Folk Dance Federation of California

Family Fun and Dancing
2026-02-27 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-03-20 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-04-24 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-05-22 19:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Miraloma Park Clubhouse, 350 O’Shaughnessey Boulevard (at Del Vale Avenue), San Francisco, CA, 94127, United States
Join Changs International Folk Dancers for a night of music and dance for the entire family!
An hour of fun dance activities to music from around the world. Every Fourth Friday, 7pm-8pm. Followed at 8-10pm by international folk dances from our club’s repertoire.
Adults accompanied by kids always free!

NFO Conference 2026
2026-03-05 - 2026-03-08 | Old Murphey School, Shared Visions Retreat Center, 3717 Murphy School Road, Durham, NC, 27705, United States
Annual NFO Meeting and Conference 2026
March 5 – 8, 2026 in Durham, North Carolina
Save the date!
Arrive in time for the Welcoming Reception on Thursday evening. Friday starts out with the NFO Annual Membership. The rest of the weekend will be full of presentations, workshops, performances, and parties, and the Awards Banquet on Saturday evening. Plan to stay through Monday morning for the post-conference debrief.
We hope you will join us in Durham for three+ days of cultural activities, events, and friends, including:

Presentations
Dance instruction
Music workshops
Evening dance parties
Workshops
Performances
Live music
Singing
Networking opportunities
Awards banquet
Annual business meeting

Presenters
Many more presenters and performers will be announced, but here’s a preview of our exciting program.

Phil Jamison – Appalachian Dance Traditions
Erik Bendix – International Dancing
Sheila Kay Adams – Storytelling
Ben Owen – Pottery
Triangle Shape Note Singers – Singing
Apple Chill Cloggers – Dancing
Debby Szajnberg – NFO Grant Report: Global Rhythm Games

Registration opens November 28, 2025. More info will be posted to the website as updates are available.
For ongoing updates in programming, schedule, and registration visit the NFO 2026 Conference Web Page.

Laguna Folk Dance Festival 2026
2026-03-06 - 2026-03-08 | Laguna Woods Clubhouse 2, 24112 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Woods, CA, 92637, United States
Clubhouse 2 Southern California’s premier folk dance festival! Dance workshops, parties with live music, the famous Sunday Dance Concert, ice cream social, happy hour… what’s not to like? The Laguna Festival is one of Southern California’s premier annual folk dance events. You can bet all your friends will be there. You should be too!

Instructors
We are proud to announce that our teachers this year are Daniel Sandu and Anna Angelova.
Daniel Sandu
Daniel Sandu Daniel Sandu was born in Bucharest in 1967 and began dancing with Romanasul ensemble at age six. As a child, he accompanied the Romanian delegation to a world dance ensemble in Cuba (1978), and at age 18 became a professional dancer with Rapsodia Romana (1985) in Bucharest.
Since 1992 he has danced with Het Internationaal Danstheater in Amsterdam. He obtained a bachelor of dance education degree in 2003 from the Rotterdamse.
A fulltime resident of the Netherlands, he is currently on staff at the folk dance house, Terpsichoré, in Amsterdam, where his course “Rhythm, Romania, Roma” (3R) ranks among their most popular offerings. Read more…

Anna Angelova
Anna Angelova Anna grew up in a small town in Northern Bulgaria where the lively local festivities (sabors) and traditional ceremonies kindled her interest in folklore at an early age. Anna’s dance adventures started when she joined the town’s folk dance ensemble where she learned from esteemed choreographers and performed along experienced dancers throughout her youth years.
Upon coming to the United States to further her education, Anna was introduced to the internationally acclaimed Ahmet Lüleci’s Collage Dance Ensemble: a unique experience that unlocked passion and appreciation for the greater Balkan magic and beyond. The eight years Anna spent performing with Collage on local and national stages were instrumental for her growth as a dancer – from professional attitude to stage presence to polished style to authentic connection with our ancestors through Ahmet’s vibrant choreographies. In 2022, Anna was honored to teach Bulgarian Dance at Ahmet’s annual World Camp in Rock Hill, New York. Read more…
Registration
Mail in Registration Form Online Registration is available on or before February 28th. Passport and Event tickets will be available at the door. Meals are available to purchase by pre-order only separately on or before February 28th. Meal purchases are not available at the door.
Registration Form and Waiver

Peninsula Folk Dance Party
2026-03-14 15:00 - 18:30 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Join the Peninsula Council Folk Dancers for a 1970s theme all-request dance party with Alicia LaFetra and Ellie Wiener as MCs! Invite your friends for a short beginner dancer workshop at 3pm.
We’ll have dances for all levels, beginning to advanced, and all forms (line, couple, and set). Dress comfortably in layers; sneakers or low-heeled dance shoes recommended. Donations to help cover the cost of the hall are welcome. We do dances from nearly every country in the world, and the music is incredible.
Send your dance requests to pfdcparty@gmail.com along with any questions, comments, or suggestions.
Please stay home if you are sick, and please wear a mask if you are unsure or have been exposed to someone with a contagious illness. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.

Global Folk Dance Party
2026-03-21 15:00 - 18:30 | Online, CA, United States
Since this April will be the last Lyrids Folk Dance Festival, let’s dance favorites from the twelve years of the Camp! In addition to the Global Team, we’ll be joined by Lori Larsen, Bev Neilson, Jana Rickel, Siu-ching Lui, Paul Tong, and Chrisanne Pennimpede!
As always, join us 30 minutes before each Global Folk Dance Party at 2:30pm PST for a different pre-show (quiz, video, music, trivia, etc.) each month. Hope to see you on the virtual dance floor on Saturday!
Join The Party
By Zoom
Register by Zoom
We’ve changed Zoom numbers. Here’s what you need to do. Use the registration link above and you’ll get an email from Zoom with your link for the Global Folk Dance Party. Feel free to share the above registration link with your friends, they’ll get their own link to join. With the new registration, you’ll get a reminder email the morning of the Global Folk Dance Party, so you don’t have to look for your link.

IMPORTANT – Do not use both computer and phone; you will generate feedback.
Zoom will best be viewed using side by side mode. See https://bit.ly/39dximU for info.
When in the meeting, click the ‘chat’ button to chat with everybody and make requests.
When you sign into Zoom, enter your name and city so we know where you’re from!

By Facebook Live
Join by Facebook Live
if Zoom is full or you just want to watch.
https://www.facebook.com/PFDCouncil/
For more details or to send requests e-mail us at virtualfolkdance@gmail.com. Alicia La Fetra, Lisa Michael, and Stacy Rose will be happy to help.

Cafe Shalom Dance Party
2026-03-21 19:30 - 23:30, 2026-04-18 19:30 - 23:30, 2026-05-16 19:30 - 23:30 | Congregation Am Tikvah, 625 Brotherhood Way, San Francisco, CA, United States
Israeli folk dancers from all over the Bay Area dance the night away at Café Shalom’s Saturday party—a monthly tradition since the 1960s! We play a wonderful mix of oldies and the latest dances based on requests. Dancers of all ages are invited to join the fun on the third Saturday of every month.
Saturday classes are large parties with many dancers from all ages and spectrum. We dance dances from 1918 and from 2018 back to back.
The first part of the evening – 30-45 minutes starts with slow and beginners dances, oldies, and dances which we learn in Tuesday class. Later we increase the intensity, up the beat and the pace and the evening is fully charged with great energy and fun.
7:30 pm – Warm-up, beginner’s, oldies dances, and recently taught dances
8:00 pm – Our party perks up… with circle, and couple dances
9:15 pm – Birthday celebrations, announcements, followed by a line dance set
9:30 – 11:30 pm – We’ll dance ‘til then or ‘til we drop – whatever comes first!
Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students.
Info: Text 669.444.1284
Cafe Shalom, more details…

Greek Feet Dance Party with AVRA
2026-03-23 19:00 - 21:00 | Joe Goode Annex, 401 Alabama at 17th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
We love a party at GreekFeet and what a wonderful way to spend a Monday night dancing and listening to Greek music to the live tunes of AVRA. Join us for a night of hospitality, dancing, and good vibes!
AVRA performs traditional Greek music for dancing, listening and transporting you on a magical musical journey to Greece. Dance to a diverse repertoire of songs: the deep, soulful tunes of Epiros; the joyful, spirited music of the Greek Islands; the driving, pulsating rhythm of Pontic music; and the rich tradition of Greek Macedonia music with its complex and intricate rhythms. AVRA features

Greg Masaki Jenkins on clarinet, percussion, and vocals
Ari Langer on violin
Jenette Selin on accordion and santouri
Michael Garibaldi on percussion, vocals, and laouto

GreekFeet meets at the Joe Goode Annex, 401 Alabama Street at 17th Street, San Francisco. Please ring the bell at the Gate and we will buzz you in

Saratoga Folk Dancers Quarterly Party
2026-03-26 19:30 - 22:15 | St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church, 18870 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga, California, 95070
Top Hats, Fedoras, and Bonnets – Oh My! Wear your favorite headgear to the party and, if your peers vote your selection the best, you’ll win a $25 gift card. Bring a snack to share for the refreshment table.
Warmup and dances for beginners between 7:30 and 8:15pm. The dance party follows until 10:00-10:15pm.
This is a large, friendly group; you won’t be disappointed! Drop in fee $8, seniors $6, and first visit free. No charge for non-dancers and children. Discounts and scholarships available. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. More details…

Annual Red & Black Ball
2026-03-28 19:00 | Monroe Hall, 1400 W. College Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA, 95401, United States
Join the Razzmatazz Dancers for their annual Red and Black Ball dance party! The first hour will be dancing to recorded music. The rest of the evening will be live music and singing with Yabulka and Gradina.
Don’t forget to wear red & black! $10 for adults, children free, plus tips for singers and musicians. Snacks for our refreshment table are greatly appreciated.

Live Music with Ezgija
2026-03-28 19:00 - 21:30 | Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave, Santa Cruz, CA, 95062, United States
Live music dance party with the Ezgija band at the Live Oak Grange! Doors open at 7 pm; Ezgija plays 7:30-9:30. $15 sliding scale.
Sponsored by the Cabrillo Folk Dancers.
Ezgija
EZGIJA is a Santa Cruz based band specializing in dance tunes from the Balkans, Turkey, and surrounding regions.

Folk Dance and Tea Party
2026-04-11 15:30 - 18:30 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Come join the Peninsula Council for their an afternoon tea and dance party! Share your favorite brew, tea time stories, and folk dances with your friends!

Send your dance requests to pfdcparty@gmail.com along with any questions, comments, or suggestions.
Please stay home if you are sick, and please wear a mask if you are unsure or have been exposed to someone with a contagious illness. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.

Lyrids Folk Dance Festival 2026
2026-04-17 - 2026-04-19 | Pitt Meadows Heritage Hall, 12460 Harris Road, Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, V3Y 2J5, Canada
The twelfth and final Lyrids Folk Dance Festival will take place April 17-19, 2026 at Pitt Meadows Heritage Hall an hour drive east of Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Our guest artists will be Tineke and Maurits van Geel presenting Armenian, Roma, and other International dances.
Zakuska from Seattle, WA will be the Saturday evening party band.
Register
Zoom Registration
For more details e-mail info@lyridsfolkdancefestival.org
Donations Gratefully Accepted
Please support the Festival and the Presenters. Drop into our Saturday party and we’ll tell you how to purchase the music and video packages from the Presenters.
Featured Guests
Tineke van Geel
Tineke Van Geel
In 1977 Tineke van Geel received her degree as folk dance instructor. She specializes in Armenian dance and works as a choreographer. Tineke conducts workshops for students at various levels, beginners to professional, and has taught classes in international folk dance, Dutch and Armenian dances in many countries around the world. Her main focus is to break down complicated steps and movements to basic elements and slowly ‘rebuilding’ them to the original dance form. This skill is part of her worldwide success and is combined with a vast knowledge of Armenian dance and culture.
Since 1985 she has regularly visited Armenia to study folklore at the Pedagogic Institute and Choreographic School in Yerevan. A part of each research trip was devoted to working with several amateur groups in Armenia and doing research on costumes. Two of those research trips were sponsored by the Dutch government. On several occasions Tineke visited the USA to observe the dances performed by the Armenian communities there. Read more…
Maurits van Geel
Maurits Van Geel
Maurits was artistic director of the professional Dutch dance performance group The Internationaal Danstheater for 24 years. During this interval, the group performed 47 different evening shows. Part of this job involved several months of dance research each year in order to prepare for these programs.
Maurits has traveled extensively in his dance research that has emphasized the Roma culture and those in the Caucasus. These travels have included India, Pakistan, Turkey, Russia, England, France, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ossetia, Dagestan, and Cherkassy. He has also choreographed many dances.
In the last several years, Maurits has been teaching often with Tineke, and this has included workshops in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. In North America, the couple have taught at Oktoberfest in Montreal, Pinewoods Camp in Maine, and Stockton Folk Dance Camp. Read more…

Global Folk Dance Party
2026-04-18 15:00 - 18:30 | Online, CA, United States
We’re heading into summer – almost time for June camp. This month we bring you Pre-June camp – and a combination announcement and playlist. This month our GFDParty team will be joined by Catherine Rudin and Nina Lusterman, and also first time guest teachers Alene and Charles Boyar. The amazing Tom Pixton will be playing live music for us, as well. Thanks to our tech team for making these amazing parties possible. Please tune in at 2:30pm PST for some pre-show fun! As always, thank you to Andrew Carnie for the great website Folk Dance Musings, and the thousands of people who post videos on YouTube. And thanks to all of you for your support of folk dancing – both in-person and online. You all make the world a happier place. Hope to see you on the dance floor on Saturday April 18!
As always, join us 30 minutes before each Global Folk Dance Party at 2:30pm PST for a different pre-show (quiz, video, music, trivia, etc.) each month. Hope to see you on the virtual dance floor on Saturday!
Join The Party
By Zoom
Register by Zoom
Use the registration link above and you’ll get an email from Zoom with your link for the Global Folk Dance Party. Feel free to share the above registration link with your friends, they’ll get their own link to join. With the new registration, you’ll get a reminder email the morning of the Global Folk Dance Party, so you don’t have to look for your link.

IMPORTANT – Do not use both computer and phone; you will generate feedback.
Zoom will best be viewed using side by side mode. See https://bit.ly/39dximU for info.
When in the meeting, click the ‘chat’ button to chat with everybody and make requests.
When you sign into Zoom, enter your name and city so we know where you’re from!

By Facebook Live
Join by Facebook Live
if Zoom is full or you just want to watch.
https://www.facebook.com/PFDCouncil/
For more details or to send requests e-mail us at virtualfolkdance@gmail.com. Alicia La Fetra, Lisa Michael, and Stacy Rose will be happy to help.

Romanian Dance Workshop with Sonia and Cristian
2026-04-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Monroe Hall, 1400 W. College Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA, 95401, United States
Join the Razzmatazz Folk Dancers for a very special Romanian dance workshop with master dance instructors Sonia and Cristian.
$10 for non-members of Razzmatazz Folk Dance Club.
Sonia Dion and Cristian Florescu
Romanian Folk Dance
Cristian and Sonia have been guest performers with the Collage International Dance Ensemble of Boston, have been regular teachers at l’ École supérieure de danse du Québec and have been selected to be part of the Artists in the Schools program sponsored by the Québec Ministry of Education. In recent years, they have developed a specific interest in working with recreational folk dance groups in Canada and the United States, Mexico and Brazil. They have been teaching in Europa (Austria, England, Poland, Germany, Italy,  Norway, Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands, France) in Asia (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia) and Australia  to share their love of Romanian folk traditions.
In recent years, Cristian and Sonia have developed a specific interest in working with recreational folk dance groups. They’ve been teaching in Brazil, Canada and the United States, Europe (Austria, Belgium, England, Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland and the Netherlands), Asia (Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan) to share their love of Romanian folk traditions. They have taught workshops in Canada and the United States and choreographed Romanian suites for performing groups, including the world-renowned BYU Folk Dance Ensemble in Utah.Read more…

Bay Area Dance Week 2026
2026-04-24 - 2026-05-03 | San Francisco Bay Area, CA, United States
Save the date! Bay Area Dance Week is 10 days of free dance events celebrating our dynamic and diverse Bay Area dance community. Watch inspiring artists, practice your own style, or discover a new groove. Participating each year is easy and everything is free.
Event hosts around the Bay Area can submit free events to take place during Dance Week, ranging from classes, performances, open studios, workshops, and more.
Participants can explore the Bay Area Dance Week Hub to sign up for free events and customize their own Dance Week experience. Become a free community member to receive updates on Bay Area Dance Week and stay in the know about dance jobs, auditions, performances, discounts, and more.
Whether hip hop, hula, salsa, aerial, folk, modern, Bollywood, ballet, West African, or many more – Join together in dance, regardless of cultural background, race, faith, size, shape, sexuality, gender, or ability or age.

Live Balkan Folk Dance Party with Da! Mozhem
2026-05-03 14:00 - 16:30 | Strawberry Recreation Center, 118 E. Strawberry Drive, Mill Valley, CA, 94941, United States
Kopachka Folk Dancers invites you to dance to your favorite international tunes with Da! Mozhem Sunday May 3, 2026.
Be sure to bring tips for the band.
COVID Safety Protocol: Vax/boosters highly encouraged; masks required if not (N95/KN95/KF94-we can provide). If you are not well please stay home. No food please; snacks provided!
Da! Mozhem
Da! Mozhem at the San Francisco Free Folk Festival 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.
More details about the Kopachka Folk Dancers

Hungarian Heritage Festival 2026
2026-05-09 12:00 - 22:00 | Twin Pines Center, 20 Twin Pines Lane, Belmont, CA, 94002, United States
Experience the tastes, sights and sounds of Hungary. Come see what makes Hungarian culture truly unique! All music and dance performances and exhibits are included in the price of admission.

Live Performances
Live Folk Dance and Music
Traditional Food and Pastries
Fine Hungarian Wine
Cultural and Art Exhibits
Puppet show and crafts for the Children
Hungarian Craft and Gift Faire
Evening Dance Circles

Admission
$20 for Adults
$5 for Youth (6-17 years old)
Free for Children 5 and under

2017 Hungarian Heritage Festival
For more details visit https://www.hungarianheritagefestival.com/.
Advance Tickets

Peninsula Folk Dance Party
2026-05-09 15:00 - 18:30 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Join the Peninsula Council Folk Dancers for an all-request dance party with Rebecca Tsai as MC! Invite your friends for a short beginner dancer workshop at 3pm.
We’ll have dances for all levels, beginning to advanced, and all forms (line, couple, and set). Dress comfortably in layers; sneakers or low-heeled dance shoes recommended. Donations to help cover the cost of the hall are welcome. We do dances from nearly every country in the world, and the music is incredible.
Send your dance requests to pfdcparty@gmail.com along with any questions, comments, or suggestions.
Please stay home if you are sick, and please wear a mask if you are unsure or have been exposed to someone with a contagious illness. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.

2026 Blossom Festival
2026-05-16 11:00 - 16:00 | City College of San Francisco, Wellness Center, 50 Frida Kahlo Way, San Francisco, CA, 94112, United States
Join us for the annual Blossom Festival in San Francisco hosted by Changs Folk Dancers and the Folk Dance Federation! The Blossom Festival includes short dance workshops, a folk dance party with recorded music, and more! Free!
Please bring a snack to share.
Download, share, or save a flier

17th Annual Cerritos Festival
2026-05-16 13:00 - 17:30 | Cerritos Senior Center, 12340 South Street, Cerritos, CA, 90703, United States
Help the Cerritos Folk Dancers celebrate their 17th anniversary with dance, cake, and your presence!
Finger foods to share are welcome, but not necessary. Your traditional or special costume will add splendid color to the party.
Each group is welcome to perform, lead, and/or request one or more dances. (Please let us know in advance to schedule your time)

Global Folk Dance Party
2026-05-16 15:00 - 18:30 | Online, CA, United States
This month our theme is Left! – dances that go left, lead with the Left foot, or have some association with the word Left!
As always, join us 30 minutes before each Global Folk Dance Party at 2:30pm PST for a different pre-show (quiz, video, music, trivia, etc.) each month. Hope to see you on the virtual dance floor on Saturday!
Join The Party
By Zoom
Register by Zoom
Use the registration link above and you’ll get an email from Zoom with your link for the Global Folk Dance Party. Feel free to share the above registration link with your friends, they’ll get their own link to join. With the new registration, you’ll get a reminder email the morning of the Global Folk Dance Party, so you don’t have to look for your link.

IMPORTANT – Do not use both computer and phone; you will generate feedback.
Zoom will best be viewed using side by side mode. See https://bit.ly/39dximU for info.
When in the meeting, click the ‘chat’ button to chat with everybody and make requests.
When you sign into Zoom, enter your name and city so we know where you’re from!

By Facebook Live
Join by Facebook Live
if Zoom is full or you just want to watch.
https://www.facebook.com/PFDCouncil/
For more details or to send requests e-mail us at virtualfolkdance@gmail.com. Alicia La Fetra, Lisa Michael, and Stacy Rose will be happy to help.

Land Dancers Folk Dance Weekend
2026-05-23 00:00 - 2026-05-25 00:00 | Cliff’s land in the Santa Cruz Mountains, CA-9 & Skyline Blvd, Saratoga, CA, 95070
Please join the Land Dancers this Memorial Day May 23 to 25 for International and Israeli folk dancing and music at The Land. Anyone is welcome. Fun for families. No charge. Held every Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend. Founded by Cliff Jenkins and friends in 1981.
You can camp out for the whole weekend or just come for the day and enjoy the deck, the creek, the forest, dancing and friends!
We dance outdoors on a big redwood deck where two creeks come together in the Santa Cruz Mountains, off Skyline Blvd near Highway 9. Dancing typically runs from around noon to 11 pm Saturday and Sunday but there isn’t a set schedule. Note map shown is only general vicinity, contact Betsy to RSVP and for directions.
The event is free of charge but we welcome donations to Land Dancers, the 501c(3) organization we created to organize and carry on folk dance weekends at the land. You may bring a check or cash to the land, mail a check to the address shown below, or use this link to make a donation through PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account to donate).
Contact Betsy Moore, eambetsy@gmail.com (408-507-7177) to request a flyer with directions and more info, to ask questions, or to be added to our email list.

Scottish and English Country Dance Workshop
2026-05-31 15:00 - 17:30 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Join the Palomanians for a Scottish and English country dance workshop with Denise Heenan featuring dances from the Palomanians repertoire. For newer dancers, this is a chance to learn and for experienced dancers a chance to review. Workshop time will be divided between teaching, reviewing, and just dancing!

No experience or partner needed
Beginning to advanced dances

View our repertoire and vote for dances you’d like to have taught. Questions? Email us

Palomanians Ice Cream Social
2026-06-07 15:30 - 18:30 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
The Palomanians Ice Cream Social featuring request dancing, refreshments, and of course ice cream! Emcced with Denise Heenan.
A tradition for decades, the Palomanians will provide all the ingredients for an Ice Cream Social and Dance Party! With lots of toppings, fresh and stewed fruit, sprinkles, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and more! Punch, water and coffee also provided. More dancing afterwards to work it all off.
To submit a request for our dance program, or to volunteer to help, please contact pfdcparty@gmail.com
Please stay home if you are sick, and please wear a mask if you are unsure or have been exposed to someone with a contagious illness. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.

Statewide 2026
2026-06-12 - 2026-06-14 | First Christian Church, Chico, 295 E Washington Avenue, Chico, 95926, United States
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
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
Konstantine “Kose” Marinov
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 Aleksiev
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 at the San Francisco Free Folk Festival
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.

Schedule

Venues

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

Hotel
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chico
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.
Reservations: 1 888 465 4329. Ask for the “Statewide 2026” rate of $139. More details…

Registration
Lodging should be purchased separately. Recommended group pricing available. As of January, unless changed, the Saturday catered meal option is Greek/Mediterranean cuisine.
Due to popular demand, we’ve extended the 2026 Statewide “Early Bird” full package deadlines: $180 until March 8th, then $200 afterward until April 30th, and $240 thereafter.

Online Registration
Register online today!

Mail-In Registration
2026 Statewide Registration Form
Do NOT mail after June 6th, instead pay at door. Make checks payable to FOLK DANCE FEDERATION. Send completed registration form with your check postmarked by the deadline to:
Statewide Registrar
153 Race Street
San Jose, CA 95126
Please write one check for registration and additional offerings.
Short of funds? For work scholarships contact Memo Keswick.
The Federation also has a Scholarship Program that helps pay for tuition. More details…
Masks optional and proof of vaccination requirements will follow CDC, State, and County COVID regulations at the time of the event.
