Footnotes, December 2013, page 2

PRESIDENT’S REPORT kochari step, well-known by many Armenians: it consists of a leap on both feet, with LF diagonally Hello to all of you, and I hope you have forward to L and both knees bent (count 1), then enjoyed your dancing in 2013. We’ve had some a bounce, bounce on both heels (counts 2 &) wonderful workshops, and are looking forward to keeping knees straight (counts 2 &). We also did more in 2014. Over the summer, there are still a few strange body contortions, such as the “lame opportunities to both watch and participate in folk step”, where we had to move like spaghetti and dancing. There are festivals around all over the the “twist step”, where the toes move to the R, summer-keep a watch out for them in your area. then the heels. Sounds like fun? It was a hoot! Australia Day is a day when the various cultural groups are often asked to perform music and dance as part of the celebration of multicultural Australia. The end of the year is approaching rapidly, and happily, “Footnotes” will continue in its current format. We now have a firm offer to take over from Paul Clark, which means the newsletter will be produced in its current format – thanks Philippa. Help is at hand to ease you into any of the role within FDA if anyone would be interested in taking up a position at the next AGM. I would like to thank Paul for the enormous amount of During morning tea break, while we enjoyed a work he has done in keeping “Footnotes” going in cuppa and sustenance, this conscientious couple recent months, as well as being FDA Secretary didn’t pause for breath, but regaled us with AND Website Manager. anecdotes from their dance experiences in the Wishing you all a safe relaxed and happy Netherlands (they are old friends of Andre) and holiday season, and looking forward to more all over the world. We were amused to hear they dancing in 2014. had even taught Armenian dances to the Armenians, while learning from them as well! Cheers, A very masculine dance Komt Vrienden in het Ronden from the Netherlands was Maurits’ next

choice, which appealed to our outnumbered men Tineke and Maurits van Geel in at the workshop, but the women were also entranced by Maurits‘ movements, even if they Canberra 26/27 October 2013 couldn’t quite match his style!

How fortunate that we were able to attend at least part of this weekend workshop given by such a dynamic and experienced folk dance duo! Some thirty or so Canberra folk dancers fronted up bright and early at the FDC Hall, Hackett on Saturday morning to participate in a varied programme of intermediate level dances. Tineke began by teaching Denisa (woman’s name in Rumanian gypsy), a “feel good” dance, especially when done as individuals, rather than holding The morning ended on a feminine note, when hands with others. She certainly put a lot of Tineke took to the floor again to teach Nazeli Bar oomph into her “touch-steps” to try to get us to from Armenia (Nazeli is a woman’s name; bar loosen up! means “dance”). This dance had ARM Maurits then demonstrated and taught most MOVEMENTS, which many of us had been stylishly and with surprisingly neat footwork the expecting from past experience with Armenian Greek dance To Milo (meaning “the apple”), dances, involving windscreen wipers, full circle which was followed by Tineke’s Armenian dance arm movements and pendulum movements (tick Vaspourakani Kochari (from the Vaspourakan tock!). region, now in Turkey). This dance involved the

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