Folk Dance Federation of California

Cafe Shalom Dance Party
2023-12-09 19:30 - 23:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | 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 second 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.
This year, the December Cafe Shalom falls on a day during the Hannukah holiday. What a treat!! Saturday Dec. 9, Congregation Am Tikvah and Cafe Shalom jointly hold the 2023 Cafe Shalom Hanukkah Candle Lighting, Potluck, and Israeli Dance Party.
5:30 pm – Candles
6:00 pm – Potluck
7:30 pm – Dancing
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…

Palomanians Pie Party
2023-12-09 19:00 - 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 pie all provided by the Palomanians! Come join us for an evening of dancing and pie.
Nothing to bring, all pies, ice cream, and refreshments will be supplied by the Palomanians. Dances range from beginning to advanced, and all forms (line, couple, and set). Denise Heenan will be our MC.
This year’s Palomanians Pie Party is even more special than usual.
As some know, Denise Heenan, teacher of the Palomanians for over 30 years, is retiring at the end of December. While certainly not disappearing from the Palomanians and the folk dance scene this is Denise’s last month running the Palomanians class.
So….in addition to enjoying a great evening of dancing and enjoying great pies and ice cream provided by the Palomanians, come and say thanks to Denise for a wonderful 30 years of friendship, leadership, and teaching. We’ll have some ‘open mic’ time for people to share their stories and we look forward to seeing you.
Email your requests or questions to pfdcparty@gmail.com
Proof of up to date vaccinations are required. If you’ve been to our parties in the past, we’ve marked you as vaccinated. If this is your first party, please bring proof of vaccination or email us proof at pfdcparty@gmail.com. Masks optional,
Download and share a flier.

Family Fun and Dancing
2023-11-24 19:00 - 22:00, 2023-10-27 19:00 - 22:00, 2023-09-22 19:00 - 22:00 | 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.
$8 Adults (first time free!), Kids always free!

Kolo Festival 2023
2023-11-24 - 2023-11-25 | Croatian Cultural Center, 60 Onondaga Ave., San Francisco, CA, 94708, United States
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! Jam session charts available all year round! Bulgarian/Macedonian Jam & Sing-along — for all instruments!
A brief performance by Łowiczanie Polish Dance Ensemble performing songs and dances from the Polish Roma community has been added to the Saturday night program. Łowiczanie, under the direction of Mary Kay Stuvland, has been performing since 1975 and is based in San Francisco.
There will be Zoom broadcasting of snippets of the festival through the Global Folk Dance Party channel. It’s FREE!
Zoom Registration
2023 will be the 72nd annual Kolo Festival!
Dance Instructors
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…
Anna Angelova
Bulgarian Dances
Anna grew up in a small town in Northern Bulgaria where the lively local festivities (sabors) and traditional ceremonies kindled her
Zoom Registration 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 Boston to further her education, Anna got introduced to the internationally acclaimed Ahmet Luleci’s Collage Dance Ensemble: a unique experience that unlocked passion and appreciation for the greater Balkan magic, and beyond. The 8 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 Luleci’s annual World Camp in Rock Hill, New York.
With the start of her own family in Boston, Anna felt the need to be more involved in the local Bulgarian community. This is when she joined Ludo Mlado, a Bulgarian folk ensemble led by Pepi Petrov and Marieta Mircheva. Anna connected with Ludo Mlado’s mission to preserve the rich dance traditions of Bulgaria. An outstanding moment with Ludo Mlado was the opportunity to participate in the Chicago Folk Festival VEREA. Read more…
For details visit http://kolofestival.org
On Site Registration

Register
Donate
Do you love Kolo Festival and wish to see it survive and flourish? We need your help to continue to produce this stellar music and dance program. Whether or not you can attend this year, please consider making a monetary gift.
This year we have matching grants funded by https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcucemrqT4rGdEuA1GXFGqXLH9BSIMr8_HpMitch Allen, Diane Baker and myself for a total of $3k! You can help us receive that money by either a one time contribution or a monthly contribution. You will find both options at https://KoloFestival.org.
Thank you for your consideration!
The California Kolo Festival Board

Federation Board Meeting
2023-11-19 15:00 - 16:30 | Online, CA, United States
Join the Folk Dance Federation online for their board meeting. Various topics such as event planning, membership, publicity, insurance, and budget are discussed.
Sunday November 19, 3:00pm-4:30pm, online
Meeting ID: 893 5363 4541
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join Online

Global Folk Dance Party
2023-11-18 15:00 - 18:30 | Online, CA, United States
Live Music!
Don Weeda will be playing for us live from Texas. We’ll be joined also by Cricket Raybern at Adony and Becky’s.
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
2023-11-11 19:30 - 23:30, 2023-10-14 19:30 - 23:30, 2023-09-09 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 second 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…

Peninsula Folk Dance Party
2023-11-11 19:00 - 22:00 | 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 MCs Becky Beniares and Nancy Kaye!
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.
Masks optional. Up to date vaccinations are required. If you’ve already shown us your vaccine info, no need to do it again. If not, you can email it to us at pfdcparty@gmail.com or bring it with you.
Send your dance requests to pfdcparty@gmail.com along with any questions, comments, or suggestions.
If you’d like to bring a snack to share, please make sure they are prepared for individual servings.

Fall Camp 2023
2023-11-10 - 2023-11-12 | Brandeis-Bardin Campus, 1101 Peppertree Lane, Brandeis, CA, 93064, United States
Fall Camp 2023 promises to be another vibrant, fun-filled weekend with workshops by master instructors Steve Kotansky (Balkan, international) and Gergana Panova (Bulgarian), dance parties, and more! Like before, it will serve as both a quiet retreat where you can relax with some very nice people and a weekend dance camp where you can learn from master teachers. You can find out more and download registration forms (and waivers) at http://FallCamp.org.
Dr. Gergana Panova-Tekath
Gergana Panova Dr. Gergana Panova-Tekath was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. From 1988 to 1993, she danced with the Filip Kutev Bulgarian National Folk Ensemble. She studied dance ethnology in Bulgaria and obtained her Ph.D. in dance from Dortmund University (Germany). She regularly commutes between Bulgaria, where she heads the Ethnochoreology Department at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and Germany, where she is Professor of Dance at Folkwang University in Essen.
She graduated in Dance Pedagogy, Ethnochoreology, Choreography and Direction (Bulgaria), and Kinetography and Communicative Sciences (Germany) and has completed a Doctorate with “Summa cum laude” and awarded the prize “Dissertation 2004” from the Technical University of Dortmund (Germany) in the area of Cultural Philosophy. The title of her thesis is “Dance after Perestroika. The Communication between Eastern and Western Europe through the Bulgarian Folkdances.” Gergana qualified in Ethnochoreology and Communication in 2011 in Sofia.
She performed as a solo dancer and choreographer at the National Ensemble for Folksongs and Folkdances (Philip Koutev) in Sofia from 1988 to 1994, was a Choreographer for different Bulgarian and international Theater Projects, was a Senior Fellow and Associate Professor for Ethnochoreology at the Institute for Art Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia, and has lectured at the Technical University of Dortmund, the Humboldt University, Berlin, the University in Zurich, the University of Music, Vienna, and the New Bulgarian University, Sofia.
Starting in 1994, she has conducted over 300 seminars and summer academies in folk dances in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States.
She has published numerous articles and has written two books on various aspects of Bulgarian traditional dance. Besides organizing annual summer seminars in Bulgaria, Gergana has taught workshops in many countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Israel, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Argentina and North America. Read more…
Steve Kotansky
Steve Kotansky Steve Kotansky has an extensive knowledge of the cultures behind the dances he teaches. Beginning in the early 1970s, Steve made many research trips to Romania, the former Yugoslavia, Hungary, Greece, and Albania. He and his wife, Susan, have taught at many major folk dance camps in the USA and Europe.
In the late 1970s, Steve returned to Hungary and studied with dance master, Timár Sándor, among others. Steve has taught at every major North American festival and camp, often with his wife, Susy. Their work continues to be an expression of their love and passion for dance, finding time to teach dance to children K-12 in New York City area public and private schools. Steve also serves as a consultant to several Hungarian folk ensembles. Most recently, Steve has been researching Albanian and Roma dance from the Diaspora and continues his work and research in Balkan and Central European countries. He is particularly interested in dance culture as it has evolved since the “fall of the Wall” in these countries. Read more…
Comfort
Fall Camp, nestled in a woodsy alcove near Simi Valley, is a lovely place where you can enjoy being close to nature while still having the creature comforts of excellent meals (upgraded from previous years), motel-style rooms (with private bathrooms, heat, and air conditioning), and more. You can dance when you feel like it, and when you don’t, do other things such as catching up with friends, playing Scrabble, working on a jigsaw puzzle with others, getting a massage, completing a craft project, going for a walk in nature, reading a good book, meditating, or doing nothing at all. You don’t have to get on a plane or drive treacherous mountain roads to be with nature, and WiFi is available too!
Fall Camp will no longer require masks or vaccinations, but we still encourage best health practices. Because the fall weather is so difficult to predict, we are doing all of our dancing in a beautiful, heated and air-conditioned building, where many of our other activities will also take place. Although we are installing the largest wood floor possible to fit the dance room, it is smaller than the largest room we used in previous years, so we are limiting the number of campers to around 60. This also means that dancers will have more access to our two master teachers. The dining menu has been upgraded in quality, and Sunday lunch is included in the registration price. There will be two happy hours with wine.
Dance
Fall Camp is also a great place for those who are serious about learning all the dances presented on Friday and Saturday by Gergana and Steve. If you want an intense dance experience, you can dance Friday afternoon and all of Saturday and also dance the night away during the Friday and Saturday parties. And then you can dance again Sunday morning during the review session.
Music
Terry Gucwa will be conducting the Potluck Band as in prior Fall Camps. It’s a potluck because everybody is welcome to contribute to the musical feast with an instrument to play or a voice to sing. Many members of the Potluck Band will have never played together before late Friday afternoon. Well before camp, Terry will correspond with each person interested in joining the band, finding out what instruments they play and how well. Then he will select music for a few popular folk dances, transcribe parts for each person, and send it to them to practice. The Potluck Band will play together for thefirst time on Friday and practice in one or two more sessions on Saturday before performing during the Saturday night party.
Create
After you check into camp Friday afternoon and enjoy the welcoming snacks (which could be your late lunch), there will be some time and materials, including fall leaves, flowers, living ivy, and ribbons, you can use to create a head wreath of fall colors, decorate a hat (if you bring one), or create an easier to make headband or corsage.
Pricing
Like many post-pandemic enterprises, the new management of the facility has increased the prices. They also have a new pricing structure, where the price is the same for each person regardless of whether they want a private or shared room. The registration price for a single, double, or triple room is now $535 (the same price as a single room for Fall Camp 2022). We charge only $375 for commuters, who will be able to enjoy all the camp meals. Commuters may choose to go home each night or stay in a nearby hotel, Airbnb, or Vrbo.
Register

Live Music Dance Party with Da! Mozhem
2023-11-03 19:30 - 21:30 | Live Oak Recreation Center, 1301 Shattuck Avenue (at Berryman), Berkeley, CA, 94709 , United States
Dance to your favorite international tunes with Da! Mozhem and Berkeley Folk Dancers!
Be sure to bring tips for the band,
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 Party with Bulgarika
2023-10-22 14:00 - 16:30 | Strawberry Recreation Center, 118 E. Strawberry Drive, Mill Valley, CA, 94941, United States
Dance to your favorite international tunes live with Bulgarika and Kopachka Folk Dancers
at Strawberry Rec. Center, Mill Valley!
BULGARIKA is back for a return visit: Donka Koleva, Nikolay Kolev, Temelko Ivanov, Nikolay Kodzhabashev and Marin Chalamov. The group features ﬁve maestros with decades of performing experience. They are all steeped in Bulgarian music and rhythms from a young age and bring the very best of the Bulgarian folk-music tradition for your enjoyment.
$15 general admittance, $7 students. Doors open at 1:30pm.
Covid protocols: proof of vaccination with booster. Masks optional but encouraged (KF94, KN95, and N95).
Additional parking at Strawberry Point school across street.
Be sure to bring tips for the band. Please do not bring food to share.
DOWNLOAD, print, or share a flier.

Global Folk Dance Party
2023-10-21 15:00 - 18:30 | Online, CA, United States
Celebrating Alexandru and Mihai David
Alexandru and Mihai David will be joining us live from California, leading their favorite dances along with Diane Baker, Asako Oshiro, and Sherry Cochrane as we enjoy someof the many dances that Mihai and Alexandru have shared with us.
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.

Officers Ball 2023
2023-10-21 13:00 - 22:00 | Veterans Memorial Building, Pleasanton, 301 Main Street, Pleasanton, CA, 94566, United States
The Folk Dance Federation’s annual festival of folk dance with workshops, on-site dinner, dance party, and special attractions returns! This year’s theme is “HARVEST HOEDOWN” so it’s time to find your favorite calico dress, plaid shirt and jeans, neck kerchief, and boots (no spurs, please)! Yeehaw!
Schedule

Price
Time (pm)
Event

1:00
Doors open

$25
1:30-5:30
Dance workshops

$20
5:30-7:00
On-site dinner with the always popular sing-along with Bill Cope (for those registered by October 17)

$25
7:00-10:00
Evening celebration, dances from the workshop and your requests.

Workshop
The afternoon workshop will again feature new and classic folk dances taught by local teachers including

Denise Heenan – Pinewoods Two-Step (Scottish country dance for pairs of couples)
Lothar Narins – Levi Jackson Rose (circle of 5 couples)
Marian Snyder – Watermelon Crawl and Cowboy Hustle (CW line dances)
Loui Tucker – All-Promenade Mixer (pairs of couples)
Craig Kurumada – Bon Odori no Uta and Matsumoto Bon Bon and Ichi Tasu no Ondo (Japanese)
Alan Rothchild – Tzanah (Israeli)
and maybe one more!

The Annual 50/50 Drawing is also a popular event: buy tickets for $1 each and, if your ticket is drawn, you receive 50% of the total ticket sales.
Registration
Officers Ball 2023 Mail-In Registration Register by Tuesday October 17, 2023 to obtain the special all event package pricing (workshop, on-site dinner, and evening party) of $55 and save $15. On-site dinner registration is not available after October 17. New members with coupon pay for dinner only.
Option 1: Mail-In Registration
Download and complete registration form.
Make checks payable to the FOLK DANCE FEDERATION.
Mail the check and registration form to:
Sabine Zappe
153 Race Street
San Jose CA 95126

Option 2: Online Registration
Register online
Our featured image is a publicity photo for the radio program National Barn Dance. Pictured are four couples dancing to the music and square dance caller Guy Colby. 24 March 1940 by WLS Radio, Chicago. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository

Folk Dance Party with Bulgarika
2023-10-20 18:30 - 21:30 | Park Hall, 9400 Mill St., Ben Lomand, 95005, United States
Cabrillo Folk Dancers present a live music dance party with …
Bulgarika

Nikolay Kolev – gadulka
Donka Koleva – vocalist
Temelko Ivanov – kaval
Nikolay Kodzhabashev – tasmbura
Marin Chalamov – tupan

Doors open at 6:30pm.
Bring finger food and drinks to share.
Masks optional but be prepared to show proof of vaccination and booster if not already on our list.

Basque Workshop and Dance Party
2023-10-08 15:30 - 20:30 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Join the Peninsula Council Folk Dancers for an afternoon Basque dance workshop, then socialize with dinner and evening dance party.
Schedule

Price
Time (pm)
Event

$10
3:30-5030
Basque Dance Workshop with Roo Lester

5:00-5:45
Dinner break – Please bring your own dinner.

$10
5:45-8:30
International Folk Dance Party. Bring snacks to share. Wear a red beret or sash if you have one! (Basque colors are red, white and green).

Doors open at 3:15. Please bring your own dinner and snacks to share for the party. We’ll provide punch and Basque tapas.
Wear a red beret or sash if you have one! (Basque colors are red, white and green).
Masks are recommended, but not required. Up to date vaccinations are required. If you’ve already shown us your vaccine info, no need to do it again. If not, you can email it to us at pfdcparty@gmail.com or bring it with you.
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.

Roo Lester
Roo was the last Master Teacher to visit the Bay Area before the COVID lockdown: she taught Basque dances and the Hambo at Saratoga on Thursday March 12, 2020, just one week before California issued a statewide “stay at home” order. She had been scheduled to teach at the Heritage Festival that weekend. Roo grew up in southern California. She has been dancing since elementary school and has a Masters degree in Dance from UCLA. She was a member of Westwind, AMAN and has choreographed for many ensembles. She currently lives in the Chicago area and has, during COVID, adapted the Hambo for small, carpeted areas.

Folk Dance Party with Janam
2023-10-01 18:30 - 21:30 | Park Hall, 9400 Mill St., Ben Lomand, 95005, United States
Cabrillo Folk Dancers present…
Janan
Some of the best Bay Area musicians and vocalists…Juliana Graffagna, Gari Hegedus, Dan Auvil, Shira Kammen, Tom Farris, and Greg Jenkins!
They will play two dance sets and in between will be 4-5 listening tunes.
Doors open at 6:30pm.
Bring finger food and drinks to share.
Masks optional but be prepared to show proof of vaccination and booster if not already on our list.

Join Hands For World Dance!
2023-10-01 15:00 - 17:00 | Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose, CA, 95116, United States
Part of Mosaic Festival 2023
Da! Mozhem at the San Francisco Free Folk Festival Explore, learn, and participate in simple social dances from Europe, the British Isles, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, the USA and other places and cultures. Emphasis is on fun, not skill. The repertoire includes couple, line, circle, and set dances designed to get everyone on their feet and moving to music, holding hands, kicking up their heels, and meeting other new dancers. With live music performed by Da! Mozhem. No partner or experience necessary. Wear layered clothing and comfortable shoes.​
Located in the Mexican Heritage Plaza Dance Studio.
Mosaic Festival includes…

Cultural Performances
Workshops
Visual Art
Food Trucks and Vendors

and more…
Register online
We acknowledge that this event will be held on Thámien Ohlone Tribal ethnohistoric territory, which based upon the 18 unratified federal treaties of 1851-1852, includes the unceded ancestral lands of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mosaic Festival Silicon Valley 2023
2023-09-30 15:00 - 2023-10-01 21:00 | Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose, CA, 95116, United States
Celebrate our mosaic of American cultures at the third annual Mosaic Festival in Silicon Valley. This “destination” event is actually a journey that welcomes each of us to honor our unique history while also co-creating a vision of our shared future of belonging, healing, and harmony. The Mosaic Festival is a time when we ALL come together to create the multicultural American village, a vision of a society where everybody belongs!
Mosaic Festival includes…

Cultural Performances
Workshops
Visual Art
Food Trucks and Vendors

and more…
The Folk Dance Federation supports the work of Mosaic America to share multicultural and interactive performances and workshops by artists within our community.
Artists, Workshops, and Performances
Register online
We acknowledge that this event will be held on Thámien Ohlone Tribal ethnohistoric territory, which based upon the 18 unratified federal treaties of 1851-1852, includes the unceded ancestral lands of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mountain Playshop 2023
2023-09-29 - 2023-10-01 | YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly Convention Center, 84 Blue Ridge Circle, Black Mountain, NC, 28711-9722, United States
Learn, dance, socialize, and relax in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
Mountain Playshop is a regional dance weekend that attracts dancers from throughout North Carolina and nearby states to socialize, dance, relax, and – you never know – to maybe learn a dance or two. This year we are featuring master instructor Roberto Bagnoli teaching International and Israeli folk dance. All NC safety guidelines will be followed
More details and registration…

Roberto Bagnoli
Roberto Bagnoli Roberto Bagnoli grew up in Rome, where he was first introduced to folk music and dance, eventually taking part in several performances and teaching dance classes. He subsequently studied various forms of folk dance in workshops throughout Europe, Israel, and North America under the guidance of renowned choreographers and teachers. Roberto now lives in Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy, considered to have one of the most important dance communities in Italy.
From 1995 to 2003, he performed as a dancer and choreographer with the Terra di Danza Dance Company and was involved in the production of Raggi di luna Italiana and Capriccio Italiano (Italian dances), GiroGiroMondo (dances from around the world), Keltic Emotion (Celtic dances), Mazal Tov (Israeli dances), and Ethnos (international folk dances).
He is the founder of Folk Atelier Reggio Emilia (FARE), devoted to the development and conservation of folk dance heritage. As director of FARE, he is in charge of organizing and conducting folk dance classes, workshops with Italian and foreign specialists, and of the performing sector, staging various performances, parties, and dance gatherings.
He currently organizes two dance camps in Europe: Balkanot (Balkan and Israeli dance) and Camp Yofi (Israeli Dance).
Roberto teaches weekly classes in various cities in the north of Italy and conducts monthly sessions in Rome and Milan besides conducting workshops and seminars throughout Europe, the United States (notably the Stockton Folk Dance Camp), and Canada, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. Read more…

Scottish and English County Dance Workshop and Dance
2023-09-17 15:15 - 18:30 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Scottish and English Country Dance afternoon workshop and dance with master instructors Bruce Hamilton and Fred DeMarse.
3:15pm – Doors open
3:30 – 6:00pm – Workshop – alternating Scottish & English dances at all levels
6:00 – 6:30pm – Closing dances.
Dancing to live music by Lyle Ramshaw and Ben Jackson.
Bruce Hamilton is a very popular and well-respected English country dance leader and instructor with over 45 years of experience. Fred DeMarse is a world-renowned Scottish Highland dancer, teacher and judge. Both teachers emphasize the joys of these social dance forms.
Denice Heenan will MC. No partners needed. We change partners after each dance. All dancers welcome however basic knowledge of the fundamentals of English and Scottish country dancing is beneficial.
Bruce Hamilton
Bruce Hamilton Bruce Hamilton is a well-respected, thoughtful, and energetic teacher of English and Scottish dancing with 45 years’ experience. He has launched dance classes, trained teachers, coached performing groups, and adjudicated festivals.
A retired research scientist, Bruce is always looking for new ways to understand and present ideas for the dancer. Whenever he presents workshops, he weaves many conceptual threads besides dance technique and choreography into his lessons. Musicality, sociability, and physiology are his current favorites. People often say they come away with a different way to experience and think about dance. Occasionally he holds a weekend teachers’ class that also draws high praise. He continues to run a bi-weekly English dance class in the Bay Area. In the recent past, he was the president of the Country Dance and Song Society. With invitations to teach at many festivals and dance camps each year, he has taught workshops all around the United States and in the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and Australia.
Fred DeMarse
Fred DeMarse Fred achieved his Highland Dance Teaching Certificate in 1995 and after retiring from active dance competition, added his Highland Dance judging qualification in 2002.
Fred has traveled extensively as a dancer, teacher and Highland judge, including all around North America, the UK, Russia and many other European countries and most recently New Zealand.
Fred teaches both Country and Highland dancing to all ages in the USA and internationally and is the current Chairman of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society’s International Branch.
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A member of The Red Thistle Dancers since 1990 and now its artistic director, Fred is looking forward to furthering the group’s mission of sharing and promoting a love of Scottish Dancing and Music to the greater community. Read more…

Inaugural Ball
2023-09-16 19:30 - 22:30 | Live Oak Recreation Center, 1301 Shattuck Avenue (at Berryman), Berkeley, CA, 94709 , United States
Something Old Something New
Something Golden Something Blue
With every step we dance we connect the past with the current moment ~ Join us in thanking our outgoing oﬃcers and welcoming in the new.
Add to the fun – Dress in a combination of Old Style with New or some Gold and some Blue.
Please bring finger foods to share.
Berkeley Folk Dancers welcomes their new and returning officers. These are the people who are providing layers of structure and support that keep the Berkeley Folk Dance club running. Save the date! More details coming soon.
Register online

Global Folk Dance Party
2023-09-16 15:00 - 18:30 | Online, CA, United States
We are all saddened by the loss of our friend Yves Moreau, so the Alphabet Party will be postponed to spend some time together honoring Yves.
We’ll have our usual team of dance leaders and this month we’re also joined by guest leaders Debbie Jackson, Mady Newfield and Catherine Rudin.
Please come at 2:30pm for pre-show music of Yves’ dances.
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.

Federation General Assembly Meeting
2023-09-10 15:30 - 17:00 | Online, CA, United States
Join the Folk Dance Federation online for their general assembly meeting. Various topics such as event planning, membership, publicity, insurance, and budget are discussed.
Sunday September 10, 3:30pm-5:00pm, online
Meeting ID: 821 4223 9442
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join Online

Berkeley Folk Dance at the Solano Stroll
2023-09-10 10:00 - 17:00 | Solano Ave at Ventura, 1652 Solano Avenue, Albany, 94707, United States
The 47th annual Solano Avenue Stroll is just around the corner! On September 10th, head over to this expansive street festival to explore the new Menagerie Oddities Market sideshow, live pro wrestling and music, support local creatives, and enjoy so much more. Over one mile of FREE family fun!
Berkeley Folk Dancers will be dancing at 1 and 3pm at 1652 Solano Avenue and Ventura!
This family event promotes the unique traits of Solano Avenue, helping independently-owned businesses, artists, and community organizations to thrive by exposure and fundraising.

Changs 85th Birthday Bash
2023-09-09 12:00 - 17:00 | City College of San Francisco, Wellness Center, 50 Frida Kahlo Way, San Francisco, CA, 94112, United States
Celebrate 85 Years of Dance in San Francisco with Changs International Folk Dancers!
City College of San Francisco Wellness Center, room 301.
Ocean Avenue and Howth St., San Francisco
$5 on Campus parking
Please bring a snack to share
Free for all. Donations welcome!
Live music by Da! Mozhem & Bill Cope
Refreshments, Performance, Fun & Friends!
Read more about Changs…
DOWNLOAD, print, and share a flier.
Da! Mozhem
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.
Bill Cope
Bill Cope
Bill Cope is a multi-instrumentalist who performs on over 60 instruments in many diverse concert settings. He began playing Balkan music in the mid-1970s after falling in love with the music while being in a dance group based in San Jose. Bill began his career giving lessons on tambura at the Mendocino Balkan Music and Dance Workshops in 1982, and to date he has taught at many workshops around the country. Bill has been the music director of San Francisco-based Westwind International Folk Ensemble, Aman International Dance Ensemble, and Mendocino Folklore Camp, and is currently the director of the San Francisco Kolo Festival. Instruments: accordion, laouto, gajda.
