Hungarian Dance Workshop with Andor Czompo and Andy Taylor-Blenis

Andor Czompo's Hungarian Folk dance Workshop in Florida was really inspiring!.

Friday night he taught Szeki Tanc. Vanyai Csardas, and Cinege,  Saturday Andor taught Bagi Karidazo, Bagi Verbunk & Forgos, Kanasz Tanc, Szatmari  Verbunk, Szatmari Csardas & Friss, Cendes/Forgos Csardas, and Lakodalm Tanc, Adjon Az Isten.

When Andor dances his age fades away. Although his jumps and leaps are not quite as high as they once were; to see him dance is to witness the master dancer, performer and teacher in action! The stories and historical information that Andor blends in with teaching the dances makes the whole experience more memorable. In addition Andor has an inexhaustible supply of Hungarian folklore and stories which he freely shared.

Andor's assistant Andy Taylor-Blenis brought her inexhaustible vivaciousness and flawless dance technique to the workshop.  She and Andor were a great team!

As mentioned before, Andor is an inspiration to all of us to keep dancing even though at first our bodies may creak and complain; we are transformed to our youth once we join the dance!

The Brevard County Folk Dancers are a very welcoming and fun group.  The workshop was organized and very enjoyable.  Check out their site and upcoming activities.
www.folkdance.org

Keep on dancing!

Dance with a child every chance you can!

Another Day, Another Dance!

Dancing in Houston, TX

Hi, All,

Bill was able to dance with the Houston International Folk Dance Group last week  He attended the Monday evening beginner class and Request dancing on Friday. He had a great time both nights.

Below is a link to an article a Rice University student wrote about her recent experience with the Houston Folkdancers.

http://www.ricethresher.org/embrace-your-inner-folk-dancer-1.2895409#.UHHGq03A9KY

It would be nice to see some more college students at our group!

Have a great week! Keep on dancing!

Have you danced with a child recently?

Another Day, Another Dance!

Mountain Playshop 2012

Hi, All,

Just wanted to say a few words about the Mountain Play Shop in North Carolina.
 GREAT, GREAT and GREATER!
 http://www.mountainplayshop.org/location.htm

This was our first time attending and we were happy that we did.

Lee Otterholt was the teacher. He is an outstanding teacher!
Below are a list of the dances that  he taught.

Intermediate - Advanced

1 Pusta mladost                (Bulgaria - Macedonian region)

2 Syrtos kitrinou                (Greece)

3 Svatba                           (Bulgaria)

4 Kali tihi                          (Greece)

Easy

1 E Shukar Romnji            (Hungarian Rom)

2 C'est une jeunne Mariee  (Quebec)

3. Flor amorosa                (Brazil)

           4.Circular                       (Brazil)

The request dancing was nothing short of amazing!. So many talented and beautiful dancers doing a lot of the
old favorites!

Also, some very interesting dancers consented to interviews.  Every one has a story and I love hearing them!

Please support Mountain Play Shop and all the dance weekends around the country.

Please forward this blog to anyone who might be interested!

Keep on dancing!
Dance with a child every time you get a chance!
Another Day, Another Dance!

Update on Ooska Gookas

Thank you to Sally for bringing my attention to alternative spellings!

The other spellings for Ooska Gookas  as follows:
Uska Gukas
Hooshig Mooshig

The song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPntUhp7EzI

Under the spelling of Uske Gugas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8rX_KRG1-A
This dance is done to the same music as we play but our group does it differently.

If you have any information to help in clarifying any of the topics covered in the blog, please let us know!  We appreciate all of your help!

Until next time...Please forward this Blog to anyone who might be interested!
Happy Dancing!
Another Day, Another Dance,

Learning Gerakina, Gorache and Hora Schioapa and update on Sadi Moma

Last week Sue continued teaching Gerakina from Greece. At last search there is not a video available on the internet. Bill continued teaching the challenging  but fun dance Gorache from Albania.  We  learned the dance from Steve Kotansky. Below is a video of the  Kolokoalition doing the dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG7OEMMQiK8

The steps are the same but the number of times we do the steps are different.

Bill also reviewed Hora Schioapa from Moldova, Romania.  The notes are :
http://www.folkdancecamp.org/08syllabus/H--Hora%20schioapa%20(2008SFDC).pdf

I couldn't find a video of the dance as we learned it from Sonia and Cristian.  It is on their Romanian Realm DVD-special edition.  It is a fairly easy dance with lively music. Usually the whole group gets up and dances to this dance.

Also, thank you to Sally who found this video of Sadi Moma!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=-tw9_PL5Y7g

The teaching and review of dances are video recorded every week.

Our dance list is provided at:
http://www.charlottesvilleinternationalfolkdance.com/

Until next time... Please forward this Blog to anyone who might be interested!
Another Day, Another Dance,
Happy Dancing!

Workshop with Andor Czompo

It was great to have Andor come to our group to teach the first half of the "Easy dozen Hungarian Dances".  He was very informative about the history and folk lore of the dances.  Listening to Andor always makes me feel as if I am in Hungary dancing. The dances he taught were:
 Karikazo from Puspokbogat(Baranya County) southern Hungary,
 Csardas(a Variation from Vanya),
 Urai Korcsardas - Eastern Hungary,
 Szeki Tanc( a variation for children, Transylvania-Hungary),
Csendes - a slow couple Csardas

We hope to have him back in the fall to do the rest of the "Easy Hungarian Dozen".

In November he will be doing a workshop in Florida.

Another Day, Another Dance,
Keep Dancing!
Adjon Az Isten

Michael Ginsburg Workshop and weekend dancing in PA

Last Saturday, June 2, Michael Ginsburg gave a great dance workshop in Harrisburg, PA. Michael has a clear concise style of teaching.  He associates movements with counts,  which is how my mind works also. In order to help cement dances in one's brain, he has the participants go off by themselves to see how much they can remember -  "Building leaders and not just followers".  Although he stated that "forgetting is good"  because it helps the folk dance teacher by being invited back to a location and teaching the same dances again.

He started out teaching Sofka a dance we had learned from Kyriakos Moisidis.
The other dances Michael taught were: Gravosko(Ventzi), Preplet, Myatalo lenche, Devetorka, Pravo Trakitsko, Eleno Mome, Pajdushko, Varnensko, Cocek, and not to be left out we did a Lesnoto.

As usual, the dance party in the evening was fun. Those of us there danced to our heart's content and visited with friends. Chervon Traktor provided the music for our dancing and listening pleasure. They also provided music the second half of the dance workshop.

We continued our dancing weekend Sunday by attending the opening church picnic of St. Nicholas Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church at Serb Park in Harrisburg. They did a grapevine step to Miserlou that I had never seen done before.  The  music was provided by Sviraj and the Polka quads. As for the food-- " Pigs in the Blanket" just the way Mom used to make them and delicious roast lamb--not for the squeamish.

Again, Monday arrives and back to work with memories of dancing fun!

Another Day, Another Dance,
Share the Dance!

It's been a long time since I've blogged, but no time like the present to start again.  There has been a lot dance wise that I've participated in, but just haven't had time to blog about.  The big event was the wedding our our oldest daughter.

The groom requested Hava Nagila to be done at the reception, so after the rehearsal dinner we had a practice with the bridal party and any others who were interested in learning some of the "other" dances.  The bride and groom taught everyone the Hustle.  The folkdances we did were: Hava Nagila, Adjon Az Isten,the Virginia Reel, the Hustle, the Electric Slide.  It was great fun after the rehearsal dinner and at the reception.

Now that the wedding is over, I'll make more time to blog.

Keep on Dancing!

Another Day, Another Dance