October 2005

PREZ SEZ
by Terry Abrahams <terry.abrahams@verizon.net>

Hello everyone! What a great treat to see everyone at the Fall Fling. A different building, but a great floor, and our hosts were their usual great selves. Everyone outdid themselves on delicious food, only to be topped by the good dancing! I had to leave early to teach Israeli at a Bar Mitzvah, but my hours there were plentiful and wonderful.

Camp business: Between my travels, fencing, dancing and a family crisis, I have tied down Miroslav Marcetic as one of the teachers. He lives in Canada now, but is Serbian and, of course, teaches Serbian dances. The second teacher is not for sure yet, so information on camp will continue to come in dribs and drabs. I have had one person offer to be on the committee to choose menus for camp, and am looking for others, or other, as the case may be. Pat, Bobby and I went to the camp on our way back from Ruthy and Dany’s Israeli camp in GA, and it still keeps us excited!

Speaking of that trip, I drove to P and B’s (no, not peanut butter, Pat and Bobby) on Wednesday, danced with their group who were celebrating a couple of birthdays, we started on Thursday for Atlanta, danced with the International Group that night; I was hosted by Susan Stone, P & B by David Digby. Friday we stopped at the Atlanta vegetable market for Ruthy, and then helped organized treats for the camp when we arrived in the afternoon. They were at a new location and it was fabulous! They are going to keep that spot for next year too. Dany picked his usual good dances, he taught, Ruthy taught, Meliss taught, two kids from G’ville taught – and not a bad dance between ‘em! On our way back to Orlando (Monday nite), we stopped at the Israeli dance to see someone (who was it?) who was back for a visit, danced some more! I left Tuesday a.m. to make sure I was back for our dancing on Tues. nite. Now that’s a great dancing trip!

Th th th that’s all for this time! In the meantime – A Mayim is a terrible thing to waste! So long - Terry

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REFLECTIONS ON DANCE

by Dan Lampert [dan@webuniv.com]

Since I started editing this newsletter, which was in March 2003, I’ve asked the recurring question “Why dance?” And over time, I’ve found many good reasons, including “it’s fun”, “it’s good exercise”, and “it’s socially stimulating.” There were many reasons that I stumbled upon, here and there. Sometimes, I found new ideas by directly questioning fellow dancers. However, after a while, I hit a plateau. I wondered if I had exhausted the cosmic list of possible reasons… I wondered where I might find more reasons. Well, the answer was right under my nose.

In August 2005, I was invited by my friend John (who loves swing dancing) to go to a dance event in Tampa. It seemed like a lot of driving, so we resolved to carpool. Once there, I found a large swing dance community, with several lessons per week and a large social dance every Sunday night. When I say “large”, I mean the Sunday social dance attracts 200-300 people!! To get to the point, I met many new people and one of them was a “thinker”. His name is Vinnie, he loves swing dance, and I found myself accidentally sitting near him at the end of a 4-hour dance event. We were both exhausted. There was no chance of further dancing, since the event was winding down, so I floated an idea. I asked him “Why is dancing so great?” He expounded two reasons right away… and both were new to me! I jotted them down immediately…

(1) Dancing builds self-confidence, which helps the individual find success in all areas of life.

(2) Dancing is an interactive learning activity for the mind. Like toddlers, who crave interaction with their environment, we adults can continue to develop our skills for interaction.

So, there it was. Right under my nose. I only needed to meet new people. I know, I’ve been talking about swing dancing, and this is a folk dancing newsletter. However, new ideas about dancing were only a handshake away. With new conversations, I was learning new things, and the “cosmic list” expanded in my mind. If your dancing / exploration brings you in contact with other explanations for “Why Dance?”, please let me know. Write to Dan Lampert in Altamonte Springs, Florida 32715-1719 (you don’t need the box number, they know me well here). You can also send an email to

[dan@webuniv.com].

Aug. 28, 2005, a Sunday evening at Zendah Grotto Dance Hall, Tampa, FL

To learn about swing dance in Tampa, go to www.swingang.com

UPCOMING DANCE EVENTS

October

8, Saturday: Oktoberfest, German-American Club in Casselberry (Orlando area)

8, 9, Saturday, Sunday: Greek Festival, St. Augustine

14-16, Friday-Sunday: Greek Festival, Maitland (Orlando area)

29, Saturday: Greek Festival, Lecanto

November

11-13, Friday-Sunday: Greek Festival, Daytona Beach

February 2006

3,4, Friday, Saturday: Greek Festival, Ocala

17-20, Friday-Monday: FFDC Florida Camp, Camp Crystal Lake, Keystone Heights

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2005 KOLO FESTIVAL

By Kay James

We received a press release of an event in San Francisco this November. One of our teachers is there: Ahmet Lüleçi. The press release was sent in by Gary Anderson, publicity committee, email: editor@letsdancemag.net phone: 415-488-9197.

54th Annual Kolo Festival Comes to San Francisco

Dance away those Thanksgiving pounds in San Francisco, Friday and Saturday, November 25 and 26, at the Russian Center, 2450 Sutter Street, San Francisco. Classes will start at 9:30 each morning.

This year’s Kolo Festival will feature three singing teachers: Juliana Graffagna teaching an overview class both days, Michele Simon teaching a care and feeding of the Balkan voice class and Rajna Ledoux teaching Croatian singing. There will also be instrument instruction in melody and percussion by teachers still to be announced.

The dance teachers are: Ahmet Lüleçi, Turkish; Erik Bendix, Macedonian and Bulgarian; Marko Vukadinovic, Serbian and Jerry Duke and Bob and Sharon Gardner, Northern Greece.

There will be live music each evening, featuring  Anoush, Bebelekovi, Zabava, Zaedno and others. And a concert will be presented at 6:30 pm Saturday, followed by more dancing to live music.

And a feature that has been brought back this year is the opportunity to practice the dances being taught in the studio Saturday night after the concert. 

For more information and registration, please see our web site:

www.balkantunes.org/kolofestival or call 1-800-730-5615 or email Jerry Duke at jcduke@sfsu.edu

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A QUICK REPORT ON MAINEWOODS FOLK DANCE CAMP, Summer 2005

Sylvia Gruber SylviaRoslyn@aol.com
 
 The atmosphere is warm and gemutllch. Sandy Starkman and her helper elves do a good job keeping things moving along. There is a wood floor. The food is nourishing, satisfying and tasty. Informality reigns. There is lots and lots and lots of dancing. Sandy has promised that by next year, there will be real beds in all of the cabins. Unless you are a male person, between the ages of 7 and 14, do not, I repeat, DO NOT attempt to sleep on the skinny body cots that were mostly available this year. Only male persons of those ages, having run around like lunatics in the fresh air all day could sleep on those things.
 This year, my Mainewoods adventure was also a musical one. I played the tambourine in the pick up orchestra. Although I play no musical instrument whatever, I have always yearned to play in an ensemble. You don't have to read notes for that. Anyway, that tambourine was the closest I've ever gotten to realizing that ambition. Unfortunately, there's not much call for tambourines in the Philharmonic. 

MEMORIES OF HAL SCHMETTERLING, 1930-2005

(an interview of Anita Schmetterling by Jan Lathi)

Hal was born in New York City on October 26, 1930, to immigrant parents: Bela (Czechoslovakia), and Charles (Poland). During school age, he moved with his family to Brooklyn.

He was 16-17 years old when he met through folk dancing Rose Zimmerman (who choreographed Blue Tango). Hal danced with her, and also the Hermans, Murray Sherman, David Hahn, Irving Caesar, and Dick Crouse.

Hal was quite active in square dancing; he actually called dances.

He attended Brooklyn College, where his original major was in geology. However, he degreed in education. He taught elementary school (4-6 grades) for 32 years in the Plain Edge School District and on the Lower East Side in New York City.

Hal married Anita in 1953 in December. They had three children: Steven (deceased), Andrew, and Lisa. Steven’s death from a blood disorder at the age of 7 was a great loss to the family. Although they were separated about 10 years ago, they were married for 41 years. They were good friends throughout all these years up until Hal’s death.

After retirement, Hal wanted to live in Florida where they moved in 1990. His passions were fishing, dancing, gardening (especially orchids), and some travel. He was a member of the Audobahn Society, the Palm Coast Orchid Society, and the Florida Folk Dance Council.

He was an avid reader – especially liked Clyde Custler and James Michener and, of course, fishing magazines.

Hal loved all things to do with nature. He learned to play guitar in his teens and played many folk songs. He lovingly shared his talents with a multitude of friends, students, and family, more often than not, touching their lives in meaningful unforgettable ways.

Hal Schmetterling (which means butterfly) was well known for flitting from one activity to the next, and one neighbor to the next. He was a people person and couldn’t do enough for his friends and acquaintances.

His favorite dances included Jarabe Tapatillo, Zillertaller Landler, Polish Polka, Contra Dances, Krakowiak, Kujowiak, Alexandrovski, Israeli Mazurka, Veleta, and Svend’s Hambo. Perhaps when you next execute one of these dances, you will remember the kind human being and lover of the dance who was Hal Schmetterling. Hal passed on to dance on another floor on March 16, 2005.

Hal’s ashes were brought up to Long Island this summer and were strewn at a favorite fishing spot of his.

The Butterfly (by Anita Schmetterling)

In his garden he grew

along with hydrangeas, orchids and lilies.

As he walked his path, he pruned, talked, and played

Music for them.

They honored him with their beautiful blooms.

While tending them, he grew in kindness, love,

Generosity and patience.

They took him from the caterpillar stage; slow

Moving and steadfast.

To a dormant time when he went deeply within himself.

Preparing to emerge in his own way, in his own time:

A multi canvas of color and design

The Butterfly

He flittered from one garden to another, the gardens

Of his friends.

Offering cuttings from his plants.

Brazenly cutting back their shrubs.

But they bowed to his expertise

For they dearly loved the visits of “The Butterfly.”

FLAGLER BEACH

from Jan Lathi

amarjan@bestnetpc.com

We have been dancing all summer, even though some of our “snow birds” have flown north for a bit, but we have welcomed into our midst Arleen Kaufmann, who has a summer home in Flagler Beach.

I had an exciting trip up north this summer which included visiting relatives in New Jersey and Boston, a session at Mainewoods Dance Camp, a visit to Circle Lodge in Hopewell Springs, NY, to visit an old friend, Elizabeth Konviser, who teaches folk dance there every summer, and a trip back in time to Syracuse, NY, for my 50th high school class reunion. Would you believe that 2 weeks prior to the reunion, Solvay High School was torn down? On each table at the Saturday evening dinner, a golden brick from the school held down our celebratory balloons! I had lunch with Kay Demos, who comes to our camp, and who, incidentally, has purchased a home in Tarpon Springs, FL where she will live for the winter months. Barring health issues with her knee, she plans to return to Florida Camp. I also visited my old dance group, the Morristown Folk Dancers while in NJ. One of those dancers, Rhoda Roper, is a good high school friend of Fanny from the Melbourne group! Small world!

It was so good to see everyone who attended the latest “Fling”. The wooden floor surely makes a difference, as will the new camp floor. The Melbourne Mob were as gracious as ever and we four from Flagler Beach/Palm Coast enjoyed the day and the dancing. Thank you John and gang!

I have booked a brief cruise to Nassau on Feb. 14-19th and I am afraid that Camp will be the weekend I am away (I was counting on camp being the last weekend in February) so I may have to miss it (or most of it) this year. Nuts and bolts, anyway! I hope to get there for a day at least. I want to check out that wood floor!

We still dance on Thursday afternoons 2-4 and hope any of you would join us some time.

Oh, the NEWS in my life is that I have adopted Sami (Samantha), a lab/hound mix dog from the Humane Society. This poor dog had been mis-treated (Benzine poured on her and lit) and is quite severely scarred but we love each other and that is what counts. We are slowly learning much about each other and bonding is taking place in a big way. I am loving it!

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DANCING ON THE WATER
By Bobi Ashley

 With special folk dance events scheduled at every port, the cruise ship M/S Dalmacija carried Mel Mann's group of ninety folk dancers to seven lovely "Pearls of the Adriatic," June 11-18, 2005. Dance teacher and leader, Lee Otterholt, has led many "Dance on The Water" cruises. An international folk dance figure, Lee knows many dance leaders in Europe, and arranged special dance events at each port in addition to his own teaching.  
 The first pearl visited wad Korcula, a charming old town considered the birthplace of Marco Polo. One could visit the house where he was born, and climb a tower for a birds-eye view of the medieval town and the Adriatic Sea. Back at the ship, we learned Croatian partner dances taught by local performers.
 The next pearl, delightful Dubrovnik, offered the most spectacular performance of the trip. On an outdoor stage at the edge of the harbor, the "Lindjo Ensemble" of fifty performers gave a forty-five minute private show that will be long remembered. Later we were treated to a two-hour lesson, dancing with members of the Ensemble to live music. What more could a traveling folk dancer wish for?
 On the Greek Island of Corfu, we toured the Achillion Palace and a monastery. The palace, surrounded by elegant, colorful gardens dominated by a huge statue of Achilles, is the former summer residence of Austrian Empress Elisabeth. The monastery, situated on cliffs high above the beautiful beach village of Paleokhasastritsa, has spectacular views of the coast and the glistening turquoise Ionian Sea. In the evening, two couples performed traditional and contemporary Greek dances on the ship, and led us in line dances.
 The fourth pearl on our itinerary was Kotor, in Montenegro. According to our tour guide, it is located on "one of the 25 most beautiful bays in the world." Kotor was an interesting surprise with its protective four-kilometer long wall and battlements. Eight lovely ladies from the "Bernice" group came to our ship in the evening to sing and perform a dance done by wives of sea captains for many generations.
 The fifth pearl, Split, began 1700 years ago as a palace for Diocletian, last of the Roman Emperors to persecute Christians. Ironically, his mausoleum was turned into a cathedral; and his temple to Jupiter became a baptismal. It began to grow into a town in the seventh century, when inhabitants of the nearby town of Salona took refuge in the palace during the invasion of the Avars and Slave. Outside the palace walls is a large open-air market where a great variety of vibrant colors, pungent odors, and interesting interactions between buyers and sellers were there "Jedinstvo" taught a formation style dance from Split.
 The outstanding feature of Pula, our sixth pearl, is the coliseum. Smaller than the one in Rome, the people of Pula consider it to be more beautiful. Built in 1 AD, a local legend has it that the coliseum was built in honor of a beautiful slave girl. After our tour, some of us climbed to a hilltop tower with an excellent view of the whole area. That afternoon, on board, we had a Croatian dance performance and lesson with live music, by dancers from the fold dance ensemble "Cere." 
 The most beautiful pearl was saved for last-Venice. We took a water taxi tour of Venice by night that was magical. Cruising the Grand Canal we viewed palaces built over a period of five centuries. Lit up like a Christmas tree, the town was reflected in the busy waters where gondolas bobbed as water taxis sped by. St. Mark's Square was amazing with street artists, colorful shops, sidewalk cafes and live music in all places.
 Curious for some time about Mel Mann's cruises on the water, the trip was all I had hoped-and more. The group was a wonderful mix of folks from many places, some experiencing their first sailing with Mel, while others had as many as twelve trips with him. It was nice that we had most of the day at the ports-not just a couple hours. The best part of traveling by ship is that we only unpacked and packed once. That left a lot more time for dancing and sight seeing.
 For more information about yours, visit the Website: folkdanceonthewater.org

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GRAPEVINE INT'L FOLK DANCERS OF SARASOTA
by Marie Millett gvduurn@earthlink.net

We welcomed Andi Kapplan back from Vancouver on September 14 and she started her first night as our teacher  with 25 enthusiastic dancers.  A pretty good number for September.  As you can see by our picture, the newspaper gave us some great publicity.  We've had five new people out as a result.  They all came to see what was so interesting about my feet.

We're looking forward  to the retirement party for Ann Kessler on November 2 and welcoming Nancy Wilusz back from Minnesota.

From the Sarasota Herald Tribune on Sept. 5, 2005

This news caused 4 new people to attend the next meeting!

ORLANDO INT'L FOLK DANCE CLUB
By:  Pat Henderson, henderp@bellsouth.net

We resumed dancing on September 7 and danced every Wednesday in September for the first time in years. We usually get rained out at least once. We enjoyed our reunion and finding out what happened with each other over the summer. In medical news, Joy Herndon is responding to physical therapy on her knee and is not planning replacement surgery at this time. Juanita Schockey is planning on hip replacement surgery later this year so she can recover in time for camp. Many dancers traveled over the summer. Joe and Lucy Birkimeier spent time with family and vacationed in Washington D.C., the West Virginia mountains, Chicago and Buffalo. Phyllis Dammer and her husband enjoyed a trip to Copenhagen for 5 days and then a Baltic cruise to Estonia, St. Petersburg, Sweden and Finland. She danced with performers in Estonia and saw a dance performance in St. Peterburg. After that trip and being home a short time, they spent a week in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and rode a cog railway, the first in North America. Bobby and I traveled to the north Georgia mountains for an Israeli workshop with Dany Benshalom. Terry Abrahams rode with us and we stayed in Atlanta in time to dance with the Thursday night group. We enjoyed seeing David and Dorothy and the other Atlanta dancers. As I write this, Juanita Schockey and Ann Robinson along with their husbands are in Branson, Missouri. The group trip was organized by Ann and her husband, Danny Robinson, a well-known Orlando square dance caller. In October, the club is having two parties, the first will probably be history by the time your read this. Bobby is turning 60 on October 5 and we are celebrating during our regular dance session. Then, on October 26, we are having our annual Halloween party with international or Halloween costumes galore. We hope to have pictures in the next newsletter.