Folk Dance Federation of California

May Peninsula Folk Dance Party
2018-05-12 19:15 - 22:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Ann Kleiman and Lon Radin will teach a Serbian folk dance from the 2018 Heritage Festival introduced by Bata Marčetić during the FREE pre-party workshop from 7:15-8:00pm.
Lucy Chang will emcee the all request party from 8:00-10:30pm.
Dances range from beginning to advanced and all forms (line, couple, set). Come dance on a great wood floor! Bring a snack to share!
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Hungarian Festival
2018-05-12 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

2017 Hungarian Heritage Festival
Tickets

Cinco de Mayo Party
2018-05-02 19:45 - 22:00 | Holbrook Palmer Park, Carriage House, 150 Watkins Avenue, Atherton, CA, 94027, United States
Join Suzanne Rocca-Butler and the Carriage House Folk Dancers for a Cinco de Mayo folk dance party. Help bring snacks and non-alcoholic beverages to share for the refreshments table.

English and Scottish Country Dances with Bruce Hamilton and Alan Twhigg
2018-04-22 15:00 - 20:30 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
English and Scottish Country Dance afternoon workshop and evening party with master instructors Bruce Hamilton and Alan Twhigg. Includes potluck dinner!
2:30pm – Doors open
3:00 – 6:00pm – Workshop – alternating English & Scottish dances at all levels
6:00 – 7:00pm – Potluck dinner, bring your favorite dish. Snacks for the workshop also appreciated. Refrigerators available, but no oven.
7:00 – ~8:30pm – Dancing to our English and Scottish favorites.
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Bruce Hamilton is a very popular and well-respected English country dance leader and instructor with over 45 years of experience. Alan passed both of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society exams at St. Andrews in the 1980s and since then he has been teaching regular weekly classes as well as serving as guest instructor at weekend workshops across North America. Both teachers emphasize the joys of these social dance forms.
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.
Email your requests for dances to be taught or for the party to Lucy Chang. Sapphire Sea and Shiftin’ Bobbins are featured during the evening party already.
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.
Alan Thwigg
With Scottish heritage on both sides of his family, Alan developed a love for Scottish traditional music at an early age. His parents danced with the Reel & Strathspey Club that preceded the formation of the San Francisco Branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. They often took him to the Highland games and pipe band concerts as a child.
Alan discovered Scottish Country Dancing as a college student, amongst other dance forms such as ballroom and international folk. The music resonated with some early memories, and the intricate patterns of SCD stood out from the other styles. He soon sought out a weekly class, then two…
Alan passed both of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society teaching exams at St. Andrews in the 1980s, and has been teaching regular weekly classes at various levels ever since. He has served as a guest instructor at weekend workshops across North America and tutored candidates for teaching exams. He also continues to participate in Scottish Country Dance performances, chiefly with the Red Thistle Dancers. Favorite memories include choreographing and performing a sword dance for the San Francisco Opera as well as teaching and performing in Norway, the Czech Republic, and Russia.
In addition to Scottish country dancing, Alan is an accomplished Highland dancer and performs frequently in public. He does both Scottish country dance and Highland dance with the Red Thistle Dancers, a performance group based in Palo Alto. Alan frequently travels to Scotland to attend dance training schools, and broaden his knowledge of the culture.

Spring Folk Dance Party
2018-04-14 19:15 - 22:30 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Loui Tucker will be teaching Serbian folk dance Krivatvorena and Israeli dance Salamati during the FREE pre-party workshop from 7:15-8:00pm.
Jim Emdy will emcee the all request party from 8:00-10:30pm. Send him your program requests
Dances range from beginning to advanced and all forms (line, couple, set). Come dance on a great wood floor! Bring a snack to share!
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Balkan Plus Folk Dance Party
2018-03-31 19:30 - 23:00 | Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin, 240 Channing Way, San Rafael, CA, 94903, United States
Balkan Plus Folk Dance Party.
Lots of free parking, fine wood floor.
Please bring snacks to share!

Bulgarian Spring Celebration
2018-03-22 19:30 - 22:30 | St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, 1399 43rd Ave, at Judah St., San Francisco, CA, 94122, United States
Tanya Kostova Martenitsas Celebrate the Vernal Equinox with a special guest, Tanya Kostova. The Bulgarians celebrate the coming of Spring and beginnings of their country the entire month of March. They celebrate the Baba Marta and Legend of the Martenitsa. Come, learn the Bulgarian Spring traditions and dance with Tanya. There will even be some special Martenitsas hand-made by Tanya for sale! Admission for this special event is $10.00. Some snacks will be provided and you are welcome to contribute to the table.

Workshop, Potluck, and Party with Gergana Panova
2018-03-10 15:30 - 22:45 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Alternate flier Afternoon workshop, potluck dinner, and evening dance party featuring Gergana Panova. Gergana is visiting the US this March 2018 and we are fortunate to have her present her material to us. In June 2016 among the many wonderful dances Gergana taught were Chukaj Chukaj Pironche, Cerkezko, Boalijsko, Maleshevsko, and Kopano Horo.
3:00pm Doors open
3:30-6:30pm Workshop focused on dances of Pirin, Shopluk, and Trakia sponsored by the Moveable Feet Club. $15 donation.
6:30-8:00pm Potluck. Bring dishes to serve 8-10 dancers, greatly appreciated.
8:00-10:45pm Party sponsored by the Peninsula Council. Adony Beniares and Ken Kaye emcee the party. Send your party dance requests to

Balkan Dance Party to Celebrate Jerry Duke’s 80th
2018-03-09 20:00 - 23:00 | Strawberry Recreation Center, 118 E. Strawberry Drive, Mill Valley, CA, 94941, United States
Kopachka Folk Dancers hosts a FREE party for one and all to celebrate Jerry Duke’s 80th birthday! IT’S FREE! Jerry and Jill are providing live music by Zabava! Refreshments provided.
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Bulgarian Dance Workshop with Gergana Panova
2018-03-09 19:30 - 22:00 | Bethany Lutheran Church, 1095 Cloud Avenue, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, United States
The charming Gergana Panova will be teaching a special workshop in Bulgarian dance. She is visiting the US this spring.

Gergana Panova leads Maleshevsko, excerpt by Blakanitsa-Haifa Dance Group, Israel, 2010

Dr. Gergana Panova-Tekath
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 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.
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.
Gergana has published over 50 Articles and two books about dancing, nonverbal communication, ethnology, etcetera in Bulgarian, German, English, and Russian.
–phantomranch.net

Dances with Grapevines Theme Party
2018-02-19 18:00 - 22:00 | First Baptist Event Hall, 305 N. California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA, 94301-4105, United States
Have fun doing grapevine theme dances with Katherine Abbott and Cindy and Craig Blackstone, plus your requests.

5:45pm
Doors open, warm up dances

6:00-7:00pm
Craig Blackstone teaching Opinca (Romania), Kathterine Abbot teaching a fun dance (TBA), and Cindy Blackstone teaching Rav Brachot (Israel)

7:00-10:00pm
Dancers’ requests and theme dances

Donation: $10 ($1 donation to Habitat for Humanity).
Theme Parties may feature teaching and several notable dances. The remaining dances will be from dancers’ requests. All levels, all countries, all forms. Snack donations always appreciated!
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Valentine's Day Dance Party
2018-02-10 19:30 - 22:30 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Marcia and Yale Rosenblatt will teach the Israeli non-partner dance Simcha G’dola starting at 7:30pm. Request dance party starts at 8pm.
Send your requests to Hollis. She will incorporate them into the program.
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Balkan Dance Workshop with Michael Ginsburg
2018-02-09 20:00 - 23:00 | All Saints’ Episcopal, 555 Waverley St., Palo Alto, CA, 94301, United States
Stanford International Dancers is proud to present a Balkan folk dance workshop with master instructor Michael Ginsburg.
Michael Ginsburg
Michael has been teaching Balkan Folk Dance for over 50 years starting in 1964 with Michael Herman’s Folk Dance House in New York City. He continues to teach a weekly Balkan dance class in New York City. He has taught workshops all over the United States and Canada, as well as in Brazil, Japan, Israel, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Michael has been on the teaching staff of many folk dance camps and seminars including Stockton Folk Dance Camp, Kolo Festival in San Francisco, the annual Balkan Music and Dance Seminars in Mendocino, CA, and Rock Hill, NY, as well as the Macedonian Pearl Seminars in Berovo, Macedonia.
Also a musician, Michael plays tupan with Cherven Traktor, a band that plays Bulgarian folk music on traditional instruments, and trumpet with Kavala Brass Band, a band that specializes in brass music of Aegean Macedonia. He is a founding member and lead trumpeter of Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band, formed in 1983. In 1987 they were the first foreign band to appear at the Annual Gathering of Trumpeters in Guca, Serbia. They also represented the US in the first international competition at Guca in 2010.
Michael also heads the program committee of the Golden Festival in Brooklyn, New York, an event that attracts 4,000 participants and features over 60 musical groups each year. More details…

Workshop with Michael Ginsburg
2018-02-08 19:30 - 22:15 | St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church, 18870 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga, California, 95070
Folk dance workshop with master instructor Michael Ginsburg hosted by Saratoga International Folk Dancers.
Michael Ginsburg
Michael has been teaching Balkan Folk Dance for over 50 years starting in 1964 with Michael Herman’s Folk Dance House in New York City. He continues to teach a weekly Balkan dance class in New York City. He has taught workshops all over the United States and Canada, as well as in Brazil, Japan, Israel, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Michael has been on the teaching staff of many folk dance camps and seminars including Stockton Folk Dance Camp, Kolo Festival in San Francisco, the annual Balkan Music and Dance Seminars in Mendocino, CA, and Rock Hill, NY, as well as the Macedonian Pearl Seminars in Berovo, Macedonia.
Also a musician, Michael plays tupan with Cherven Traktor, a band that plays Bulgarian folk music on traditional instruments, and trumpet with Kavala Brass Band, a band that specializes in brass music of Aegean Macedonia. He is a founding member and lead trumpeter of Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band, formed in 1983. In 1987 they were the first foreign band to appear at the Annual Gathering of Trumpeters in Guca, Serbia. They also represented the US in the first international competition at Guca in 2010.
Michael also heads the program committee of the Golden Festival in Brooklyn, New York, an event that attracts 4,000 participants and features over 60 musical groups each year. More details…

Scottish Country Dance Workshop
2018-02-04 14:00 - 17:00 | St. Bede’s Church Hall, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Participate in a Scottish Dance workshop. Denise Heenan will be teaching.

Bulgarian Dance Workshop with Prof. Anton Andonov
2018-02-02 19:30 - 22:00 | Bethany Lutheran Church, 1095 Cloud Avenue, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, United States
Stanford International Dancers hosts a Bulgarian folk dance workshop with choreographer and dance ethnologist Prof. Anton Andonov.

Dr. Anton Andonov
Prof. Anton Andonov is lecturer and director of the Department of Choreography at the Academy for Music, Dance and Fine Art in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He is also a member of numerous scientific committees, a dance competition judge, and has been a guest choreographer in ensembles across Bulgaria. He is visiting the US for the first time.
Accomplishments:
• Principle soloist and dance choreographer at ensemble “Trakia”
• Dance choreographer for Folkloric Ensemble ”Sunny Beach”, Nessebar, Bulgaria
• Bulgarian university folklore lecturer
• Researcher and publicist of multiple articles related to the history and traditions of Bulgarian wedding dance, rachenitsa dance, rituals and celebration dances
Professional vitae…

Live Music Dance Party with Zabava!
2018-01-28 20:00 - 23:00 | Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA, 94702, United States
A live music Balkan dance party featuring Bay Area favorite Zabava!
Includes Balkan dance lesson with Nadav Nur and Jerry Duke at 7:30pm. Live music begins at 8:00pm.
Zabava
Zabava! means Party! Zabava has some of the finest Balkan musicians in the country who aim to recreate the vibrant interplay of music and dance from this cultural crossroad. Zabava includes Corinne Sykes (vocals, tambura, tupan, darabuka), Michele Simon (vocals, tupan, hand drum), Tom Farris (tambura, guitar, hand drum), Rich Schultz (kaval), and Bill Cope (gajdas, tamburas, bouzouki, accordion, vocals). More details…

Tineke and Maurits van Geel Workshop and Party
2018-01-28 19:00 - 23:00 | All Saints’ Episcopal, 555 Waverley St., Palo Alto, CA, 94301, United States
Workshop featuring Maurits and Tineke van Geel teaching dances of Armenia, the Roma, and other countries. Followed by dance party.
Tineke and Maurits will have for sale a DVD including all the music, dance notations, and video recording of the dances. Please support our teachers and do not film during the teaching sessions. It is ok to film during reviews. They have not yet let us know the cost of the DVD. They cannot accept checks; only cash please.
7:00-7:30pm Doors open, request dancing
7:30-9:30pm Workshop
9:30-11:00pm Review and party – dancing to requests and to the van Geel’s great dances previously taught to us: Tou Paradeisou Lemonia, Erzeroumi Shoror, Syrtos Kitrinou, To Milo and Nazeli Bar.
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 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 taught recreational dancers from 1972 to 1990 and now from 2011 to the present.
Maurits has travelled 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, one of which is Syrtos Kitrinou, currently popular in California.
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 and Pinewoods Camp in Maine.
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Parking Lots near All Saints Episcopal Church
Allow extra time to find parking in nearby parking lots or street parking.

2018 Scholarship Ball
2018-01-27 19:00 - 23:00 | Polish-American Hall, 327 Main Street, Roseville, CA, 95678, United States
Annual fundraiser to benefit the Sacramento Council’s Scholarship Fund.
Clubs or individuals may request dances for $5 each (or $10 for set dances). Total of 60 dances may be requested at the Ball. Deadline: 1/13/18. Send requests to Toba Goddard.
Admission: $10 ($5 youth under-23)
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Workshop with Tineke and Maurits Van Geel
2018-01-25 19:30 - 22:15 | St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church, 18870 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga, California, 95070
Workshop featuring Maurits and Tineke van Geel teaching dances of Armenia, the Roma, and other countries.
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 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 taught recreational dancers from 1972 to 1990 and now from 2011 to the present.
Maurits has travelled 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, one of which is Syrtos Kitrinou, currently popular in California.
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 and Pinewoods Camp in Maine.

Heritage Festival 2018
2018-01-19 - 2018-01-20 | Twin Pines Center, 20 Twin Pines Lane, Belmont, CA, 94002, United States
Friday, January 19th
LOCATION: Garden House, Shoup Park, 400 University Ave, Los Altos
Opening Party – $10
7:00 to 10:00pm
Come share your favorite club dances. Meet Saturday’s Workshop Teacher, Miroslav “Bata” Marčetić!
Saturday, January 20th
LOCATION: Twin Pines Community Center, Belmont
Dance Workshop – $15
1:30 to 4:30pm
With joy and verve Bata will teach a variety of Serbian dances. Our previous favorites include Žagubicanča and Serez.
Miroslav “Bata” Marčetić
Director of the Academy of Serbian Folk Dancing
Miroslav Bata Marcetic was a leading performer, soloist and choreographer, with the Serbian National Folk Ensemble “Kolo” in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro (former Yugoslavia) for seventeen years and is the recipient of several awards for his artistic work. He has attended almost all folk dance seminars held in former Yugoslavia and eventually, he became the instructor of several workshops held in former Yugoslavia, Japan, Israel and currently in Canada and the USA. As a well-known choreographer, he was chosen by the Folk Dance Association of Serbia to be a judge at folklore competitions that were taking place in Serbia and Montenegro from 1980 to 1993. Read more…
Dinner Break
4:30 to 6:30pm
Enjoy dinner in town, or order a wrap to enjoy on site ($10).
Party – $15
4:30 to 6:30pm
Ethnic dress welcome! Recorded international requests between sets.
Orkestar Srma
Dance to live Serbian band music by Orkestar Srma!
Listen to samples below…

Tips are appreciated!
Mladost Folklore
Exhibition by Serbian youth group Mladost Folklore
Registration
Registration Form -DOWNLOAD Directions and Parking – DOWNLOAD
Pay in advance and save! Attend Friday AND Saturday for only $30 ($40 with on site supper).
REGISTER ONLINE
DOWNLOAD flier, print, and share.
Kids under 12 are free, youth 12-18 are $5/event at the door.
Note Friday and Saturday events are at different venues

Email dance requests, questions, and registration to heritagefolkdance@gmail.com
Doors open 1/2 hour in advance.

Balkan Folk Dance Party with Da! Mozem
2018-01-12 20:00 - 23:00 | Strawberry Recreation Center, 118 E. Strawberry Drive, Mill Valley, CA, 94941, United States
Kopachka Folk Dancers invites you to a Balkan Folk Dance Party, dancing to the music of Bay Area favorite band, Da! Mozhem.
$10 entrance fee includes light refreshments. Students are half-price, children free. For more details contact Suzie at president@kopachkafolkdancers.com or Nadav at 415-497-4890.

Balkan Dance Party with Svirači
2018-01-05 19:30 - 22:00 | Bethany Lutheran Church, 1095 Cloud Avenue, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, United States
Balkan Dance Party with Svirači Svirači features Jim Little (gajda, fiddle & tambura), Melissa Miller (kaval, vocals & percussion) and Lew Smith (tambura & percussion). Svirači specializes in Macedonian and Bulgarian dance music.
Bring some light refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages to help make it a party, and tips for the band!

New Year's Eve Potluck and All Request Party
2017-12-31 18:30 - 2018-01-01 00:30 | All Saints’ Episcopal, 555 Waverley St., Palo Alto, CA, 94301, United States
Ring in the New Year with non-stop dancing to your requests!
On-site potluck dinner 6:30-7:30pm. Bring a favorite dish! Moveable Feet will provide drinks and utensils.
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Bulgarian Dance Workshop with Elena Dimitrova
2017-12-15 20:00 - 23:00 | All Saints’ Episcopal, 555 Waverley St., Palo Alto, CA, 94301, United States
Stanford Folk Dance is proud to host a dance workshop with Bulgarian dance artist and choreographer Elena Dimitrova.
Elena Dimitrova
Elena Dimitrova is a choreographer and professional performer of Bulgarian folk dances. In 2009, along with her husband, she established the Folk Dance Studio “Puldin” where admirers of Bulgarian dance can practice, profess, and share their joy of authentic folk heritage. About 200 dancers in age from 16 to 65 years are members of the studio. Every year the club tours three folk festivals in Bulgaria and two in Europe, most of which are competitive. Since 2010, Studio “Puldin” has earned awards in stage performances yearly.
Since 1997, Elena is a dance artist in Folk Ensemble “Trakia”, one of the three largest folk ensembles in Bulgaria. She has mentored and taught many junior dancers in this ensemble. She has also choreographed, staged, and taught dances for students in the National Choreographic Vocational High School and other dance ensembles in the country. Along with Ensemble “Trakia”, Elena performs in over 160 concerts annually, both in Bulgaria and abroad.
In 2008 Elena proudly earned her Master degree in Folkloric Choreography and Stage Directing from the Academy of Music, Dance, and Fine Arts in Plovdiv. Earlier, in 1997 she graduated from the National School of Dance Art in Sofia specializing as Dance Artist and Educator.
Elena is currently 37 years old but her love for Bulgarian folk dances began when she was only 6. Elena is on Facebook.
Read more…

Elena Dimitrova teaches Ludo Kopano in her Folk Dance Studio “Puldin”

Holiday Folk Dance Party with Da! Mozhem
2017-12-11 19:00 - 21:30 | Hermann Sons Hall, 860 Western Avenue, Petaluma, CA, 94952, United States
Everyone is welcome to come dance and/or just listen to the fabulous music for this annual holiday party. The first hour will feature dancing to old and new recorded favorites, followed by Da! Mozhem performing a great mix of Balkan and international music.
Da! Mozhem
With veterans of many well-loved groups, including the People’s International Silver String Macedonian Band, Westwind, the Slavonian Traveling Band, and Born to Drone, Da! Mozhem plays a lively and beautiful variety of folk dance music on traditional and modern instruments and sings lush multi-part harmonies.

Holiday Celebration
2017-12-09 17:00 - 21:30 | First Baptist Event Hall, 305 N. California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA, 94301-4105, United States
Holiday Celebration and Second Harvest Food Bank Donation

5:00-6:00pm
Happy Holidays Potluck Reception – snacks appreciated. Bring cheeses, fruits, nuts, veggies, or desserts (refrigerator available, no oven)

6:00-9:30pm
Aaron Alpert will teach Hora (Israeli; choreographed by Moshe Eskayo) and Sandra Biroc will teach Quirquinchos de Corazon (Bolivia; learned at the 2017 solar eclipse). The rest of the program feature dancers’ requests.

Donation: $10 or 10 cans of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank (checks payable to Second Harvest Food Bank). Goal is 500 cans and/or $500. 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.
Please help us adhere to these conditions stated upon the City of Palo Alto event permit:

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

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Dance Party with Bill Cope and Friends
2017-12-01 20:00 - 23:00 | All Saints’ Episcopal, 555 Waverley St., Palo Alto, CA, 94301, United States
Live music and dancing to Bill Cope and his friends.
Bring some light refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages to help make it a party, and tips for the band!
Bill Cope & Friends
Bill Cope & friends play international folk dance music, especially Balkan with Greek and “oldie” folk dance favorites. The band includes
Bill Cope, an all-around multi-instrumentalist whose music folk dancers have loved to dance to for many years. He performs internationally as well as with many local Bay area ensembles, and is the Director of the San Francisco Kolo Festival. Instruments: accordion, laouto, gajda.
Susan Worland is both a symphonic and folk violinist, specializing in the folk music of Scotland and Poland. She performs internationally as well as for East Coast and West Coast folk dance camps, and with Bay Area ensembles. Instrument: violin.
Michele Simon is a singer and percussionist, specializing in Balkan folk music and folk dance music. She has performed internationally as well as with many local Bay area ensembles, including Anoush, Brass Menazeri, and Kitka. Instruments: tupan, dumbek.
Barbara Deutsch is a woodwinds player, specializing in Greek clarinet and Hungarian tarogato music. She has performed internationally as well as with local Greek, Polish, Bosnian, polka, and Hungarian bands. Instruments: clarinet, soprano saxophone, fluier.
Parking Lots near All Saints Episcopal Church
Allow extra time to find parking in nearby parking lots or street parking.

Pre-Kolo Festival Party
2017-11-18 18:30 - 23:00 | All Saints’ Episcopal, 555 Waverley St., Palo Alto, CA, 94301, United States
Sue Williard will start the evening teaching Arcanul Batrinesc and Kara Tren.
Live Balkan music for dancing with Staro Vino. Only the finest vintages! They play dance tunes and table songs from Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece, Roma, and a sprinkling of our favorite international folk dances.
Staro Vino is Andrew Cohen (accordion), Greg Masaki Jenkins (clarinet and vocals), and Mark Jenkins (percussion and vocals).

6:45pm
Doors open, warm up dances

7:00-8:00pm
Sue Williard teaches Arcanul Batrinesc and Kara Tren

8:00-11:00pm
Dance party to Staro Vino. Request dancing during breaks

Parking Lots near All Saints Episcopal Church Staro Vino proposed set list for Pre-Kolo Party, Nov. 18, 2017 There will be a Kafana room with refreshments and snacks – chat, listen and relax. Snacks greatly appreciated!
Parking in the city lots and street parking is free and unlimited on Saturdays, but plan for extra time to find a spot.
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Folk Dance Party
2017-11-11 19:00 - 22:00 | Garden House, 400 University Ave., Los Altos, CA, United States
Denise will teach the English Country dance Winter Solstice, learned from Bruce Hamilton at Stockton this summer.
John Burke will emcee.
Dances range from beginning to advanced and all forms (line, couple, set). Come dance on a great wood floor! Bring a snack to share!
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