May-June 2018 | President's Message Hi Everyone! So I promised to tell you who the teachers are Inside This Newsletter for next year – and this is the moment. This is going to be a 1 great weekend – with three – count them – three teachers. President's Message...................... First is AHMET LULECI, whom, if you’ve not heard of him, Ahmet Luleci Bio........................... 2 you are very new to the folk dance world. We had him in Evren Soytopcu Kiyak Bio.............. 3 1995 (a loonnngg time ago), loved him then, and I know we’ll Vlasto Petkovski Bio...................... 3 love him even more. He’s still gorgeous (that doesn’t hurt) and continues to impress people around the world with his dances and teaching. Flagler Fling................................... 4 But to add to that we’re also bringing his dance partner/teacher, EVREN SCA Oplenac, Premiere Folk SOYTOPCU KIYAK (no, I can’t pronounce it) who is gaining her own Dance Concert, A Serbian 5 excellent reputation in the world of Turkish dance. She specializes in Story.............................................. women’s dances, spoon dances, roman dances, and together they are English Country Dance Atlanta - Fandango 2018.............................. 5 unstoppable. Sarasota Grapeviners.................... 6 BUT WAIT – THERE’S MORE! A third teacher will be coming to us from Macedonia – ok – he lives in Canada now, VLASTO PETKOVSKI, and he Gainesville Update........................ 7 is gaining his own good reputation – as an example – he wowed them at Our Dancers Keep Balkan by the Mainewoods Dance Camp. The following pages are vitas from all three – Beach Going Strong...................... 8 and if that doesn’t make you want the year go faster – I give up! Balkan By The Beach Goes To The Garden.......................................... 9 Brevard International Folk Dancers......................................... 9 OIFDC............................................ 10 Editor's Comments: At the moment, I can’t think of a thing to say. Oh. I Tampa Trivia.................................. 11 found the decorations box, it was much smaller than what I thought I was looking for. Makes me nervous when I do stuff like that. How It All Began............................ 11 National Folk Organization Annual 12 (I just had to put this in - after all - how often do you Conference 2018........................... get a compliment like this?) Some Tidbits From Jim Gold.......... 13 Remembering Joy Herndon.......... 14 WOW! What a spectacular issue. Thanks to you and Walk, Stretch, or Dance? Dancing Vicki for a phenomenal job. May Be Best for the Brain............. 14 Love, Doris Calendar........................................ 15 Folk Dance Tours........................... 17 Florida Folk Dance Council, Inc. 2019 Camp Instructor Bios AHMET LULECI Bio A native of Turkey, Ahmet is an From 1974 to 1985, he taught in several excellent accomplished choreographer, ensembles in Ankara, Istanbul, Eskisehir and Bursa. dance teacher and performer as For nearly five years prior to his departure for North well as a researcher of America in 1985, Ahmet also served as Director of Anatolian culture. He is currently Dances for Hoytur, long considered Turkey's leading the artistic director of the Boston folkdance association. Since the age of eight he has based Collage Dance danced with numerous school ensembles and Ensemble, which allows him to private associations, many of which won outstanding further his goal of making folk dance and music awards in city-wide and national-international accessible to a wider audience. competitions. Between 1973 and 2003 he He is the winner of Crash Art's "Dance Straight Up! participated in international dance festivals and 2004 and 2006", "Ten's the limit 2005" and Boston competitions throughout western and eastern Dance Umbrella's "Boston Moves 2001" awards for Europe. In addition, he and his ensembles appeared in more than 60 programs broadcast nationally in choreography. His choreography set for Budlet countries such as Turkey, France, Denmark, the dance company won the Gold medal at "Hong Kong Netherlands, USA, Canada, Brazil and Germany. Open Dance Competition 2004". He was also recently presented with the 2002 Award His college major was music, specializing in voice. for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts & Just as his love of folksongs guided him toward Humanities by ATAA (the Assembly of Turkish academic study of music, Ahmet's fascination with American Associations). His company, Collage, has dance led him to conduct scholarly research into the won the fifth place at the world dance competition in historical, social and cultural background of the year 2003. costumes and spoon dances from Turkey's Since arriving in North America in 1985, he has Mediterranean coast. His efforts resulted in an taught many workshops and camps throughout the exhaustive 400 page study for which he was awarded First Place in the 1985 national competition United States as well as Canada, Japan, Taiwan, in research on the Folkdances of Turkey by the Hong Kong, Holland, England, Switzerland, Brazil, Turkish Ministry of Argentina, Germany, Norway, Italy, Spain and Youth, Sports, and Education. In Australia. He has set innumerable suites of dances 1997 Ahmet completed a second degree in Fine for the stage working with dance organizations Arts. around the world. He is an adjudicator at the Llangollen International Some of the notable performing ensembles with Musical Eisteddfod held yearly in Wales. whom he has worked include Aman of Los He is currently the Artistic Director of Collage Dance Angeles, BYU dancers of Provo, Budlet of Hong Ensemble and served as an International Art Director Kong, Les Sortileges of Montreal, and Vinok of of "Outside the Box" International Arts Festival in Edmonton. In his native Turkey, he choreographed 2015, which took place in Boston. for Hoytur and Turhoy of Ankara, Anadolu Universitesi of Eskisehir. In 1991 Ahmet joined the Artistic Staff of Aman as resident choreographer. Page 2 Florida Folk Dance Council, Inc. EVREN SOYTOPCU KIYAK Bio Evren started dancing in Ahmet Luleci, Mustafa Erdogan, and Oktay elementary school in Ankara, Keresteci. where her group won the first prize In 2007 Evren completed a “master teacher” diploma in a national folk dance program, which was organized by the Turkish competition. As a teenager she ministry of education. Since then she has been joined Hoytur, the national and teaching dance in schools and also private international champion folk dance workshops in Turkey and around the world. She has company based in Ankara, and taught in Turkey, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Germany, danced with them for ten years. Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Brazil, Japan, Evren then joined the professional dance Macedonia, Greece and in USA at company "Sultans of the Dance" which later international dance workshops. became “The Fire of Anatolia” in Istanbul, and In 2014, Evren has served as an adjudicator at danced with them from 1999 to 2005. She has the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod held traveled around the world with s everal different yearly in Wales, UK. dance projects as a dancer and soloist. She has learned from and worked with many known choreographers in Turkey such as Nesrin Topkapi, VLASTO PETKOVSKI Bio Vlasto was born on July 29th, generations of children. However, he could not have 1957 in Romanovce, accomplished all that he has without the loving Kumanovo, R. Macedonia. His support of his wife, Karolina, through all of the love of folklore sparked early in endeavours. He passed on his love of sharing the his childhood and in 1970 he rich Macedonian folklore to his children, Emilija and became a member of the folk Marjan, who were one of the top-performing dancers dance group “Cvetan Dimov” in in the folk dance group “Ilinden” in Mississauga. Skopje. As a high-school Vlasto also shared his love of Macedonian folklore to student, he transferred to the academic folk dance the young children of St. Bogorodica Macedonian group “Mirce Acev” where he was a member for four Orthodox Church in Cambridge, OM as well as years. In 1977, Vlasto auditioned for the national managing the newly-formed group “Tanec” from St. ensemble of folk dances and songs, Tanec, and was Nedela Macedonian Orthodox Church in Ajax, OM, hired to work as a folk dancer and singer. In 1986- for one year. From October, 2012 until May, 2016 he 1987 Vlasto also worked as the choreographer of the managed the folk dance group “Vezilka” from St. folk dance group “Grigor Prlicev” in Skopje. Vlasto Nedela Macedonian Orthodox Church in Ajax, ON. worked in Tanec until 1995, building a wealth of As of November, 2014, Vlasto manages the adult experience in presenting the Macedonian folklore folk dance group “Zdravec” from St. Dimitrija and culture. Solunski Macedonian Orthodox Church in Markham, oined the In 1995, Vlasto, together with his family, emigrated to ON. In November, 2014, Vlasto j international dance groups for adults in Hamilton, Canada. As soon as May 1996, he restarted the ON, managed by Stefanija M., and Toronto, ON, Macedonian folk dance group “Ilinden” of St. Ilija managed by Olga Sandolovich. Last year in August, Macedonian Orthodox Church in Mississauga, ON. 2017 Vlasto taught Macedonian folk dances at Vlasto has tirelessly contributed his time and energy Mainewoods International Folk Dance Camp in in presenting the rich Macedonian folklore to younger Fryeburg, Maine, USA. Page 3 Florida Folk Dance Council, Inc. Special Events Flagler Fling Announced The 16th of June is fine for the Flagler Fling. 11:30 am to 5 pm or thereabouts. And of course stay over for beach walking, games, DANCE and going out for Sunday lunch and a swim at Jan’s. AT THE Page 4 Florida Folk Dance Council, Inc. SCA Oplenac, Premiere Folk Dance Concert, A Serbian Story Aventura Arts And Cultural Center June 9 at 6 pm $30 http://www.culturalsquare.org/102.html SCA Oplenac (from Toronto, CA) is the best folk dance performing team ever assembled outside of Serbian proper.