Folk Dance Federation of California

2020 Scholarship Ball
2020-01-25 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | IOOF Hall, 467 Main Street, Placerville, CA, 95667, United States
GOLD DIGGERS DANCE
Each year the Sacramento Folk Dance Council (SIFDAC) raises funds for scholarships to attend folk dance camps through donations from the Scholarship Ball. Eligible candidates are selected based on procedures and requirements determined by SIFDAC.
Please bring finger food to share–thank you! Why not dress as “gold diggers” in denim or “fancy dress!”
DOWNLOAD, print, and share a flier!
Dance requests will not be sold this year, but SIFDAC member clubs are invited to pre-request popular dances–half of the program will be Golden Oldies and half will be Newer Dances. The pre-request deadline will be the end of 2019.
In early January 2020, preview the 2020 Scholarship Ball program, plus visit membership and scholarship application details.
Thank you for your support in helping local dancers attend folk dance camps via our SIFDAC scholarships!

Folk Dance Party with Zabava International
2020-01-24 20:00 - 22:30 | Strawberry Recreation Center, 118 E. Strawberry Drive, Mill Valley, CA, 94941, United States
Dance to Balkan music and beyond performed live by Zabava International!
Spacious sprung wood floor; lots of free parking. Please consider bringing refreshments to share.
DOWNLOAD, print, and share a flier.
Bill Cope
Zabava International!
Energetic, soulful, and rhythmically dazzling music played from the center of the dance floor–music from Albania, America, Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Macedonia, Norway, the Romani, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Sweden and Turkey traditions. The musicians recreate the vibrant interplay of traditional music and dance from the cultural crossroads.
Michele Simon: Vocals & percussion
Valerie Rose: Violin
Tom Farris: Chordophones & percussion
Bill Cope: Bagpipes, chordophones, keyboard, (and more?)
More details…

San Leandro Folk Dance 1st Year Celebration
2020-01-19 12:30 - 15:00 | DC Dance Center, 1555 Washington Avenue, San Leandro, CA, 94577, United States
Please join us in celebrating one year of sharing folk dance in the mid-East Bay. The renowned Loui Tucker shares her teaching skill.
12:30 – 1:00pm Noshing
1:00 – 3:00pm Class
Be our guest! No class fees this day!
Share with your wannabe-a-dancer friends, especially if they live in the East Bay. New dancers welcome! No need to bring a partner, but bring a friend to share the fun. Wear comfortable shoes. Bottled water is a good idea too.
Free on-street parking and at Safeway city lot 1/2 block away. Give yourself some time to park. It’s only a short 4 block walk from the San Leandro Bart station to the studio.

Táncház with Zagyva Banda
2020-01-11 16:00 - 23:00 | Verhalen Family Black Box Theater, Woodside Priory, 302 Portola Rd., Portola Valley, CA, 94028, United States
The Zagyva Band on tour from Budapest will be performing in the Black Box theatre at the Woodside Priory. The program schedule is:
4 – 5pm Concert
5 – 6 pm Children’s táncház
6 – 11pm Adult táncház with teaching circles
During the táncház Ignac Kadar, a professional dancer from Hungary, and Laci Tihanyi, director of the Eszterlánc ensemble here in the Bay Area, will lead teaching circles so you don’t have to know the dances to participate. They will also play some simple Moldvai dances that anyone can do.
DOWNLOAD, print, and share a flier.
Here’s a teaser on what these guys sound like (Ignac Kadar is their percussion guy and the dancer in the video):

Dance Party with Da! Mozhem
2020-01-03 19:30 - 22:00 | Bethany Lutheran Church, 1095 Cloud Avenue, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, United States
International Dance Party with Da! Mozhem Dance to your favorite international tunes with Da! Mozhem.
Bring snacks and non-alcoholic beverages to help make it a party, and tips for the band!
Da! Mozhem
Da! Mozhem is quite possibly the largest folk dance band popular today in the Bay Area. 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 Travelling 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. Its members for this party are John Burke (accordion, vocals), Joyce Clyde (gadulka, vocals), Sonne Lemke (vocals), Paul Litsky (tambura), Alan Moore (accordion, kaval), Barbara Saxton (vocals), Lew Smith (doumbek, tupan), Ginny Snyder (clarinet, tambura, accordion, brach, gajda, vocals), Holly Thuman (bass, vocals), Nettie Wijsman (vocals), and Radmila Zaric (vocals)

BFD New Year's Eve Party
2019-12-31 21:00 - 2020-01-01 00:00 | Francis Albrier Community Center, 2800 Park Street, Berkeley, CA, 80, United States
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020!!! Come celebrate with BFD!
It’s Tuesday night, December 31st (of course) from 9pm to Midnight
members $5, non-members $7
Wear your slinky, sultry, elegant, fancy duds (or just comfy garments) and get ready to dance the night away. Bring some snacks to share with the crowd. It is an all request night, so bring a list of your favorite dances (written out or in your agile brain).

Christmas Night Dance Party
2019-12-25 19:00 - 22:00 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Once upon a time, a family gathered with friends and relatives every Christmas Night to celebrate the day. They shared food and beverages, and danced away the evening. John Nicoara was there. It was from the stories of these warm memories that Jan and he, and Becky and Adony, were inspired to continue that tradition with a new family — YOU!
Please join us on Christmas for a FREE all request evening party with friends dancing on a great wood floor! This is our 11th annual Christmas dance party. Bring your house guests and dance off the stuffing and pies!
Send requests to Adony and Becky.
Bring a snack to share!

Winter Solstice Celebration
2019-12-19 19:30 - 22:00 | St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, 1399 43rd Ave, at Judah St., San Francisco, CA, 94122, United States
Celebrate Winter Solstice in an evening of dance, music, and Mandala’s annual bell ringing ceremony! Bring your own bell or borrow one of ours. Join us in the ringing of bells to scare away the demons of darkness and welcome the sunlight’s return showing the way to spring. Some refreshments are provided and you are welcome to add to the table.

Introduction to International Folk Dance
2019-12-15 13:00 - 15:00 | DC Dance Center, 1555 Washington Avenue, San Leandro, CA, 94577, United States
Come meet the world at our international folk dance club. New dancers welcome. No need to bring a partner, but bring a friend to share the fun. Wear comfortable shoes. Light snacks provided. Loui Tucker is featured instructor.
New dancers are invited to learn international folk dance in the East Bay in this monthly 2hr session.
$8 drop in / $15 for 3 months.
Free parking in the area and it’s only a short 4 block walk from the San Leandro Bart station to the studio.
Share with your wannabe-a-dancer friends, especially if they live in the East Bay.
To join or for more details e-mail Gigi Jensen or call (510) 326-6415. The DC Dance Center web site or office will not have information of the class.

Holiday Celebration and Second Harvest Fundraiser
2019-12-14 15:00 - 19:00 | First Baptist Event Hall, 305 N. California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA, 94301-4105, United States
Holiday Celebration and Second Harvest Food Bank Donation

3:00-7:00pm
Request dance party with quick teaching of fun dances by our wonderful local instructors.

Donation: $15 and/or 10 cans of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank (checks payable to Second Harvest Food Bank). Goal is 300 cans and $300. No glass containers or expired cans.
Among us, there are students to seniors on limited or fixed income who would appreciate receiving help with meals. The Moveable Feet is donating the cost of the hall and refreshments. Thank you in advance for your support.
The City of Palo Alto asks that we:

Park only in legal spaces, avoiding bike lanes or too close to driveways
Avoid talking loudly outside

For more details contact Lucy or Karen
DOWNLOAD, print, or share a flier.

Balkan Dance Party with Zabava International!
2019-12-13 19:30 - 22:00 | Bethany Lutheran Church, 1095 Cloud Avenue, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, United States
Live Balkan music and dancing to Bill Cope and Zabava International! Stanford International Dancers is also celebrating Melissa Miller’s birthday! It’s a party night, so snacks and drinks are welcome, as are tips for the band.
Bill Cope
Zabava International!
Energetic, soulful, and rhythmically dazzling music played from the center of the dance floor–music from Albania, America, Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Macedonia, Norway, the Romani, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Sweden and Turkey traditions. The musicians recreate the vibrant interplay of traditional music and dance from the cultural crossroads.
Michele Simon: Vocals & percussion
Valerie Rose: Violin
Tom Farris: Chordophones & percussion
Bill Cope: Bagpipes, chordophones, keyboard, (and more?)
More details…

Holiday Party
2019-12-11 19:45 - 22:00 | Holbrook Palmer Park, Carriage House, 150 Watkins Avenue, Atherton, CA, 94027, United States
Help Suzanne Rocca-Butler and the Carriage House Folk Dancers celebrate their end of quarter with a holiday folk dance party. Help bring snacks and non-alcoholic beverages to share for the refreshments table.

Holiday Folk Dance Party with Orchestra Euphonos
2019-12-09 19:00 - 21:30 | Hermann Sons Hall, 860 Western Avenue, Petaluma, CA, 94952, United States
Come join the Petaluma Snap-Y Dancers in Petaluma for their annual Holiday Folk Dance Party. The first hour will feature dancing to old and new recorded favorites, followed by Orchestra Euphonos performing a great mix of Balkan, Israeli, and Romanian music. Orchestra Euphonos is a Bay Area-based Eastern European folk and klezmer band. Their uplifting sound is characterized by a brass and woodwind melodic front line. Orchestra Euphonos performs songs and melodies from old world Bessarabia and the Balkans. Their performances are joyous occasions filled with wild takes on old favorites, group improvisations and lots of dancing.
Everyone is welcome to come and dance and/or just listen to the fabulous music. Please bring drinks or snacks to share.
DOWNLOAD, print, and share a flier.
For more info contact: Carol Friedman, 415-663-9512,

Palomanians Pie and Denise's Birthday Party
2019-12-07 19:30 - 22:00 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
The annual Palomanians Pie Party featuring ice cream, refreshments, and of course pie all provided by the Palomanians! This year’s party is FREE, in honor of the the 80th birthday of our Tuesday night teacher and tonight’s emcee, Denise Heenan.
Send your folk dance requests to Denise and she will incorporate them into the program.
DOWNLOAD, print, and share a flier.

Razzmatazz Holiday Party
2019-12-07 19:00 - 22:00 | Monroe Hall, 1400 W. College Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA, 95401, United States
Join the Razzmatazz Folk Dancers for their annual Holiday folk dance party in Santa Rosa.
More details coming…

Razzmatazz Holiday Party
2019-12-07 19:00 - 22:00 | Monroe Hall, 1400 W. College Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA, 95401, United States
Join the Razzmatazz Folk Dancers for their annual Holiday folk dance party in Santa Rosa. The party will feature live music with Sonoma County’s Orkestar Santa Rosa band: Jim Avera, Barbara Babin, Ken Genetti and Jana Mariposa.
Start the evening dancing to recorded favorites followed by a reading of “The Night Before Christmas” and a visit from Santa for the children. Then we will dance to live music with Orkestar Santa Rosa for the rest of the evening.
Adults: $5, plus tips for the musicians. Children are free and welcome! Bring some snacks to share for our holiday table.
DOWNLOAD, print, and share a flier!

Kolo Festival 2019
2019-11-29 - 2019-11-30 | Croatian Cultural Center, 60 Onondaga Ave., San Francisco, CA, 94708, United States
2019 is Kolo Festival’s 68th year!
Dance Teachers
Joe Graziosi – Greek dances
Sonia Dion & Cristian Florescu – Romanian line & couple dance
John Filcich – Traditional kolos
John Morovich – Croatian dances
Singing Teachers
Maria Bebelekova – Bulgarian songs
John Morovich- Croatian & Serbian songs
Michele Simon – Balkan songs
For the first time, Maria & Michele will be teaching some songs for us all to sing together on Friday & Saturday nights!
Bands
John Morovich’s Sinvoi from Seattle, both nights!
Chubritza – Friday evening
Zabava International – Saturday evening
As always, there will be live music from: Albania, America, Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Macedonia, Norway, Romani, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Sweden and Turkey!
Register Online
More details and mail-in registration forms at https://kolofestival.org/

Pre-Kolo Festival Workshop with Zabava!
2019-11-23 18:45 - 23:00 | All Saints’ Episcopal, 555 Waverley St., Palo Alto, CA, 94301, United States
Get ready for Kolo Festival by preparing with a workshop with Adony Beniares and Katherine Abbott and party with live music by Zabava International! Bring tips for the band! Snacks greatly appreciated for the Kafana.

6:45 pm
Doors open. Warm up and request dances

7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Workshop with Adony Beniares and Katherine Abbott

8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Dancing party to music by Zabava!

Zabava International!
Energetic, soulful, and rhythmically dazzling music played from the center of the dance floor–music from Albania, America, Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Macedonia, Norway, the Romani, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Sweden and Turkey traditions. The musicians recreate the vibrant interplay of traditional music and dance from the cultural crossroads.
Simmy Willeman (violin)
Michele Simon (vocals, tupan, hand drum)
Tom Farris (tambura, guitar)
Bill Cope (gajda, bouzouki, tambura, accordion, vocals, and more)
DOWNLOAD, print, and share a flier.

Inaugural Ball
2019-11-16 19:30 - 22:00 | Albany Recreation Center, 1247 Marin Ave, Albany, CA, United States
Join Berkeley Folk Dancers for Greta’s Green Planet! Support Greta by wearing green. We will have products and produce from the planet, and punch. Finger food welcomed!
Online Registration
For more details contact Lone Colman

Fall Camp
2019-11-15 13:00 - 2019-11-17 17:00 | Brandeis-Bardin Campus, 1101 Peppertree Lane, Brandeis, CA, 93064, United States
**SOLD OUT**
Visit fallcamp.org for details.

If you’re like us, you would love a wonderful weekend of dancing with friendly people in a scenic location. That’s why the new Fall Dance Camp is planned for Nov. 15-17, 2019.
Fall Camp’s first year promises to be a great one. We will have master teachers Erica Goldman (Israeli) and Caspar Bik (international, with emphasis on dances from around the Black Sea). We will also teach some Stockton dances. In addition, of course, there will be plenty of other dancing as well as other activities, including opportunities for campers who want to play instruments or sing in a “potluck band,” a popular poetry workshop, morning hikes around the lovely rural campus, and more.
The camp is about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, near Simi Valley, at the Brandeis-Bardin Campus of American Jewish University. We will stay in motel-style rooms with private baths, enjoy five meals from Friday dinner through Sunday breakfast (there is an optional Sunday lunch), and dance on a wood floor.
You get all this and more for $225 (triple occupancy), $325 (double occupancy), or $440 (single occupancy). A registration form is attached for your convenience. Space is limited, so if you haven’t already registered, we encourage you to do so soon.
If you’d like to know more about Fall Camp — the master teachers, the location and campus, the rooms, the activities — read more at fallcamp.org or send an e-mail to Dance@FallCamp.org.
Erika Goldman
Erika Goldman Erica Goldman was born and raised in New York, where she first inherited her love of Israeli dance from her father, another folk dance fanatic. While a student at Brandeis University in Boston, she performed with several area Israeli dance troupes and was the director of B’yachad (the university’s student group) and Sa’adya. She branched out into other kinds of folk dance as a member and choreographer of the Mandala Folkdance Ensemble.
Erica was a principal dancer with the highly acclaimed Collage Dance Ensemble for a few years and competed with them at the Golden Karagõz Folk Dance Competition in Turkey in 2003.
In 2004, Erica spent the summer as the dance director of Camp Alonim at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute, a Jewish overnight camp where Israeli dancing is truly an obsession among the campers. She was hooked; after working for nearly eight years for a software company in Boston, she quit her job and moved to Los Angeles and has been teaching Israeli dance full-time ever since. When she got to Los Angeles, she immediately joined the Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble and danced with that Israeli performance company for about eight years. Read more
Caspar Bik
Caspar Bik Caspar Bik was born in 1990 in the Netherlands. He was an active dancer from a young age in groups that presented Dutch dances as well as groups that showed international dances. Caspar graduated in 2013 as a dance teacher at the dance academy Codarts in Rotterdam. Besides folk dancing, Caspar has experience in modern/contemporary dance, classical ballet, jazz dance, ballroom, and tap dance. Since his graduation he has been teaching different dance styles to children, teenagers, and adults at amateur and professional levels. In 2014, he founded a youth school for theater arts which performs a stage musical every year for which Caspar creates the choreography. Both as a folk dance instructor and as a choreographer he has taught courses in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Turkey, Taiwan and the USA. Caspar has been specializing in folk dances from countries around the Black Sea. During his research in Georgia, he trained with the professional ensemble Erisioni and traveled through the country to experience the colorful variety and beauty of Georgian dance, song and music. Read more

November Council Party
2019-11-09 19:00 - 22:30 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
7:00pm
Doors open

7:15-8:00pm
Free short Israeli dance workshop with Loui Tucker teaching Ya Raya (Arabic: the Gypsy) and Ashir Lachem (I Will Sing to You)

8:00-10:30pm
ALL-REQUEST PARTY with Becky Beniares and Nancy Kaye as co-MCs

Send requests to Becky. She will incorporate them into the program.
Dances range from beginning to advanced and all forms (line, couple, set). Come dance with friends on a great wood floor. Bring a snack to share!
DOWNLOAD, print, and share a flier.

Dance Party with Da! Mozhem
2019-11-03 19:00 - 22:00 | Davis Arts Center, 1919 F Street, Davis, 95616, United States
Dance to your favorite international tunes with Da! Mozhem and the Davis International Folk Dancers. Please save the date and join us for a fun night of dancing!
Da! Mozhem at the San Francisco Free Folk Festival
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.

Dance Night with Erik Bendix
2019-11-01 19:30 - 22:30 | Piedmont Veterans Hall, 401 Highland Avenue, Piedmont, CA, United States
Erik Bendix will be dancing with the East Bay Folk Dancers in Piedmont this night.
This will be a fun night of recreational dancing with Erik rather than a formal workshop but he will likely be leading and teaching some international dances.
Admission is $5 this time, with free admission for first time attendees.
Erik Bendix
Erik Bendix, who grew up in the bay area of San Francisco, began folk dancing at the age of ten. He has taught folk dance in Europe and the United States since 1972. Although he specalizes in dances of Europe, especially from the Balkans, Near East, and the Klezmer culture, his dance research extends as far east as Mongolia and Thailand. He has been teaching extensively in both Europe and North America since 1972.
Erik has studied and taught Albanian, Armenian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Greek, Hungarian, Macedonian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Yiddish folk dances, as well as traditional Mevlevi dervish whirling dances and Appalachian clogging. Among his major teachers were Michael Alpert, Pece Atanasovski, Ivan Donkov, Mile Kolarev, Marcia Rand, and Zuleikha. He has performed as a member of the Green Grass Cloggers in North Carolina and choreographed for the Westwind International Folkdance Ensemble in San Francisco, California.
Read more…

Saratoga Folk Dancers Halloween Party
2019-10-31 19:30 - 22:15 | St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church, 18870 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga, California, 95070
Celebrate Halloween with folk dance party on Halloween day with the Saratoga International Folk Dancers. It’s Halloween – wear a costume!
Warmup and dances for beginners between 7:30 and 8:15pm. Request dancing for the rest of the evening. This is a large, friendly group; you won’t be disappointed! Drop in fee $8, seniors $6, and first visit free. More details…

Halloween Dance Party
2019-10-30 19:45 - 22:00 | Holbrook Palmer Park, Carriage House, 150 Watkins Avenue, Atherton, CA, 94027, United States
It’s our Halloween party! Dress in costume and bring your dancing shoes and good cheer. Snacks or beverages to share are also appreciated if you are able.
Drop in fee is $9.00 for the entire evening. (There is no pro-rating of fees)
Hosted by Suzanne Rocca-Butler and the Carriage House Folk Dancers

Christos Papakostas Greek Dance Workshop
2019-10-28 19:30 - 21:30 | Joe Goode Annex, 401 Alabama at 17th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
GreekFeet is happy to have Dr. Christos Papakostas from Greece for a special two-hour Greek Dance Workshop. Please don’t miss this opportunity to join us to learn Greek dances from around Greece, concentrating on dance from Epirus.

Dr. Papakostas
Dr. Christos Papakostas is an assistant professor in the Department of Gymnastics and Dance, School of Physical Education & Sport Science of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He teaches theory and practice of Greek traditional dance. He graduated from the Department of Physical Education & Sport Science in Democritus University of Thrace at Komotini. He completed his doctoral dissertation in the Department of History, Archaeology and Social Anthropology, University of Thessaly, dissertation title: “Dance/Music Identity and Difference: the case of Roma of Iraklia Serres.” He has worked as Temporary Lecturer or Assistant Professor at various universities in Greece. He has published several articles in scientific journals in Greece and abroad. He is a professional instructor of Greek traditional dances and has worked in many dance groups: Lykion ton Ellinidon Komotini, Thrace; Rhodope Xylagani Cultural Group of Thrace;Dance Group Palama Karditsa “Karagounides” of Thessaly; Lykion ton Ellinidon Drama, Macedonia; Center of Historical and Folklore Research Kardisa “Apollo” of Thessaly; Myrini Cultural Group Karditsa, Thessaly; Perama Ioannina Cultural Association, “The Cave” of Epiros. He also teaches Greek dancing workshops, seminars, and conferences throughout Greece and abroad in Europe, the USA and Canada. He has worked a teacher in traditional percussion in the Public High Schools of Music in Drama, Karditsa, Trikala and Ioannina. He is a member in various traditional/folk music bands and as collaborated with renowned folk musicians. Read more…
SAVE THE DATE: Upcoming GreekFeet Events
December 2: Joe Graziosi Greek Dance Workshop
December 16: Glendi with Live Music TBA

Croatian Heritage Festival
2019-10-27 12:00 - 20:00 | Croatian Cultural Center, 60 Onondaga Ave., San Francisco, CA, 94708, United States
The Croatian Heritage Festival (formerly the Marko Polo Festival) is a celebration of Croatian music, dance, food, and heritage.
Marko Polo, the famed Croatian explorer, was born on the island of Korcula, off the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. To highlight his achievements as one of the men to open the Far East to trade, the Slavonic Cultural Center celebrates an annual Marko Polo Day in October with a festival of Croatian and international music, dance, and ethnic food.
The Sinovi Tamburitza Orchestra of Seattle will perform Croatian music throughout the day. There will be performances by the Slavonian Traveling Band, Sidro Tamburitza Orchestra, and Koraci Croatian Folk Ensemble. Workshops will be held in Croatian kolo dancing and singing: John Morovich will teach kolo dance and Lilla Serlegi will teach Croatian singing. Sing, dance, and enjoy traditional Croatian cuisine!
Admission: $15, $10 advance, Children free.
Advance Tickets

Scandia Dance Workshops, Party, and Potluck
2019-10-26 08:00 - 17:00 | Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St, El Cerrito, CA, 94530, United States
Schedule

3:30 – 6:00 pm

Workshop, Slangpolka & Norskleitjan
Taught by Fred & Toby,
(If you know these dances already, we encourage you to come and help others learn them too!)
Slangpolska from Southern Sweden –
Get an introduction/practice on the dance that will be taught this February at the 1st Annual SCANDOMANIA! festival.
Norskleitjan – a dynamic and fun dance fr. Föllinge, Sweden
Music by Sarah Kirton & Annie Kinerva

6:00 – 7:00 pm

Potluck Dinner
Please bring a favorite dish to share for the potluck

7:00 – 10:00 pm ?

Dance Party
Live Music from Bay Area Musicians: Sarah Kirton & Annie Kinerva, Eric Gjøvåg, Hardingfele, Rose Miller & Sylvia Walkey, Jim Little, Fred Bialy, Springleik Set
Nyckelharpa Allspel, Fiddle Allspel
Don’t forget your dance shoes!

PLUS: BEGINNING LEVEL SCANDIA DANCE WORKSHOP!
All Welcome! Learn the basic skills for Scandinavian Turning Dances, and get a head start on Slangpolska fr. Southern Sweden, to be taught at Hillside Church later in the afternoon.
Noon to 2:00 pm, at Fred & Toby’s House
1925 Hudson St., El Cerrito
Near El Cerrito Del Norte BART
Admission
Workshop $5, Dance Party $10, Workshop & Dance, $14
(All proceeds go to pay rent and support the musicians)
Sponsored by Golden Gate Nordic Music & Dance, a program of the Northern California Spelmanslag, a non-profit public benefit corporation.

Halloween Dance Party with Bulgarika
2019-10-25 19:30 - 22:00 | Bethany Lutheran Church, 1095 Cloud Avenue, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, United States
Special live music dance night with traditional Bulgarian band Bulgarika! This is our Halloween party as well so come dressed to celebrate in costume! Bring some light refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages to help make it a party, and tips for the band!
Bulgarika
Bulgarika presents traditional Bulgarian songs and tunes. The band is led by husband and wife team, Nikolay (gadulka, a fiddle) and Donka Kolev (vocalist), award-winning performers from Folk Music Conservatories in Bulgaria. They are joined by Temelko Ivanov (kaval), Nikolay Kodzhabashev (tambura), and Marin Chalamov (tapan).
Nikolay Kolev
Nikolay Kolev (gadulka)
Nikolay Kolev is a native of the Thracian Rose Valley village of Karavelovo, has been playing gadulka since age 10. After graduating from the National School of Folk Arts in Shiroka Luka, Bulgaria, he performed for three years with the Sliven Folk Dance and Music Ensemble. In 1984 he founded the orchestra “Sopot”. In 1985 he formed the wedding-music ensemble “Rozova Dolina” and in 1992 the prize-winning ensemble “Balkanski Glasove”. In 1994 and 1995 the latter group took first prizes at the Varna Festival. Nikolay has accompanied many well-known singers including Vulkana Stojanova, Roumen Rodopski and Todor Kozhuharov. He has also taught many students at a number of Balkan camps in the U.S. In 1999, Nikolay was the first Bulgarian to be recognized by the Slavic Heritage Council of America for his outstanding contributions to music.
Donka Koleva
Donka Koleva (vocals)
Donka Koleva is a native of the village of Tuzha in the Stara Zagora region of Thrace. She graduated from the National School of Folk Arts in Shiroka Luka, Bulgaria, and performed for three years with the Sliven Folk Dance and Music Ensemble. She was director of the Folk Song Chorus of Sopot, has been a featured soloist on Bulgarian Radio-TV, has participated in numerous singing competitions in Bulgaria and Europe and has been featured on numerous recordings. In 1997 her recording of Javore was named “Song of the Year” in the Bulgarian national radio competition. Since immigrating to the U.S. she has taught and performed widely across N. America, both privately and at numerous camps, festivals and other events. In addition to her vocal talents Donka serves as Bulgarika’s manager and has organized 12 national tours for the bands Kabile’, Cherven Traktor, Bulgarika and the Kolev Family Ensemble.
Temelko Ivanov
Temelko Ivanov (kaval)
Temelko Ivanov, a native of Burgas on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, has devoted himself to the Bulgarian shepherd’s flute, kaval, since he was in elementary school. He received degrees at the Philip Koutev National School of Music and Dance in Kotel and the Plovdiv Academy of Music, Dance, and Fine Arts, graduating from both schools with honors. Temelko’s career is closely connected with Bulgaria’s distinguished kaval masters, including Nikola Ganchev, Dragan Karapchanski, and Stoyan Velichkov. In addition to his work with Ensemble Trakiya, Temelko has performed and recorded with many other folk music orchestras, including Cosmic Voices and Ensemble Bulgare; and has worked with numerous independent projects and singers. Read more…

Nikolay Kodzhabashev
Nikolay Kodzhabashev (tambura)
Nikolay Kodzhabashev, a native of Yambol in Bulgarian Thrace, graduated in 2011 with a Master’s in Music Performance Arts from the Plovdiv Academy of Music, Dance, and Fine Arts. He has been a member of the Sliven Folk Dance and Music Ensemble since 2001, where he is featured as an ensemble and solo tambura player. Nikolay has also played tambura and guitar with numerous other ensembles throughout Bulgaria, including the Perla, Slivenci, Kabile, and Straldzha folk bands; and has accompanied many renowned musicians and singers such as Teodosii Spassov, Dechka Slaninova, Vanya Valkova, and others. He has also recorded extensively on Bulgarian National Radio and Television and other venues, and has participated in many concert tours throughout Europe. Read more…

Marin Chalamov
Marin Chalamov (tapan)
Marin Chalamov is from the Thracian town of Karlovo, where he began his musical career at age 15 as drummer and tupan player for the Srednogorie ensemble. Over the years he has played with numerous well-known Bulgarian bands and musicians such as Nikolay and Donka Kolevi, Rumen Rodopski, Savka Sarieva, and the ensemble Rodopski Izvori, with which he recorded on Bulgarian national radio. He played at many weddings, festivals and social events with the ensembles Kalofer and Balkani. From 1990 to the present he has been a musician and instructor with the Karlovo-based ensemble Rozova Dolina, which has garnered many prizes at international festivals in Spain, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Russia, and elsewhere. Read more…

Folk Dance Party with Bulgarika
2019-10-21 19:00 - 21:30 | Hermann Sons Hall, 860 Western Avenue, Petaluma, CA, 94952, United States
Come join the Petaluma Snap-Y Dancers in Petaluma for a special Folk Dance Party with live Bulgarian music by the Bulgarika Ensemble, featuring four master musicians. Bulgarika Ensemble consists of Nikolay Kolev on gadulka, Donka Koleva on vocals, Temelko Ivanov on kaval, and Nikolay Kodzhabashev on tambura. Everyone is welcome to come dance and/or just listen to the fabulous music.
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Bulgarika
Nikolay Kolev
Nikolay Kolev (gadulka)
Nikolay Kolev is a native of the Thracian Rose Valley village of Karavelovo, has been playing gadulka since age 10. After graduating from the National School of Folk Arts in Shiroka Luka, Bulgaria, he performed for three years with the Sliven Folk Dance and Music Ensemble. In 1984 he founded the orchestra “Sopot”. In 1985 he formed the wedding-music ensemble “Rozova Dolina” and in 1992 the prize-winning ensemble “Balkanski Glasove”. In 1994 and 1995 the latter group took first prizes at the Varna Festival. Nikolay has accompanied many well-known singers including Vulkana Stojanova, Roumen Rodopski and Todor Kozhuharov. He has also taught many students at a number of Balkan camps in the U.S. In 1999, Nikolay was the first Bulgarian to be recognized by the Slavic Heritage Council of America for his outstanding contributions to music.
Donka Koleva
Donka Koleva (vocals)
Donka Koleva is a native of the village of Tuzha in the Stara Zagora region of Thrace. She graduated from the National School of Folk Arts in Shiroka Luka, Bulgaria, and performed for three years with the Sliven Folk Dance and Music Ensemble. She was director of the Folk Song Chorus of Sopot, has been a featured soloist on Bulgarian Radio-TV, has participated in numerous singing competitions in Bulgaria and Europe and has been featured on numerous recordings. In 1997 her recording of Javore was named “Song of the Year” in the Bulgarian national radio competition. Since immigrating to the U.S. she has taught and performed widely across N. America, both privately and at numerous camps, festivals and other events. In addition to her vocal talents Donka serves as Bulgarika’s manager and has organized 12 national tours for the bands Kabile’, Cherven Traktor, Bulgarika and the Kolev Family Ensemble.
Temelko Ivanov
Temelko Ivanov (kaval)
Temelko Ivanov, a native of Burgas on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, has devoted himself to the Bulgarian shepherd’s flute, kaval, since he was in elementary school. He received degrees at the Philip Koutev National School of Music and Dance in Kotel and the Plovdiv Academy of Music, Dance, and Fine Arts, graduating from both schools with honors. Temelko’s career is closely connected with Bulgaria’s distinguished kaval masters, including Nikola Ganchev, Dragan Karapchanski, and Stoyan Velichkov. In addition to his work with Ensemble Trakiya, Temelko has performed and recorded with many other folk music orchestras, including Cosmic Voices and Ensemble Bulgare; and has worked with numerous independent projects and singers. Read more…

Nikolay Kodzhabashev
Nikolay Kodzhabashev (tambura)
Nikolay Kodzhabashev, a native of Yambol in Bulgarian Thrace, graduated in 2011 with a Master’s in Music Performance Arts from the Plovdiv Academy of Music, Dance, and Fine Arts. He has been a member of the Sliven Folk Dance and Music Ensemble since 2001, where he is featured as an ensemble and solo tambura player. Nikolay has also played tambura and guitar with numerous other ensembles throughout Bulgaria, including the Perla, Slivenci, Kabile, and Straldzha folk bands; and has accompanied many renowned musicians and singers such as Teodosii Spassov, Dechka Slaninova, Vanya Valkova, and others. He has also recorded extensively on Bulgarian National Radio and Television and other venues, and has participated in many concert tours throughout Europe. Read more…
