It's been exciting to welcome so many new students to Monday night dancing in Petaluma! The first half hour of class have been dedicated to teaching, doing quick reviews, and dancing favorite beginning dances including Kokonjeste, Boreasca, Narodno Horo, Lo Ahavti Dai, Rumalaj, Cocek, Ketri Ketri, Ivanica, Adje Jano, Koritsa, and Andro Retourne. 


 We've also been learning several great intermediate dances: Tikfesto and Mori Odajo Sarena (Greece), Esmer (Turkey), Cicovata and Isu Byala Nedo (Bulgaria), Mindrele (Rumania). Coming up in the next few months will be t'Smidge (Belgium), Giovarlandum (Greece), Retko Kolo (Serbia), and Mojo Mambo (U.S.)


Newcomers, beginners, and drop-ins are always welcome in both Petaluma and Point Reyes Station.

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great holiday, and are ready to start dancing again. 

• Classes at Herman Sons Hall, 860 Western Avenue, Petaluma, will resume on Mondays 7-9:15 p.m., January 9-May 7. I'll be teaching a beginning lesson at 7 p.m., and an intermediate lesson around 7:45-8:15 p.m., with the rest of the evening filled with dancing to old and new favorites. 
• Classes at the Dance Palace, 503 B Street, Point Reyes will resume on Wednesdays 7-8:15 p.m., January 4-February 8. Note that the first class on January 4 is free for newcomers who want to check out how much fun folk dancing can be. 
• I'll be teaching several dances taught at this year's Kolo Festival including Retko Kolo (Serbia, taught by Bata Marcetic), Mori Odajo Sarena and Vallja Hajde Merre Furken (both from Albania, and taught by Steve Kotansky), and Kokonjeste (Serbia, with great new music from John Filcich). Also on the list: Tikfesto, Zagarisios, and Troirou (Greece); Boreasca and Joc Batranesc (Rumania), Isu Byala Nedo, Cicovata, and Narodno Horo (Bulgaria); Agadelcha and Hora (Israel).

Beginners, newcomers, and drop-ins are always welcome; hope to see you on the dance floor!

You are all invited to come to our annual Petaluma Holiday Folk Dance Party on Monday, December 12, 7-9:30 p.m.!


The first part of the evening will feature dancing to old and new recorded favorites, followed by live Balkan music by Santa Rosa Vecherinka with Nuri Bal on percussion; Barbara Babin on vocals and gadulka; Jim Avera on vocals and gajda; Natalie Hicks on vocals, tambura, percussion, and saz.


All welcome - visitor fee is $7, and drinks and snacks will be provided.

Monday night dancing in Petaluma continues though December 12, with a special Holiday Folk Dance Party on the last Monday featuring live music by Santa Rosa Vecherinka. 

In November and December, I'll be teaching these new dances:

• Or Chadash - a lively Israeli dance choreographed by Gadi Bitton
• Staro Bansko Horo - a simple slow Bulgarian dance done to haunting vocals 
• Ratevka - a popular 8-measure Macedonian dance in SQQ (7/8) rhythm)

And I'll be reviewing a few classics and favorites including: Jove Malaj Mome and Vidinsko Horo from Bulgaria; Tzel Midbar, and Erev Shel Shoshanim from Israel.

I've been teaching these wonderful dances I learned while I was in Greece:

• Sofka: This lively, flowing dance is from Greek Macedonia.
• Zaramo: Every festival I went to on my trip featured this simple dance from Greek Macedonia, with a basic pattern in 2/4 rhythm and lots of variations called by the leader.
• Hora Samson: This popular Pontic dance is done in the classic flat-footed style with double bounces that travel up through the shoulders.
• Paiduska: Greece has a whole tradition of paidusko-style dances in 5/8 rhythm; this one, from Thrace, has an unusual 11-measure phrasing.
• Dipat: Dances from many regions of Greece are done in 9/8 rhythm; this one is Pontic, with a three-measure phrase, and is wonderfully hypnotic.
• Pontic Halay: The beautiful song for this simple, very slow halay talks about how the Pontic people were exiled from their homes by the Black Sea, and how they yearn to return.
• Zagarios: This dance from Epirus is done in 9/8 rhythm.
• Tsamiko Konitsa: This beautiful, flowing six-measure tsamiko in 3/4 rhythm is also from Epirus. 

You can click on and watch great versions of Dipat, Tsamiko Konitsa, and Sofka in the Dance Videos section of this blog.

I'm just back from a folk dance trip to Greece and Albania - and excited about teaching some of the many dances I learned while I was there. Dances to be taught include Zaramo, one of the most common dances done in Greek Macedonia; a beautiful Greek Pontic Halay; and a lovely Tsamiko from Konitsa.

Here's a photo of our group performing at a glendi in Limno Chori in Greece:

And a photo of a wedding party dancing in the streets in Korca, Albania:

International folk dance classes will be starting up after Labor Day:

• Mondays 7-9:15 p.m., September 12-December 12, Herman Sons Hall, 860 Western Avenue Petaluma
• Wednesdays 7-8:15 p.m., September 7-October 5, Dance Palace, 503 B Street, Point Reyes

I'll also be teaching a new daytime line dance class at the Dance Palace on Fridays 9-10 a.m., September 16-October 7.

Hope to see you all on the dance floor!

Summer folk dancing in Petaluma continues on Mondays 7-9:15 p.m. at Herman Sons Hall, 860 Western Avenue, Petaluma, through August 1. The fall session will start up on September 12 and run through December 12. Every evening will include with a short beginner lesson at 7 p.m., teaching of 2-3 intermediate dances, and lots of dancing to requests plus old and new favorites.

International folk dance classes on Wednesdays 7-8:15 p.m. at the Dance Palace, 503 B Street, Point Reyes, will start up on September 7 through October 5. I'll be teaching line dancing at a new morning time on Fridays 9-10 a.m. starting September 16.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and I look forward to seeing you all on the dance floor in the fall!