Published by the Folkdance Federation of California, South
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Published by the Folkdance Federation of California, South Volume 56, No. 10 December 2020/January 2021 Folk Dance Scene Committee Coordinator Jay Michtom [email protected] 818.368.1957 Calendar Fran Prevas [email protected] 310.921.2860 On the Scene [email protected] 818.368.1957 Club Directory Steve Himel [email protected] 949.646.7082 Dancers Speak Sandy Helperin [email protected] 310.391.7382 Proofreading Editor Jan Rayman [email protected] 818.790.8523 Carl Pilsecker [email protected] 562.865.0873 Design and Layout Editors Pat Cross, Don Krotser [email protected] 323.255.3809 Business Manager Gerda Ben-Zeev [email protected] 310.399.2321 Contributing Editor Elizabeth Wayland Barber Circulation Sandy Helperin [email protected] 310.391.7382 Subscriptions Gerda Ben-Zeev [email protected] 310.399.2321 Advertising Steve Himel [email protected] 949.646.7082 Jill and Jay Michtom Gerda Ben-Zeev Sandy Helperin 10824 Crebs Ave. 19 Village Park Way 4362 Coolidge Ave. Northridge, CA 91326 Santa Monica, CA 90405 Los Angeles, CA 90066 Folk Dance Scene Copyright 2020 by the Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc., of which this is the official publica- tion. All rights reserved. Folk Dance Scene is published ten times per year on a monthly basis except for com- bined issues in June/July and December/January. Folk Dance Scene is published to educate its readers concerning the folk dance, music, costumes, lore and culture of the peoples of the world. It is designed to inform them of the opportunities to experience folk dance and culture in Southern California and elsewhere. SUBMISSIONS: Information to be included in the Scene should reach the editor by the 10th of the month preceding publication. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for space considerations. Electronic submis- sion (including all photos) is required. Views expressed in Scene are solely the opinions of the authors. Neither Scene nor the Federation assumes responsibility for the accuracy of the information sent in. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Subscription orders and renewals should be addressed to Gerda Ben-Zeev. The subscrip- tion rate is $18 per year, USA , $20 for Canada or Mexico, all other foreign subscriptions available by email (pdf) only, $10 for pdf via email. Change of address or circulation problems should be addressed to Gerda Ben -Zeev; see table above. ADVERTISING: Ads must be consistent with the purposes of the magazine, accompanied by full payment, and either camera ready on bright white paper or in 300 dpi electronic format (TIF, JPG, or PDF). Ads that are not camera ready will be returned. Size (width x length) Federation Club Others Payment to: 1/4 page (3” x 3 1/2”) $10 $15 Folk Dance Scene 1/2 page (6” x 3 3/4” or 3” x 7 1/2”) $15 $25 121 101st Ave NE Full page (6” x 7 1/2”) $25 $40 Lake Stevens, WA 98258 On the cover: Richard Duree with Ruth Levin photo from the Conference of California Historical Societies Folk Dance Scene 2 Folk The Corner Dance Scene A WORD FROM THE PREZ Meet Ralph Van Volume 56, No. 10 Middlesworth, the December/January Narodni email list guru 2020/2021 par excellence. Ralph began sending out the Editors’ Corner biweekly announcement We have just lost a respected and talented friend, entitled “Celebration of so we feature him in the cover and choreogeography articles. His many articles in The Scene were always a the Season” 5 years ago pleasure to read, and the scope of his interests when folk dance admirable. Christmas, Hannukah In Federation Minutes check up on who is who, and New Year’s parties what’s happening with clubs during COVID, and about insurance. proliferated beyond the Find out what’s happening in The Calendar and On scope of the club the Scene. calendar. The newsletter evolved to include events, Hear from your fellow dancers in Poetry Corner and festivals even international tours, each with a link to Dancers Speak. the event flyer. Current announcement is of virtual Club Directory provides contact information as usual, in these unusual times. events and festivals. Go to the website to subscribe: Be of good cheer. http://narodni.callicomp.info/subscribe.html Pat Cross and Don Krotser Sending the newsletter is only one facet of Ralph’s service to Narodni. Thanks to Ralph all the chairs in Table of Contents the Bellflower Women’s Club are lined up in their The Corner ............................................... 3 precise rows and columns at the end of the evening. Richard Duree .......................................... 4 Must be a by-product of his science and engineering Choreogeography ..................................... 8 background! Ralph began dancing while a student Calendar ................................................ 10 at Harvey Mudd in 1965. His roommate invited him On the Scene ......................................... 12 to an evening with the Claremont Colleges Federation Minutes ................................. 14 Folkdancers in ramshackle Renwick Gym. The Poetry Corner ......................................... 16 roommate did not continue folk dancing, but Ralph Dancers Speak ....................................... 20 enjoyed the experience, and met his wife, Cheryl, at Club Directory ........................................ 22 the club. He vividly remembers performing for a Russian academic conference and attending an Federation South Officers institute with Andor Czompo. Hungarian dances remain among his favorites. Before Covid-19 closed President Diane Baker 949.675.2199 Narodni in March 2020 Sandy Wodicka taught Vice-President Leslie Halberg 661.296.0481 Korscardas with Ralph as her partner. Ralph Treasurer Mindy Belli 714.914.7713 photographs special events at Narodni and Secretary Camille Dull 818.389.4205 sometimes opens the studio and plays the tunes. Membership Mindy Belli 714.914.7713 When not dancing, he photographs flowers and Historian Wen-Li Chiang 626.500.5035 cherishes his adorable granddaughter. For information about dancing in the area, contact the The Corner continues on page 9 Federation at the Federation website: SoCalFolkdance.org 3 December 2020/January 2021 Richard Duree Rich Duree passed away last month. He was a Richard became very interested in learning theory strong asset to folk dancing in Southern California, and began to develop teaching skills by borrowing techniques from the many superb teachers he had and contributed to it in many ways. Below is a bio of encountered over the years. He came across an him, taken from the Federation Web-site, courtesy of article by Dr. Hugh Thurston of the University of Dick Oakes. British Columbia in which his discussion on Richard "Rich" Duree, "choreogeography" changed his view of folk dance who found folk dancing from that of simple recreation to an in-depth in Sacramento, examination of the relationships between ethnic California, in dance and the cultures that created them. The December, 1960, burning question became, "Why do people dance the actually became way they do?" He continued asking that question and "hooked" the following it led him to some very interesting places. March. He was new to In the following years, he became an internationally Sacramento, having known dance ethnologist, offering international just gone to work for dance classes in Appalachian Clog, Balkan, the Department of Ballroom, Czech, Early Californian, German, Justice, and a colleague invited him to go to a dance Hungarian, Old West, Ragtime, and Victorian dance. concert on Sunday afternoon at the Memorial He also had expertise in Beginning Instruction, Auditorium. They were late, and the first thing he saw Dance Ethnology and History, Dance Pedagogy, and when they entered was a performance of the Teacher Training. Ukrainian Hopak. It took his breath away, because Richard was the founder, artistic director, and he knew that these were not professional dancers business manager of the Dunaj International Dance and that he could do that, too! Ensemble, Inc., which he organized in 1976, based He'd been active in martial arts for many years and in Orange County, California. Dunaj's repertoire was very interested in human movement. That and included suites of Appalachian, Austrian, Bavarian, the music made him an instant convert. He joined the Czech, Early Californian, Hungarian, and Ragtime Dionysian Dancers and performed with them for a dances. Richard was noted for his realistic couple of years, then joined Bruce Mitchell's Camtia choreographic portrayals of traditional village dance. Folk Ensemble and danced with them for several He performed with Polskie Iskry Polish Dance years. He also studied with Wee Steuber, who still is Ensemble (Costa Mesa, Calif.), the Russian Folk one of the best teachers he ever worked with, Dance Group (San Francisco, Calif.), the Camtia because she instilled in him a sense of value in folk Bayerische Schuhplattlers (Sacramento, Calif.), and dance. the Dionysian Folk Ensemble (Sacramento, Calif.). In the late 1960s, he decided that he needed a Richard had been active in the activities of the Folk career change and was serious about dance by then. Dance Federation of California (South), including He enrolled in the Dance Program at San Francisco being chairperson of their Teacher Training State University with Anatol Joukowsky and studied Committee (1975, 1993, 2004). In addition to folk with him for two years, receiving his BA degree in and ethnic dance, Richard's other academic activities Dance in 1969. Three