago, where he performs with Kolorit Orchestra, Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society, and plays Bulgarian, Greek, and Macedonian music at various events and camps. Read more…

Da! Mozhem

Da! Mozhem plays and sings high-energy pan-Balkan music for the joy of dancing. D!M is a group of friends who have been playing together for well over a decade. The group has veterans from many excellent folklore bands such as the People’s International Silver String Macedonian Band, Born to Drone, Westwind, Sviraci, and the Slavonian Traveling Band. The band plays with emphasis on Bulgarian, Macedonian, and ex-Yugoslav traditions. Several members frequently travel to the Balkans to learn more about the folkloric music of the region. The group plays on traditional instruments unique to the region as well as modern instruments.

Venues

• Fri-Sat: First Christian Church, 295 E Washington Avenue, Chico, CA
• Sun: Chico Women’s Club, Third & Pine Streets, Chico, CA

Hotel

Our host hotel is Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chico, 2074 E 20th St, Chico, CA 95928. Conveniently located off Highway 99 and a short drive from Chico State University, the hotel offers easy access to stunning landscapes and charming local attractions, including Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, Silver Dollar Speedway, and Bidwell Park. This three-star hotel features a free breakfast, fitness center, pool, wi-fi, laundry, business center, on-site parking, outdoor patio with cozy fire pit, and quality coffee anytime. The hotel is about a 10min drive from either of our dance venues. Ask for the “Statewide 2026” rate of $139. Reservations: 1 888 465 4329. More details…