November 2012–January 2013 Volume 32, Issue 4 News www.tifd.org

Inside this Issue: Texas Camp Is Almost Here!

The deadline for Texas Camp registration is November 8. Come and In Memory of Jo Soto 2 learn Bulgarian dances from Yuliyan Yordanov! See our traditional floor TIFD Board of Directors 2 in a new location! Shop at the Balkan Bazaar! Wear interesting costumes Next Board Meeting 2 for the parties (Thursday: Time Machine; Friday; Bulgaria’s neighbors; Saturday: Bulgaria)! Meet interesting people and dance with them! Calendar of Events 3 Travel Opportunities 3 News from Local Groups 4 Houston IFD 4 Tulsa IFD 4 Oklahoma City IFD 4 Austin IFD 5 Jonče Hristovski 6 Statements from TIFD Board Candidates 7 Jan Bloom (Houston) 7 Misi Tsurikov (Austin) 7 Zorba’s Dance 7 62 Years of Folk Dancing 8 World Cultural Dance Site 8

TIFD Board Elections Are Coming TIFD has a nine-member Board of Trustees. Board members serve a three- year term, with three members elected each year. The Board normally meets four times a year to oversee TIFD operations including Texas Camp, publications, finances, and promoting folk dancing in Texas and surrounding states. Board elections are either held at Texas Camp or in December. At present, we have two candidates, Misi Tsurikov and Jan Bloom, for the three open positions on the Board. Statements from Misi and Jan are on page 7. If you have an interest in running for the Board, please email [email protected]. Page 2 November 2012–January 2013 TIFD News

In Memory of Jo Soto Deadline for the next By Lissa Bengtson, Acting TIFD President issue of TIFD News is January 18 The Board of Texas International Folk Dancers is profoundly saddened by the death of TIFD Board President Jo Soto on October 12, 2012. The TIFD Quarterly Newsletter Jo was dedicated to folk dancing and did all she could to improve is published on the first of the it and make it fun for everyone. Relentless and untiring, Jo gave her time month, in February, May, August, and talents freely and generously. She got things done, and we will miss and November; the eLetter is her drive, determination and thoughtfulness. sent on the first of the remaining At this point as Vice-President of TIFD I'll take on any of the months. Send news to editor@ duties of President until new board officers are chosen during the first tifd.org. Articles received after the board meeting of 2013. Shortly, per the by-laws, I will be appointing a deadline may be postponed until board member to fill the empty board position. the next issue or the next eLetter. TIFD business will continue, but it will never be the same Deadline for the December eLetter without Jo. is November 24. Jo Soto (left) and Wende Waters at Texas Camp 2010 TIFD News is published four times a year for the members of Texas International Folk Dancers, a non- profit educational organization. Submissions for publication are welcome, yet subject to editing. All opinions expressed are those of the author exclusively. Material herein may be reproduced with the editor’s permission.

CALENDAR LISTINGS: Send email to [email protected] and [email protected].

TIFD Board of Directors ADDRESS CHANGES: For newsletter mailing list or TIFD Lissa Bengtson, Vice President Member Directory, contact TIFD, and Acting President [email protected] PO Box 4516, Austin, TX 78765, Jan Bloom [email protected] Attention: Chuck Roth, 512-453- Bruce Bostwick [email protected] 8936, [email protected]. Terri Chadwick [email protected] Emily Clement [email protected] SOUTHWEST FOLK DANCE Anne-Louise Schaffer [email protected] DIRECTORY: Contact board@tifd Sara Talbot [email protected] org if you want to take on this Kathleen Yoder [email protected] project.

Ex-Officio GENERAL CONTRIBUTIONS: TIFD Secretary: Misi Tsurikov [email protected] Email [email protected] or mail to TIFD Treasurer: Georgia Horn [email protected] TIFD News, PO Box 4516, Austin, Membership Chair: Chuck Roth [email protected] TX 78765. Texas Camp Co-Chairs: Georgia Horn & Bruce Bostwick TIFD News Editor: Jasmine Guha-Castle [email protected]

Next Board Meeting

The next TIFD Board meeting will be on November 22 at Texas Camp. If you have an item you would like the Board to consider or if you would like to attend, please contact [email protected]. Page 3 November 2012–January 2013 TIFD News

Calendar of Events Travel Opportunities

November 2-11, New Braunfels, TX, Wurstfest. 52nd Jim Gold annual celebration, featuring Alpine and Bavarian food, May 7-12, 2013, Amsterdam, led by Jim Gold and music, dance, etc. www.wurstfest.com Tineke van Geel May 12-23, 2013, Armenia, led by Jim Gold and Tineke November 10, Special Workshop and Dance Party. Ira van Geel Weisburd teaching Israeli and Latin line dances 3.30- June 9-24, 2013, Poland, led by Richard Schmidt 6pm. Payson Park Congregational Church, Belmont, June 15-25, 2013, Norway, led by Lee Otterholt MA. www.facone.org July 28-August 11, 2013, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Greece, led by Jim Gold November 9-14, Interfolk In Russia, St Petersburg, July 31-August 11, 2013, led by Adam Molnár Russia. Folklore ensembles and dance groups are invited October 7-21, 2013, Northern Greece, led by Jim Gold to participate. http://interfestplus.ru and Lee Otterholt, with an optional four-day Greek cruise extension November 16-18, Lawrence, KS, Pilgrim’s Progression www.jimgold.com contra dance weekend. Susan Kevra calling to music by The Groovemongers. www.lawrencebarndance.org George Marshall January 29-February 5, 2013, St. Croix, USVI, November 17, Kabilé Bulgarian Wedding Band Concert English country dancing, Scott Higgs and Joanna Reiner and Dance Party. 8:00-11:00pm. Payson Park Church in calling to music by Bare Necessities Belmont, MA. www.facone.org February 6-13, 2013, St. Croix, USVI, square dancing, George Marshall and Lisa Greenleaf calling to music by November 22-25, Bruceville, TX, 65th Texas Camp. Wild Asparagus Yuliyan Yordanov teaching. www.tifd.org March 9-16, 2013, Hawaii, contra dancing, George Marshall and Shawn Brenneman calling to music by December 1, Austin, TX, Chuck Roth’s 80th Birthday Wild Asparagus Celebration! Come enjoy a free night of folk and contra www.tropicaldancevacation.com dancing, with music provided by the Home Grown Contra Band. More details forthcoming. Mel Mann September 3-19, 2013, India’s Golden Triangle and December 28-31, Fiddler’s Dream Music and Dance Camp Hooghly River, dancing led by TBD at Cross Point Methodist Camp on Lake Texoma. www. www.folkdanceonthewater.org nttds.org

December 29, 2012 - Jan 1, 2013, Josefstal-Schliersee, Yves and France Moreau Germany, Israelisches Tanzhaus 6th Sheleg (Israeli March 4-15, 2013 Cruise the Caribbean and Central Dance Camp for Beginners). www.israeltanz.de/pagee36. America - guest teachers Cristian Florescu and Sonia html Dion - Romanian dances. www.folkdancecruise.com June 15-26, 2013 Cruise Italy and Croatia - guest February 8-10, Houston, TX, Bayou Bedlam. teacher Zeljko Jergan - Croatian dances) www. Adina Gordon calling to music by Crowfoot. www. folkdancecruise.com bayoubedlam.org

February 15-18, Florida’s Presidents Day Weekend Workshop, Holiday Inn Main Gate East, Kissimmee, Florida. Ercument Kilic (Turkish); Miroslav Bata Marcetic (Serbian). www.folkdance.org

March 8-10, Dallas, TX, Set for Spring English Country Dance Weekend. www.nttds.org/setspring13/home.html

March 15-17, San Antonio Folk Dance Festival featuring Sonia Dion and Cristian Florescu (Romanian dances), Jose Padron (Mexican Dances), and Joseph Pimentel (English country dances). www.safdf.org Page 4 November 2012–January 2013 TIFD News

News from Local Groups

Houston IFD Rice University students attended two Monday Night Folkdance sessions as part of a university-sponsored outings effort. There is a very positive article about us in the Rice Thresher Newspaper: http://www.ricethresher. org/embrace-your-inner-folk-dancer-1.2895409

Tulsa IFD By Mary Jo Watkins Tulsa IFD hosted a going- away party on July 27 for long-time members Sally & Alan Jenkins, who moved from Oklahoma to Oregon. Both were very active members of Tulsa IFD (Alan had been our Treasurer and Sally our Teaching Director) and will be greatly missed. Dancers from Tulsa, Bartlesville, and Arkansas attended the party to express their appreciation and bid fond Above and left: Tulsa IFD Photos farewell to the couple. The club presented them with Below: OKC IFD Dining Out Ethnically a custom photo book capturing over a dozen years of an area restaurant, Dong-A. The menu included many dancing memories with the Tulsa IFD. unpronounceable but delicious dishes, such as Jogi Gui and Gopchang Jun Gol. One our dancers, Youngtae Shin, is the faculty sponsor for the Korean students organization at UCO. She made things go smoothly. On May 5th, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo at a charming, little, Mexican restaurant, Diegos. The

Although the departure of Sally & Alan left a hole in our group, the remaining members have been working to carry on without them. We performed at the Tulsa Free Fair in July and the Tulsa Nursing Home in September. Although our group is smaller now than in previous years, we still have a fun time dancing each week, with quarterly birthday parties and occasional performances for community events and organizations.

Oklahoma City IFD By Beverly Rapp Our dancers continued the tradition of Dining Out Ethnically this year. In February, we dined Korean at Page 5 November 2012–January 2013 TIFD News evening was particularly memorable, because we also Austin IFD celebrated the engagement of two of our folk dancers. Submitted by Iola Hallock Gordon Beard and Karen Khoury. The Austin International Folk Dancers’ (AIFD) Sept 29, At the close of September, dancers dined Italian 2011 Open House Event was an unprecedented success! at Romanos Macaroni Grill. Tapas, pasta and everything Approximately 90 people braved a rainy Saturday tomato, contributed to make the evening a great night to celebrate live music and folk dance. Their success. These dining out adventures offer our group the commitment to a good time was truly PHENOMENAL! opportunity to have a relaxed evening and to socialize. The bands, Slavidillo, Annoying Instrument On May 7, Sally Jenkins of Bartlesville, Ok, Orchestra (AIO) and Kolorash, offered a special teaching session to our group. Sally and obviously worked hard on new her husband Alan moved to Oregon this past summer. material especially for this In June, one of our folk performance. Highlights of the dancers, Lana Henson, married evening included dance walk- her long time companion, throughs led by Bill Ogilvie, Carol Semter Genevieve Kent, and Kathleen We lost two of our McDonagh, a performance of dance friends this year. Belo Lice complete with singing Wesley Brown of Tulsa, is by 5 year old Charlotte Revesz, best known in his role as a a new contra dance by AIO, and caller for Contra. However, a special 4 minute Mezosegi by Wesley began as a folk dancer Kolorash. in the early 1990’s. Wes was It was the magical, the unfortunate victim of a amazing and magnificent Genevieve Kent who made random shooting in July. this event a reality for AIFD. Genevieve’s enthusiasm, Phil Washburn, who initiative, creativity and experience with writing grants and planning events breathed life into the annual AIFD Open House Party. When the AIFD Board originally asked Genevieve if she would consider writing the grant, they were looking for another event to maintain and gather steam from the, oh so successful, 50th Anniversary party earlier this spring. Applying for a Live Music Grant through the Texas Music Office happened to be just the ticket. Genevieve worked tirelessly for 3 months ironing out the details of the grant with the musicians and the Texas Music Office. She coordinated all the bands and even designed a professional quality flyer for the event! Genevieve’s enthusiasm was inspirational for the AIFD Board who were put to work finding sponsors and distributing flyers. The AIFD Board of Directors would like to Sally Jenkins Tteaching at OKC IFD has contributed in so many ways to our folk dance group, died, on August 21, following a home accident. Phil is greatly missed and lovingly remembered. The OKCIFDs annually attend a dance camp at Cross Point Camp in Kingston, Ok. For the last two years, the dancers have decided to live within a budget and lower stress by having peer led dance sessions. This year’s Old Country Weekend will take place on November 2 - 4. Long time dancer and folk dance teacher, Joan Chambers, is hosting a trip to Romania in the spring of 2013. Details appear on our website www.okcifd.org. Slavadillo performing at AIFD Open House

Page 6 November 2012–January 2013 TIFD News thank the event sponsors including the Fiddler’s Green, Jonče Hristovski Sandro Cocco Violin Studio and Hyde Park Bar and By John Clement Grill. Through their generous support we were able to hire Dale Rempert as sound man for the bands. AIFD Makedonsko Devoj e is undoubtedly of the most Board also extends a hearty thank you to everyone who č popular Macedonian songs. When we were in Bulgaria came. It’s the people who put the “folk” in folk dance. we heard it so many times that one would think it were We know there are many other competing Saturday the national anthem. Most folk dancers think it is a night events to choose from in Austin. It was an honor traditional folk melody, but like many other familiar to share and build a well of enthusiasm for folk dancing with such an enthusiastic crowd. We look forward to dances it has a composer, Jonče Hristovski (Јонче seeing you all at dancing again soon! Христовски). Jonče was born in Bitola in Southern All AIFD Open House photos by Lisa Schneider Macedonia 1931 and died in Skopje 2000. He was an ardent Macedonian nationalist and it is claimed that Makedonsko Devojče was composed in 1964 as a nationalistic song. He recorded and sang it in his bass voice on the original 10-inch LP. This recording is no longer available either as a legitimate download or CD. But there are many videos on YouTube of him and it is possible to find a pirated edition of his recording. According to Wikpedia, “Jonče Hristovski was a Macedonian singer and composer of folk music. During his career he gained a special reputation among the people as a communicative person and wonderful singer. … Besides his solo career, he has been singing and performing with the CA Tanec and he has been director of one show produced by the national Macedonian Television. Jonče Hristovski suffered a terrible tragedy when his wife was amongst those killed in the catastrophic earthquake that struck Skopje in 1963. He was left to raise their two daughters Olgica and Nevenka.” There are many people who can tell you who the artists are when a popular song comes on radio, but most international folk dancers don’t know who the artist or composer is of their favorite dance. While many dances are traditional melodies, many are not. So the next time you hear Edno ime imame, or Makedonsko Devojče think of Jonče Hristovski who composed and made the original recordings of both of those dances.

Page 7 November 2012–January 2013 TIFD News

Statements from TIFD Board and societal climate, but everything starts with a wish. Candidates • TIFD is already doing a lot of things right. I’d like to help keep it that way. Jan Bloom (Houston) • The two biggest events sponsored by TIFD are Texas Camp and, more recently, San Antonio Folk Dance Festival. I plan to contribute actively Statement of qualifications to both, and strive to keep them alive and Since a teenager, my love for dance has led me to all healthy. There are many challenges that both kinds of dancing, including folk dancing. Starting with face, and I feel I now possess enough experience membership in HIFD in 1992, I served on that Board to help overcome them. and in various other volunteer capacities in Houston, • As heretical as it may seem, I do not believe in including newsletter, graphics and web design, and in recruitment of what we’ve called “young people” performing groups. I am also a member of Houston Area into IFD. Today’s societal and cultural forces Traditional Dance Society (HATDS), which sponsors increasingly push the college-age generation too the Houston contra and English Country dances. As for aggressively and comprehensively in a different TIFD, I have attended nineteen Texas Camps (2012 will direction from what’s needed for love of IFD. be my 20th!), and participated on TIFD Board for several Our groups’ consistent inability to recruit from years, serving one year as President. My husband John this generation confirms this. Instead, I believe and I have attended numerous dance camps and events in recruitment of the “preceding generation”— around the nation. people who are 10-20 years out of college, who have explored the World, stabilized their lives, Thoughts about TIFD goals and activities and have both the curiosity and the ability to As always, we should explore ways to acquire new and commit to IFD younger dancers while attempting to accommodate • Recruitment isn’t everything. TIFD also needs to our current middle-age-and-beyond members. Keeping serve its current active members. I hope that Texas Camp a high-quality and fun event is important, my work on the TIFD board would keep that as is sharing ideas among the individual groups perspective from fading. comprising TIFD.

Misi Tsurikov (Austin) Zorba’s Dance Jim and Lola Lucke, our loyal TIFD members in Finland, Statement of qualifications spotted this interesting unattributed tidbit in the January I joined the world of international folk dancing in 1998 1, 2012 issue of GEO Finland and forwarded it on to us to and cherish its beauty, wholesomeness, community, and enjoy. fun. To that end, I strive to contribute to this world as Popular Fallacy: Stolen from Hollywood much as I can, and humbly believe I’ve been successful. The appears to be as quintessentially Greek as My qualifications include the following: ouzo and democracy. But it is not. • Active participation in numerous folk-dancing Anthony Quinn was the perfect choice to play organizations in Texas and abroad (Austin: the title role in the 1964 film “Zorba the Greek”—except Csardas, AIFD, VIFD, Austin Scandinavian for one small problem: he couldn’t dance. So it was Dancers; Stuttgart: Hungarian-German Ensemble no surprise that he was unable to perform the famous Wernau, Stuttgart Turkish Folk Dance Ensemble) dance scene with the five-step , as originally • Previous TIFD board membership (6 years), plus planned. Even the traditional choros folk dance current position of ex-officio secretary was beyond him. • Previous AIFD board membership, including Choreographers, therefore, had to concoct a presidency in 2010-2011 unique, extremely simple step sequence, which they • Steering committee member of the San Antonio called the sirtaki, or “small syrtos,” set to the music Folk Dance Festival since 2010 of Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis. The sirtaki • Numerous volunteer positions at Texas Camp combines elements from a slow with those (video, survey, party programming, Roadhouse) from the quick-paced Serbian-inspired hasaposerviko. • A deep committed love of international folk The success of the sirtaki was so tremendous dancing in Texas and surrounding states, and that it has since become a part of Greek folklore—and the people that make it possible a dance that even tourists can do. But Quinn admitted that even so, the camera largely remained on his upper Thoughts about TIFD goals and activities half, as most of the time he wasn’t dancing at all! • I want TIFD to prosper and flourish for decades to come. This is very difficult to do in our cultural Page 8 November 2012–January 2013 TIFD News

62 Years of Folk Dancing by Chuck Roth

Folk dancing has been one of the major themes in my life. A brief summary of my folk dance experiences follows. I encountered my first folk dance at a church youth group in St. Paul, MN, when I was an engineering student at the University of Minnesota. During the warm weather, the U of M folk dancers danced on the patio outside the student union, and I often participated. During the summers, I also enjoyed the weekly square dances held on the union patio. I started buying dance records so I could practice and better learn some of the dances, and I occasionally would teach a folk dance for the church youth group. When I needed a partner to teach the Black Hawk Waltz, Kaye (now my wife) volunteered. When I was a graduate student at MIT, I danced with Marianne and Connie Taylor’s folk dance group in Cambridge, MA. Marianne was an excellent teacher and very knowledgeable of many different folk dance styles. Chuck and Kaye at Maine Folk Dance Camp 1959 One of the folk dancers in the group invited me to Ralph Page’s contra dance at the Boston YWCA, which years, I called one contra almost every Saturday at AIFD. was my introduction to contra dancing. A trip to New For the last 15 years, I have called a full evening of York gave me an opportunity to dance with Michael and contra dances for one of the Austin contra groups every Mary Ann Herman at their famous Folk Dance House in month. More recently, I have become one of the leaders lower Manhattan. of the Austin English Country Dancers. The year after Kaye and I married, we spent a I helped both AIFD and TIFD become more week at Maine Folk Dance Camp, where we had our formal organizations with bylaws and non‑profit, tax- first chance to learn dances from Dick Crum. When exempt status. I have had a leadership role in these we moved to California so that I could continue my organizations and served on both boards in the past. graduate studies at Stanford, we quickly got involved Folk dancing has changed my personality and with the Stanford International Folk Dancers. During my life. My love of dancing has motivated me to keep the summer, we helped lead folk dances outdoors on physically and mentally fit. Folk dancing has broadened a large parking lot, and we had about 200 dancers my interests in other countries and cultures and participating each week. We attended the Stockton Folk encouraged us to travel abroad. Kaye and I have danced Dance Camp while we were living in California. with the natives in several countries including Estonia, In 1961, I accepted a faculty position at the Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, Scotland, University of Texas, and one of the first things we did and Greece. I am grateful for all of the friends I have after moving to Austin was to dance with the Austin met through dancing and all of the opportunities the folk dance group, which was then meeting in the Texas dance communities have given me to learn and grow. Union on the UT campus. That Thanksgiving, Kaye and On December 1, you are all invited to come I attended our first Texas Camp at Bastrop State Park, and dance together with me at AIFD, where I will be where we learned German dances from Jane Farwell. celebrating my 80th birthday and 62 years of folk Since that time I have attended 48 Texas Camps. dancing. I made it a point to visit folk dance groups in many cities when I traveled to participate in engineering education meetings. World Cultural Dance Site For many years, I danced with AIFD almost This site showcases videos of folk dances from around every Saturday. In my younger days, I danced almost the world: every dance all evening. It is possible that I have put in more miles on the AIFD dance floor than anyone else http://www.fitforafeast.com/dance_cultural.htm who currently attends. As I have grown older, I dance for shorter periods of time and sit out some of the more strenuous dances. When I moved to Austin there was no contra dancing in Austin, so I learned to call contras and gradually started to call contras for AIFD. For many