Dancing This Week

International Dance

Dancing on the Greenway

On July 18, head downtown to Dewey Square Park and join programmer and leader Andy Taylor-Blenis for folk dances from around the world, from US contra and ragtime to circle dances from Romania, Bolivia, Serbia, and Turkey. Come to the Greenway to watch or take part yourself, and enjoy the summer evening while listening to wonderful music.

--Andy Taylor-Blenis

Andy Taylor-Blenis is the artistic director of Mladost Folk Ensemble, the Back Pocket Dancers, Boston Scottish Country Dancers, and the Wheaton College Dance Company. She also teaches college-level modern and jazz dance classes at the Dance Complex in Cambridge, MA. Andy has taught in our outdoor dance series for over two decades, and she is excited to return this year and teach long-time dancers and newcomers alike.

Thursday Night Dance

on July 20

Please join us in Arlington, at the Park Ave. Church, for our continued summer review of the wonderful dances we learned at Pinewoods, programmed this week by Laura and Meyer Billmers.

The evening will open with a quick review of two of Sonia and Cristian's more intuitive dances, Horodnicul and Schioapa Dunaveana. Jeanne Clifford will then review a more challenging dance taught at Pinewoods, Sarba de la Valcea. Finally, Meyer Billmers will close this week's review session with two additional dances, Ciubaneasca lui Ionel and Lamaita.

Masks are now Optional But Highly Recommended (and entirely welcome); please check the FAC Covid policy for more information.

Upcoming dances:

August 17 and 24

--Sue Rose

Getting to Dewey Square Park

We are dancing at a brand new location on Tuesday nights: Dewey Square, on the Rose Kennedy Greenway! It is just steps from South Station, next to the Federal Reserve Building. We encourage everyone to take public transportation if possible, but if you are driving into Boston from the north, we recommend parking at Assembly Square or Alewife to access the subway.

Here is a Google Maps link to Dewey Square. Dewey Square is adjacent to the larger-than-life mural, which was recently updated with new artwork!

Camp News

Labor Day Weekend - Last Call

Pinewoods Camp sign at Cornish Field Road

Summer is passing in the blink of an eye - and so is your opportunity to register for our Labor Day session! That’s right, our capstone camp is positively bursting at the seams and almost ready for a waitlist.

And no wonder - our consummate callers will teach us their finest American, English, and International dances to the tremendous tunes of our eleven magnificent musicians; the ponds and pines will keep us cool and remind us to relax; and the evening revelries with all the campers will round out the festivities. It truly is a special session!

So now’s the time to sign up and snag one of those coveted last slots.

We'd be so happy to see you there!

-- Bella Pisani

Calendar

July 18: Dancing on the Greenway International Dance with Andy Taylor-Blenis (Boston, MA)

July 20: Thursday Night Dance (Arlington, MA)

July 25: Dancing on the Greenway Cape Breton set dancing with Jen Schoonover, Rachel Reeds, Gawain Thomas (Boston, MA)

August 1: Dancing on the Greenway Contra dancing with Nils Fredland with Stomp Rocket (Boston, MA)

August 8: Dancing on the Greenway Irish Ceílí with Rebecca McGowan with Devin McCabe & Friends (Boston, MA)

August 15: Dancing on the Greenway International folk dancing with Jonathan Young and Andy Taylor-Blenis (Boston, MA)

August 17: Thursday Night Dance (Arlington, MA)

Camps

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.