Balkan Dance with Steve Kotansky

Presented by the East European Folklife Center

The Class

Dancer and dance scholar Steve Kotansky will focus on “traditional” dances—dances as they are or were being done recently by various ethnic groups (rural and urban) from Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Western Bulgaria (i.e. Shope and Pirin). We will explore  simple, basic dances as well as more complex forms with a variety of mixed rhythms and tempi. Music recordings will range from zurla ensembles to izvoren/bitov (village instruments)  to čalgija (Ottoman-influcenced urban) and modern. The dances will be chosen from a repertoire as performed by village collectives as well as dances featured at weddings and other celebrations with minimal “choreography” or “arrangement.” We will take time to explore variations within the structural context and kinetic content of given regions. Steve will also be open to requests from participants. Recordings and dance descriptions will be posted to the class repertoire page during the week after each class.

The class is targeted to all levels of dancers, and beginners are welcome. The dances presented will range from beginner to intermediate in difficulty.

This event has a suggested fee of $15 for a single class, or $50 for the 4-class series. Anything you can give will be more than welcome, but if […]

Bulgarian Dance Workshop

with Jaap Leegwater

Saturday, November 7, 2020 – 2-4pm EST

Online via Zoom – To benefit the Folk Arts Center of New England

Jaap is known worldwide for his fun teaching and having introduced dances including Karamfil, Dobrudžanska Pandela, and Mari Marijko. He began his dance careeer in The Netherlands, where he earned one of his degrees in international folk dance, specializing in Bulgarian folk dance and choreography. Jaap studied at the State Choreographer’s school in Sofia and Plovdiv, living there for two years; he regularly returns to Bulgaria to update his studies and make new recordings.

Accompanying Jaap will be accordionist Jan Wollring. Jan was the regular accompanist of Bulgarian singer Galina Durmushliyska during the years she lived in the Netherlands.

→Join this workshop via Zoom by activating this link.

Visit What you need to join to set up your computer or device to join the workshop online.

Please donate generously to FAC and help us through this period of social distancing when all of our events are postponed. We suggest a $10 minimum for attending this workshop but any and […]

Tom Bozigian

Armenian Dance Workshop
Saturday, October 3, 2020

2:00-4:00pm EDT

Online via Zoom

To benefit the Folk Arts Center of New England

Tom Bozigian, of Los Angeles, California, is an internationally recognized dance instructor. He is a graduate of the Armenian State Choreographic Academy and also holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A.) in Russian Area Studies and a Master of Arts Degree (M.A.) in Education from Fresno State University. He is fluent in three languages: English, Armenian and Russian. He unites the elements of professional dancer-choreographer/linguist/musician to support his far-reaching research on the subject of Armenian dance ethnography.

Read more about Tom Bozigian.

→Join this workshop via Zoom by activating a link that will be posted here one day before the workshop

Visit What you need to join to set up your computer or device to join the workshop online.

Please donate generously to FAC and help us through this period of social distancing when all of our events are postponed. We suggest a $10 minimum for attending this workshop but any and all contributions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for supporting the Folk Arts Center […]

Michael Ginsburg

Balkan Dance Workshop
Saturday, September 26, 2020

2:00-4:00pm EDT

Online via Zoom

To benefit the Folk Arts Center of New England

Michael Ginsburg has been interested in Balkan music and dances, especially Macedonian and Serbian. He is an expert in the complicated rhythms of Balkan music and has made several research trips to Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavia, and studied in Macedonia with Pece Atanasovski, with whom he made research tours of the country. Michael has been on the teaching staff of the Macedonian Pearl seminar in Berovo, Macedonia.

Read more about Michael.

→Join this workshop via Zoom by activating a link that will be posted here one day before the workshop

Visit What you need to join to set up your computer or device to join the workshop online.

Please donate generously to FAC and help us through this period of social distancing when all of our events are postponed. We suggest a $10 minimum for attending this workshop but any and all contributions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for supporting the Folk Arts Center of New England!

Joe Graziosi Series of Zoom Dance Classes. *
Please join him on Wednesday, September 23, at 5 pm PT, 8 pm ET for his continuing class on Greek dance.

This will be the third in a planned 4 classes on Macedonian dance with the emphasis on central west Macedonia.

To date he has covered Stankena/Mulayevo and Marena; Trite Pata/Zavlichena; Tikveskino/Krivo; Patrunino and this Wednesday he will cover Baiduskino; Sofka; Tsotso.

After the fourth class there will be a dance-through with light review for all the dances; the following week will be a fifth class.

Then he will travel to other areas of the Greek world to enjoy and examine the breadth and richness of traditional dance.

Emphasis will be on style, embellishment, rhythm and enjoyment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, please contact Joe at: 

Joseph Graziosi is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting
Wednesday Sept 23 2020,
8:00 PM – 9:30 PM East Coast Time
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Pacific Time

Topic: Joseph Graziosi’s Zoom Meeting

*Joe is sponsoring his own series.
Free to join but voluntary donations welcome.
Join the workshop or email Joe for information on how to donate.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89087229095

Meeting ID: 890 8722 9095
Passcode: 111061

Miroslav “Bata” Marčetić

Serbian Dance Workshop
Saturday, September 19, 2020

2:00-4:00pm EDT

Online via Zoom

To benefit the Folk Arts Center of New England

A native of Serbia, Miroslav “Bata” Marčetić 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.

Read more about Bata at his website.

→Join this workshop via Zoom by activating a link that will be posted here one day before the workshop

Visit What you need to join to set up your computer or device to join the workshop online.

Please donate generously to FAC and help us through this period of social distancing when all of our events are postponed. We suggest a $10 minimum for attending this workshop but any and all contributions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for supporting the Folk Arts Center of New […]