Dancing at the Festival
The dancing just gets better and better every year at the Festival. This year, we're starting off with two dance workshops at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night: African dance and Irish set dancing.
The workshops will prepare you for the two evening dances that follow at 7:30:
- African/Latin/Roots dance with Wagogo
- Irish Set & Ceili dance with Jodie Streit, Norita Callahan, and Bo y Yo, with an Irish step dance demo at 8:45 p.m.
On Saturday, the dance workshops, in two venues, start at 11:00 a.m. Take a dinner break at 5 p.m. and then come back for the 6 p.m. workshops that will lead into the Saturday evening dances that start at 7:30 p.m.. This year, the Barn Dance sponsored by ASD will feature Michael Hearne and South by Southwest, and the Contra Dance, sponsored by FolkMADS will feature the Albuquerque Megaband with Erik Erhardt calling.
Of course, you can always dance to the live music at various venues around the festival. The expanded dance floor at the Main Stage returns this year, so you can dance to Main Stage performers.
If you feel like dance jammin', you can join in the Band/Dance Scramble, with planning, rehearsal, and name creation from 5-6 p.m. and performance from 6-7 p.m. on Saturday.
Dance Workshops
Here's our 2011 dance workshop schedule, with two dance venues. Don't miss the chance to try all kinds of different dancing styles. Thanks to Patsy Gregory for organizing the dance workshops.
Dance Tent
Friday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:30 PM | African Dance | TBA |
Saturday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Chinese Wushu Dance | Martial Artistry | Let Martial Artistry's Team Steel Phoenix whisk you to the ancient land of the dragon and the phoenix. Where Chinese lions leap and stalk to the pounding of drums and the clash of cymbals and gongs, a dragon coils through the heavens as it seeks the Celestial Pearl of Wisdom and kung fu heroes soar through the air and display their wushu martial prowess in a manner beautiful to behold. This is a show of pageantry and history, with Northern Chinese dragon dancing, astounding high-flying acrobatics, Southern Chinese Lion dancing, Shaolin kung fu and wushu. Adults and children alike will be thrilled as Steel Phoenix presents the martial arts of China in a high-energy exhibition that brings the excitement and mystery of Chinese Wushu to life! |
| 11:00 AM | Scottish Country Dance | Kenneth Armstrong | The Enchantment Scottish Country Dancers love dancing. We meet on Friday nights and new people are very welcome to join us. Scottish Country Dancing is usually done in a four couple set. The dances are Reels, Jigs and Strathspeys and are great fun and good exercise. Further information from Kenneth Armstrong at 294-0042 or karmstrong00@comcast.net. |
| 12:00 PM | Square Dance | Bill "Doc" Litchman with The Mullanys | Square dancing is a truly American folk dance, and Bill Litchman is a world-reknowned traditional Western square dance caller. You won't want to miss this opportunity to experience a square dancing style that's becoming increasingly popular around the country. |
| 1:00 PM | Argentine Tango | The Tango Club of Albuquerque | Houghton Mifflin's International Word Origins: Who does not know the tango? Well, not everybody knows the steps, but most speakers of English are aware of the often slow, sometimes mournful Argentine ballroom dance whose pauses are as important as its movements. Where did it come from? Historians agree that the tango began in Argentina late in the nineteenth century as a somewhat boisterous style of music and a shockingly intimate dance for couples to go with that music. Millions of Europeans immigrated to Argentina early in the twentieth century, and some of those Europeans brought the low-class tango back to France, where it became the rage in the early teens of the century. That made it respectable and admired by the better classes in Argentina and around the world. The tango is mentioned in English as early as 1913, when a London newspaper calls it "a most graceful and beautiful dance." Tango Club of Albuquerque is a non-profit organization created by the Tango community of Albuquerque and surrounding areas to promote Argentine Tango. We sponsor frequent workshops and events, offer education in dancing techniques, the history of Argentine Tango and provide opportunities for social dancing. |
| 2:00 PM | Hawaiian Hula | Ha`aheo O Hawai`i | Halau Hula Ha`aheo O Hawai`i shares ALOHA and hula thoughout the Southwest. Come and learn the basic hand, foot, and body movements that entwine to tell stories of Hawaii's history and every aspect of Hawaiian life. The group is directed by native Hawaiian Cindi Heffner. |
| 3:00 PM | Cuban Salsa: Rueda de Casino | Sarita Streng | Experience Cuban-style Salsa Dance! And Rueda de Casino - a circle dance with partner switching. Casino and Rueda de Casino are how people dance to contemporary salsa music in Cuba. Take a class with Sarita Streng who has been to Cuban seven times to study dance and co-produced and directed the documentary film "La Salsa Cubana." |
| 4:00 PM | Scandinavian Dance | Muggies Uff Da Band | Dance music of the Scandinavian immigrants of the late ninetieth and early twentieth centuries. |
| 6:00 PM | Country Western 2-Step | Susan and Gary Kellogg | You'll be dancing NM's most popular country dance, the Country 2-Step, by the end of class! No partners/experience needed. Following the lesson, practice your new steps at the "Barn Dance Under the Stars" to live music by SxSW at 7:30pm. Presenters Gary & Susan have been teaching dance in ABQ for over 20 years. Susan is editor of the free E-newsletter called "Local DanceNew" which posts LOTS of fun dance activities in New Mexico, as well where to learn just about any form of dance. To subscribe to LDN, and for info on the ABQ Dance Club (over 700 members), ongoing dance lessons offered at the Dirty Bourbon every Tuesday and Wednesday, and through U.N.M. Continuing Education, please e-mail glkello@nmia.com or call 505-299-3737. We look forward to dancing with you soon! |
Dance Building
Friday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:30 PM | Irish Set Dancing | Jodie Streit with Bo y Yo | Originally derived from French quadrilles, these dances resemble American square dances in that they are danced by 4 couples arranged in a square. Danced to Irish Reels, Jigs and Hornpipes they are lively and fun. The Sliabh Sandia Set Dancers keep the Irish traditional alive by dancing in homes around Albuqerque every Monday evening. New Dancers are always welcome. For information contact Jodie Streit at nmjodie@yahoo.com. |
Saturday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Haitian Dance | Racine Kreyol Drum and Dance Ensemble | Racine Kreyol Drum and Dance Ensemble is a group of Haitian artists dedicated to educating the Albuquerque community about the rich tapestry of Haitian culture. The group offers classes in Traditional Haitian drum and dance. In addition to their regular classes, they have taught special workshops and performed at events such as the Albuquerque State Fair, Balloon Fiesta, the Obama Inaugural Bash and a host of others. |
| 12:00 PM | Belly Dancing | Joy Germack and Sadaqah | Sadaqah will play upbeat, fun mid-eastern music. Joy Germack will teach belly dance, a Tsifteteli style. This is a Greek traditional folk dance. (Turkish: chiftetelli). Gypsies and Greeks have adopted the upbeat folk rythmns into oriental dancing. Joy danced for many years in many Greek clubs across the US and Canada. |
| 1:00 PM | International Folk Dance | Bill Croft, Carol Toffaleti, Noralyn Parsons | Teaching international folk dances from Europe, the Balkans and the Near East. Bill Croft has been dancing international folk dance since 1981, and Carol Toffaleti since 1977. Bill and Carol began dancing in California, led the international folk dance group in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the late 1980s, and danced in Manchester, UK before moving to Albuquerque in 2006. They have attended workshops in California, Michigan, Illinois and the UK. Noralyn Parsons grew up with folk dancing parents in Oak Ridge, TN, and has been dancing since she was 14, starting at various dance camps in the East (West Virginia, Kentucky, Maine and North Carolina) and workshops in Nashville and Atlanta. Noralyn has been dancing and teaching in Albuquerque for 22 years. Noralyn: ""I love the infinite variety of music and cultural influences evident in the dances, and greatly enjoy sharing what I love." " |
| 2:00 PM | Swing Dance | Donna Howell | Whether you call it swing, east coast swing, Western Swing, hop or jitterbug, this 6 count dance is a popular and playful American tradition. It's a versatile style that can be done to Big Band tunes, Bob Wills, old rock and roll and rhythm and blues. Emphasis will be on rhythm and good frame. Toward the end of the class, an advanced move will be taught for those who wish more. . Presenter Donna Howell has taught swing, waltz and two-step as well as historic dances for decades, teaches at the Genoveva Chavez Center in Santa Fe and hosts a dance music program on Santa Fe Public Radio, KSFR 101.1 FM. |
| 3:00 PM | Hungarian Dance | Gary & Jane Diggs | Couple dances demonstrated from Mezoseg and Kalotaszeg regions; easier recreational line dances taught. |
| 4:00 PM | Klezmer Dance | Rikud Yiddish Dancers and Nahalat Shalom Community Band | Fun, easy and joyous Yiddish folk dances with Albuquerque's own Yiddish dance troupe 'Rikud' and live music from The Nahalat Shalom Community Klezmer band. Rikud Yiddish dance troupe is open for all to join in and dance. Contact Michele Diel for more details: 505-265-6748 e-mail: dancerMichele@gmail.com. Rikud usually rehearses with The Nahalat Shalom Community Klezmer band on Sundays from 2-4pm. Both groups co-produce and perform in Albuquerque's annual Klezmer music and dance festival ""KlezmerQuerque"" - held in February over Presidents day weekend. |
| 6:00 PM | Contra Dance Workshop | Erik Erhardt with The McPaps | Contra dancing is traditional American folk dancing most often done with a partner across form you in a long set. Each couple dances with the couple next to them and with the larger set, forming moving figures as the couples progress up or down the set. These dances are social, providing opportunity for dancers to relate to each other in a fun and non-stressful way. All of the dances are taught, and beginners are welcomed warmly and encouraged. You can do contra and traditional community dancing with the New Mexico Folk Music and Dance Society (FolkMADS). In Albuquerque, community dances are held on the first and third Saturday of every month at the Heights Community Center. In Santa Fe, the dances are on the second and fourth Saturday of every month at the Odd Fellows Hall on Cerrillos Rd. More information can be found at: http://www.folkmads.org. Erik Erhardt has great energy and enthusiasm for bringing dance to more people, especially youth, through concise, clear, and precise teaching and by making leadership opportunities for young dance callers and musicians. Dancers of any experience level find his dances accessible and engaging. Erik's repertoire includes contras, squares, circles, and traditional reels. Known as the "fastest, smoothest, dreamiest swinger", he has called and taught traditional and couples dancing in the northeast and southwest. |
Evening dancing for everybody
Friday Night 7:30-10 pm
African/Latin/Roots Dance in the Dance Tent with music by local favorites Wagogo
and
Irish Set and Ceili Dancing with music by by Bo y Yo in the Dance Building and teaching by Jodie Streit.
Saturday Night
Variety Barn Dance "under the stars" in the Dance Tent, 7:30-10:30 p.m., sponsored in part by the Albuquerque Dance Club. Music by Michael Hearne and South by Southwest
and
NM FolkMADS Contra Dance in the Dance Building from 7:30 - 10:30 p.m.. Music by the Albuquerque Megaband and calling by Erik Erhardt