Summer Dancing continues in Petaluma at Herman Sons Hall at 860 Western Avenue -- Mondays 7-9:15 p.m. through August 5. Lots of fun, lots of great dancing - bring your requests! Newcomers and beginners always welcome.

Check this wonderful video of young protesters in Taksim Square, Turkey,

 gathered around a gaida player ,

chanting and dancing Black Sea style:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=25tYy9D9-3c

We had a great time at our end-of-session party in Petaluma! 

The whole gang was there:

Dancing Ciuleandra, a wonderful line dance from Rumania - Marina Troost leading the women's line, Paul Smith leading the men.

Ending the evening with Mom Bar, a beautiful Armenian dance, 

led by Steve Ayala.

Summer dancing on Mondays 7-9:15 p.m. at Herman Sons Hall, 860 Western Avenue, Petaluma, will start up on June 3 and run through August 5.

Over 60 people came to our Annual Petaluma Spring Folk Dance party  on April 13 and had a wonderful time dancing to our favorite nameless Balkan band! 


Greg Jenkins, Dena Bjornlie, Lisa Ekstrom, and Mark Jenkins played great tunes for dances including Paidushko, Pomsko Sirto, Jove Male Mome, Sedi Donka, and Kopanitsa. 

Monday night dancing in Petaluma continues through May 6 - come join us!

Celebrate April Fool's Day by folk dancing on Monday, April 1, 7-9:15 p.m. at Herman Sons Hall, 860 Western Avenue, Petaluma! I'll have a few dance surprises for you including a honky tonk version of Dobruzhanska Reka, a Rumanian bunny hop, and a Russian hand jive dance.

During the month of April, we'll continue learning Bicak, a wonderful Bulgarian dance introduced by Yves Moreau, as well as reviewing dances that the band will be playing at our April 13 dance party (including Tropanka, Paidushko, Kopanitsa, and Eleno Mome). I'll also teach Valle e Permetit and Bracno Oro, two lovely Albanian dances.

And don't miss our Annual Spring Folk Dance Party on Saturday, April 13, 8-11 p.m. The evening will feature dancing to old and new recorded favorites, plus live Balkan music by Greg Jenkins, Dena Bjornlie, Lisa Ekstrom, and Mark Jenkins.

Come learn some more wonderful, easy folk dances from around the world at my International Folk Dance Class at College of Marin on Wednesdays 2:10-3:30 p.m., March 27-May 8 (no class April 10). 

The dances are fun, great exercise, and danced to a wonderful assortment of world music.This class is a good way to get started (or to return to) folk dancing in a friendly, energetic and welcoming environment. We'll learn dances from Rumania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, France, and more. 

Course number is 35016EC; cost is $56 for the 6-week session. The class is held at PE#22 on the Kentfield campus. To register, go to: http://www.marin.edu/CommunityEducation/ce-reginfo.html

You can also register by mail (forms available at the Emeritus Center at College of Marin) or I can mail a form to you. I’ll also have registration forms available  at the first class of the new session on March 27.

We've been learning some great dances on Monday nights in Petaluma:

• Pustanka - a lively dance from the Bitola region of Macedonia, in 12/16 rhythm (SQQSQ)
• Agadelcha - a Yemenite-style Israeli dance choreographed by Israel Hakovee in 1979, done to a lovely Shabbat melody
• Kritiki Syrto - a vigorous and fun Cretan syrto variation taught to us by Nadav Nur
• Hora Miresii - a lovely Rumanian women's dance, taught by Gary Anderson
• Troirou - a really fun, arm-swinging Greek circle dance from Boyialiki
• Talima - a two-pattern dance from the Dobrudza region of Bulgaria

Note that videos are posted in the Dance Video section of this blog for Pustanka, Agadelcha, Hora Miresii, Troirou, and Talima.

Coming up this month, I'll be teaching and/or reviewing these dances: Diuzko (Greece), Dipat (Greece), Kolomeyke (Yiddish/Klezmer), Ina Ina (Rumania) and Liljane Mome (Bulgaria).

Beginners and newcomers are always welcome; come join us!