7 June 2023

Katy Bishop, Editor

On the Dance Floor: Inside, Outside, and Online

with Shining Moon

Tomorrow is the final Friday Night Dance of the Spring season - and what better way to bid adieu to the season than to joyfully cavort on the dance floor to the magnificent (and sometimes mischievous!) melodies played by Shining Moon?!!

Is there anything better? I think not. See you there!

--Marcie Van Cleave

Cut a Ru g (June 11)

with Marcie Van Cleave

Dancing is joy, whether done in the company of others, or at home in your own personal "ballroom." Our world is blessed to now have myriad options for both opportunities and communities!

As the tagline in my Cut a Rug email reminders says: "I hope to see you this afternoon - but if you can't make it, whatever you do - do it with gusto!"

--Marcie Van Cleave

and coming July 11:

Dancing on the Greenway

With much ado about something, we are delighted to announce that the free outdoor dance series, formerly known as “Folk Dancing by the Fountain,” has found a new home in the heart of Boston for this summer season: the Rose Kennedy Greenway, in Dewey Square!

This 8-week Tuesday night series will offer a variety of dance genres from all over the world, including contras, Turkish, international, Cape Breton set dancing, and so much more.

We’ll kick off the series with a blast of fun on Tuesday, July 11th, with an English Ceilidh, led by returning dance teacher and band leader Alex Cumming. Come on down and bring your friends and families!

Visit the event page for more details and the full schedule.

--Anna Alter

Camp News

It’s June. It’s JUNE!

And that means dance & music camp season has begun!

Our summer camps are at Pinewoods, a beautiful wooded oasis in Plymouth, MA, tucked away between two gorgeous ponds, that are just perfect for swimming, boating, and snoozing in a chair. But why would you want to nap when your days and nights will be overflowing with lively music and dance, high energy late-night parties, delicious food, and the camaraderie of old and new friends?

Our International Sessions are up first with two sessions back-to-back, FAC Weekend (June 22-26), and FAC FolkDays (June 26-29).

The Weekend is full with a waitlist, but we still have space at FolkDays.

Visit our registration page today.

And it doesn’t end there - join us once more as we round out the Pinewoods camp season at Labor Day Weekend, September 1-5, sponsored by FAC and CDS-BC. The session is filling up steadily, and you don’t want to miss out!

Visit the Labor Day Weekend Registration page, and we’ll see you at camp!

From the Executive Director

Claptrap

One of the hard things about this poetic gig

Is clever wordplay instead of using thingamajig.

It's tricky to pull out of one's versifying wallet

A sublime scansion to go along with whatchamacallit.

Thus finally ending up with, by hook or by crook,

An effort that's just an amalgam of gobbledygook!

Calendar

June 9: Friday Night Dance with Shining Moon (Arlington, MA)

June 11: Cut a Rug (online)

June 15: Thursday Night Dance with The Goats (Arlington, MA)

July 11: Dancing on the Greenway with Alex Cumming and Friends (Boston, MA)

Camps

June 22-29: Pinewoods International Sessions (Plymouth, MA)

September 1-5: Labor Day Weekend at Pinewoods (Plymouth, MA)

October 6-9: Oktoberfest Weekend (Fairlee, VT)

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.

The Folk Arts Center thanks

the Massachusetts Cultural Council

for its generous support.