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19 February 2025
Katy Bishop, Editor
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Thursday Night Folk Dancing
February 20 • Arlington, MA • 8pm
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Please join us at our Thursday Night Dance, when Patrick Yacono, our programmer, and Jeanne Clifford will review Lipa Ma Marcya, a Slovenian couple/set dance from Steve and Susie Kotansky.
Our next Thursday night dance, on March 6, will have Live Music with Zdravets!
Speaking of fabulous dance events, mark your calendar for these life music events coming up:
- March 6 - ZDRAVETS
- March 20 - RED DRUM!
- May 1 - JUNE CAMP TRIO (Tom P, Ralph I, Brian W)
- May 15 - the WOODSHED BAND (their Thursday Night debut ❤️)
- June 5 - GOATS have been RESCHEDULED!!! BLEAT!!!
--Sue Rose
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Inclement Weather Event Cancellation Policy
If an event must be cancelled due to challenging weather conditions, notifications will be posted in the following places:
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Monthly Dance Party
February 22 • Belmont, MA • 8pm
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Come one, come all to FAC’s Monthly Dance Party on Saturday, February 22!
This dance is FREE to all current FAC members! If you are not yet a member for this, our 50th anniversary year, no worries; you can join online - or at the door - and receive membership benefits immediately! As a member, aside from financially supporting FAC, you are also invited to the evening’s Dessert Bar and Ice Cream Social (6:00pm), followed by the Annual General Meeting (7:00pm).
All are welcome to the dance party that begins at the culmination of the AGM (approximately 8:00pm). During the dance party, enjoy dancing and listening to the melodious musical meanderings of the Flying Squirrel Orchestra, and savor snacks and drinks, supplemented by some excellent desserts!
(We apologize, but despite the wild opportunities Zoom has enabled, allowing us to share the joys of camaraderie, conversations, music, and dance across great distances, they have not yet figured out how to share the gastronomical delight of a Dessert Bar and Ice Cream Social. So while the meeting and dance party will be streamed online, you will have to supply your own comestibles.)
The FAC Board of Directors is thrilled to host this event, and we hope to see you there, in person or online!
- Carolyn Ramm
President, FAC Board of Directors
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Jewish Arts Festival
February 23 • Boston, MA • 11am
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The Jewish Arts Festival this Sunday at Temple Israel of Boston will be an amazing extravaganza of Jewish culture featuring 40 – yes, 40! – musicians, dance leaders, presenters, and vendors over the course of the four hour celebration!
The Folk Arts Center is one of the event co-sponsors, and I will be leading international dancing from 11:15am – 12:45pm. It would be so much fun to have folks from the FAC community with me to share the joy of dancing with others, some of whom might be trying it out for the first time! More dancing follows my session, with Rina Wagman leading an Israeli folk dance session.
I could wax eloquent about all the great music, dancing, lectures, and demos that will be featured throughout the day, but may I suggest you go to the website, where you can get lots more details about the delights that await you on Sunday!
--Marcie
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Mostly Waltz
February 23 • Concord, MA • 2pm
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We hope you can join us on Sunday afternoon for another fabulous afternoon of waltzing and couple dancing at the Scout House with Larry Unger & Julie Metcalf. Larry is the composer of many favorite waltz tunes, and we're thrilled to welcome them back for more wonderful music.
The 2pm dance lesson will be 'More Cross-step Waltz' with Tim Lamm and Diane Gonzales. We will work more on the cross-step waltz turn and some easy variations, in preparation for the upcoming weekend of cross-step waltz workshops in March with dance historian and teacher Susan de Guardiola. Cross-step is a lovely, flowy form of waltzing perfect for those slower waltz tunes. If you're not familiar, check out this classic video.
And speaking of the upcoming workshops, Susan is finalizing the content, so look for that information on the website soon. Discounted registration is open now for the full weekend and packages; registration for individual workshops opens on February 21st. Early bird pricing ends soon, so don't delay!
-- Diane Gonzales
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36th Annual Balkan Music Night | |
March 8 • Arts at the Armory, Somerville, MA • 6pm | |
About the Kafana at Balkan Music Night
Come to Balkan Music Night to listen to beautiful Balkan vocals and instrumentals in the Kafana, a quieter venue with informal concert seating, located in the Armory café. In a change from last year, the café kitchen will be closed, so no need to contend with blender noises (smoothies!).
Two performers who packed the Kafana last year will return, namely Sophia Bilides, presenting Greek Anatolian songs of her Asia Minor heritage, and Beth Bahia Cohen & Friends, performing an acoustic set of traditional Turkish folk music.
New to the Kafana stage, but no strangers to the FAC community, Pixton Iverson Wilson (yes, Tom, Ralph and Brian) will present a set of Romanian songs (from urban, rural, and modern traditions) which Tom collected during his travels in the 1990s.
Returning to Balkan Music Night after long absences are Elitsa Stoyneva-Krastev and members of the Yale Slavic Chorus, in two different ensembles who perform “a capella” Balkan music, with its astonishingly beautiful harmonies. Elitsa will be joined this year by Anne Stancioff Tatgenhorst, Helena Tatgenhorst, Erica Weiss, and Sarah Hipkens.
So peruse the Kafana schedule, and make a plan to see your favorites! Please visit the Balkan Music Night website to view details on the performers, the new Kafana seating plan, and to buy your tickets at early bird prices!
--The Balkan Music Night Committee
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Special Events
Saturday, February 22: FAC Annual General Meeting (Belmont, MA)
Saturday, March 8: Balkan Music Night (Somerville, MA)
March 21-23: Waltz Workshops with Susan de Guardiola (Concord, MA)
Saturday, March 29: Victorian Ball (Berlin, MA)
Dance & Music Series
Thursday, February 20: Thursday Night Folk Dancing (Arlington, MA)
Saturday, February 22: Monthly Dance Party - Flying Squirrel Orchestra (Belmont, MA)
Sunday, February 23: Mostly Waltz - Larry Unger & Julie Metcalf (Concord, MA)
Friday, February 28: Friday Night Folk Dancing (Arlington, MA)
2025 Camps
June 19 - 26: Pinewoods International Sessions (Plymouth, MA)
August 29 - September 2: Labor Day Weekend at Pinewoods (Plymouth, MA)
October 10 - 13: Oktoberfest Weekend at Potash Hill (Marlboro, VT)
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This week's contributors:
Balkan Music Night Committee
Nick Bishop: Tech troubleshooter, Updates proofreader
Diane Gonzales: Mostly Waltz coordinator
Lynne Janbergs: 50th anniversary committee, Updates proofreader
Carolyn Ramm: President, FAC Board of Directors
Sue Rose: Thursday coordinator
Marcie Van Cleave: FAC Executive Director
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The Folk Arts Center of New England is a nonprofit organization promoting participation in the traditional dance and music of many cultures. FAC sponsors community dances, annual camps, workshops, and other programs in the greater Boston area, elsewhere in New England, and online. | |
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The Folk Arts Center thanks
the Massachusetts Cultural Council
for its generous support.
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