Dancing at the Festival
The dancing just gets better and better every year at the Festival. There'll be two dances Friday night: Beyond Borders with Bayou Seco, and Greek dancing with Aegean Sounds.
The dance workshops, in two venues, start at 11:00 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m.
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.
It'll be hard to find time to eat dinner before the Saturday evening dances begin. This year, the Barn Dance sponsored by AS&CDC will feature Bill Hearne's Roadhouse Review, and the Contra Dance, sponsored by FolkMADS will feature the Albuquerque Megaband with Enid Cocke calling.
Dance Workshops
Here's our 2010 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Country Western Two-Step | Donna Howell | Country-western two-step workshop will introduce participants to one of the most popular dance forms in America. Emphasis will be on leading for the guys and on frame and turning technique for the women. If you can walk, you can two-step; no experience necessary. 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 and is the co-host of "Gotta Dance", a dance music program on Santa Fe Public Radio, KSFR 101.1 FM. |
Saturday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Traditional Acoma Buffalo Dance | Acoma Buffalo Dancers | We are a family from Acoma Pueblo who performs the traditional Acoma Buffalo Dance in full costume. |
| 11:00 AM | Hawaiian Hula | Halau 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. |
| 12:00 PM | Irish Ceili and Set Dancing | Norita Callahan and Jodie Streit | A lively Irish hoedown, led by Norita Callahan, with round, line and square figures danced to reels 'n jigs 'n hornpipe music. Traditional Irish Ceili (K-lee)dance classes for beginners - pre-teen to adult - are held on Wednesday evenings at 7pm.** These classes have been on-going in Albuquerque since 1985. Ceili dances are simple, mildly aerobic and no partner is needed. We dance 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 16 hand dances in round, square and line formations. The lively music - which makes your feet want to dance - are reels, jigs, polkas and hornpipes. Please call/email Norita 298-2708, noraabq@yahoo.com for more information. IT'S FUN - Join us... This session will also include Irish set dancing, let by Jodie Streit. |
| 1:00 PM | Appalachian Flat Foot | Wendy Graham | Learn the basics of Appalachian clogging and how to link them together to create your own unique foot percussion. All ages and skill levels are encouraged to join our high-energy, freestyle jam! Wendy Graham (Durango, Colorado) started clogging at the Christmas Country Dance School in Berea, KY. She attributes her flat-foot freestyle to her great clogging instructors, including Leela and Ellie Grace, Ruth Pershing, Glen Morningstar and Aubrey Atwater. Wendy has taught clogging previously at the Albuquerque Folk Festival, as well as dance weekends including Chippenham Folk Festival, Chipppenham, England, the Moon Fest in Boulder, Colorado, and FolkMADness in Socorro, New Mexico. Wendy leads a variety of dance forms throughout the southwest, nationally and internationally. |
| 2:00 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." " |
| 3:00 PM | Irish Step Dancing | McTeggart Irish Step Dancers | Irish Step Dance is noted for leaps, points, and other precise foot movements, done to complex rhythms such as jigs, reels, and hornpipes. Two varieties, soft shoe and hard shoe, can be done as solos, in couples, or in larger groups. The McTeggart school does performances and offers classes on Saturdays to anyone ages 5 though adult at all levels - see www.irishdancenm.org. |
| 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 (Feb 17-21, 2011 will be the 9th annual!!). www.nahalatshalom.org; click on ""Klezmer music/dance" |
| 5:00 PM | Rueda de Casino: Cuban Circle Dance | Sarita Streng | "Casino Dance" is the way Cubans dance to salsa and timba music. "Rueda de Casino" or "Wheel of Casino" is dancing casino in a circle. The Rueda de Casino workshop will be taught by Sarita Streng. Sarita has travelled to Cuba seven times to study dance and has a M.A. in Dance from UCLA's World Arts and Cultures Department. Sarita also directs the Community Dance Program at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. |
Dance Building
Saturday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Scottish Country Dancing | 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 | Argentine Tango | The Tango Club of Albuquerque | A demonstration of Argentine tango with traditional music. Jenny DeBouzek will teach some initial steps to the audience and they will be invited to participate in this exciting and captivating dance. There are many opportunities to learn and dance Argentine Tango in Albuquerque. Check the Tango Club of Albuquerque's website at http://www.abqtango.org for information. |
| 1:00 PM | Belly Dancing | Joy Germack and Sadaqah | Beth Beaver and Sadaqah will play upbeat, fun mid-eastern music. Joy Germack will teach belly dance, a Tsifteteli (??????????, Tsifte-teli) style. This is a Greek traditional folk dance. (Turkish: chiftetelli). Gypsies and Greeks have adopted the upbeat folk rythmns into oriental dancing. Beth has been playing for almost twenty years. Joy danced for many years in many Greek clubs across the US and Canada. |
| 2:00 PM | Country Western Swing | Susan and Gary Kellogg | You'll be dancing swing by the end of class - no partners needed! Come practice your new steps at the Barn Dance Saturday evening at 7:30 in the dance tent. If you want to learn about fun dance activities in New Mexico as well learn how to dance just about any form of dance, please sign up to receive my free dance e-newsletter, Local DanceNews by replying to glkello@nmia.com or call 505-299-3737. Also contact me for information on the Albuquerque Swing & Country Dance Club activities (over 700 members), about the ongoing dance lessons offered at the Central Cabana every Wednesday, and classes offered through U.N.M. Continuing Education . We look forward to dancing with you soon! |
| 3:00 PM | Contra Dance | Wendy Graham with music by the Mullanys | 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. Wendy Graham (Durango, Colorado) discovered folk dance, music and song in 1991 during a dance exchange in Denmark. Now, the self-described "dance maniac" serves up delicious and nutritious dances for all with infectious enthusiasm and a smile. Wendy leads dance throughout the southwest, nationally and internationally. Both the young and young-at-heart enjoy her calling. Wendy is a Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) board member, and helps run a monthly contra dance and two dance weekends: FolkMADness (New Mexico) and Stellar Days & Nights (Colorado). Find out where in the world Wendy is or watch a hip-hop contra dance online at www.Folkmads.org/Wendy.html. |
| 4:00 PM | Square Dancing | Kris Jensen with music by the Virginia Creepers | Square dancing is a truly American folk dance that's evolved over the years to its current modern form. In this session, we'll learn dances that show how square dancing has changed over time, and you'll see a demo of the exciting modern dance where the dancers never know what will come next. You won't need any experience to try a little do-si-do; everyone's welcome. Kris Jensen calls both modern and traditional squares locally and around the country. For more information on modern square dancing in Albuquerque, check the Albuquerque Square Dance Center's website at www.asdc.org. |
| 5:00 PM | African Dance | Nara Shedd | Vibrant live drumming complements this up-beat, invigorating and rhythmic dance workshop. Get ready to smile, and sweat! Lift your spirits as you lift your feet! Come be inspired to move with your whole body and whole heart! We dance together to build community and to honor each other! The African Dance Workshop will be taught by Nara Shedd. Nara has danced various African Dance styles for thirteen years; she has studied for nine years with Rujeko Dumbutshena of Zimbabwe, and for the past four years with Abdulrahman Laryea Addy of Ghana. She assists African Dance I and II at UNM, and offers workshops in African Dance, Brain Dance, Qi Gong, and BodyTelling Movement in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Nara welcomes all dancers, of all ages, all abilities, and all experience levels. This workshop focuses on beginner level dancers. We will do a brief warm-up, and then learn several individual moves, building to a short sequence. We will also learn to change moves in response to a special ""call"" or ""break"" from the drummers. We usually dance barefoot to these rhythms, so no special shoes are needed. For more info on Nara's movement workshops, visit www.bodytellingstudios.abmp.com. We look forward to smiling and dancing with you!!! |
Evening dancing for everybody
Friday Night 7-10 pm
Without Borders Dance in the Dance Tent with music by local favorites Bayou Seco. There will be teaching starting at 7 pm.
and
Greek Dance Party with music and teaching by Aegean Sounds in the Dance Building. Aegean Sounds plays a blend of traditional Greek folk music and more modern taverna music, featuring the bouzouki, with keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, clarinet and vocals. Teaching starts at 7 pm.
Saturday Night
Variety Barn Dance "under the stars" in the Dance Tent, 7:30-11 p.m., sponsored in part by Albuquerque Swing & Country Dance Club. Music by Bill Hearne's Roadhouse Review, featuring Bill Hearne, Bob Goldstein, Lance Quadri, and Auge Hays.
and
NM FolkMADS Contra Dance in the Dance Building. Music by the Albuquerque Megaband and calling by Enid Cocke. Beginners instruction at 7:00 PM, dance from 7:30 - 10:30 p.m.