PREZ SEZ

by Terry Abrahams terry.abrahams@verizon.net

Now I’m excited! Camp teachers are finalized, the check is off to the camp, the cook has been contacted – and we will have a WOOD FLOOR! I know I said this before, but I wanted to say it again. Look at the enclosed flyer for our teachers’ names, at another spot for their resumes. Both Richard (Polish) and Miroslav (Serbian) are excited about coming, have met each other in Canada (both from Canada – only by chance) and are preparing syllabi as we speak.

Speaking of syllabi – other camps that I have attended recently are not printing syllabi. Many people do not look at them – ever – and many others that teach are using DVDs or Videos as teaching tools and don’t really need the syllabi. So I’m following that experience and will be sending syllabi via email to all participants so you can print them if you want, and for those who still want a hard copy, you must mark that on your registration form. To print one for every person, to compile, staple, etc. etc. cost around $400 last year. This will be a big savings for us.

Speaking of big savings, (note my clever segues) we will be charging LESS for camp this year than last year. The change of camps and cooks (and syllabi) have helped this process. I’m not going to stint on the food though, so don’t worry. I’m working on a salad bar for every meal, as well as healthy choices. Meals could even be ethnic. If any of you have favorite international cookbooks and would like to contribute Polish or Serbian dishes – please do so – but don’t take too long! I want to get started soon.

Speaking of soon – it’s not too soon for you guys to sign up to help. If you have someone that needs a scholarship – now’s the time. Write to me (or email) and let me know who is worthy, and why. It should be a full time participant. Scholarship people are required to help in some way, but whatever the chore, it will not interfere with the dancing. I need three clubs to do snacks on Fri, Sat and Sun, Sat and Sun should be ethnic to match one of the teachers, Friday can be anything you want. You can be reimbursed for your products. I heard via the grapevine that Gainesville will do one night – please verify G’ville!

That should do it for this month. Next month will have the registration form. In the meantime – Folk dancing is a turn for the better ~ Terry

----------------------------------------

Reflections on Dance

by Dan Lampert

On Saturday, Oct. 15, 2005, I attended the Greek Festival in Maitland, Florida, and had a terrific time with Bobby, Pat, and other OIFDC dancers. Although the standing crowd seemed smaller than last year, the number of people getting up to dance was larger. It was great! The circles in our dances were bigger, and sometimes we had multiple circles going simultaneously! I had such a great time that I went back for 3 hours on Sunday.

I arrived Sunday afternoon about 3PM, and of all the OIFDC dancers I know, only Dean was there. So, he and I took the initiative and started many dances, as well as taught some people who wanted to learn. We stayed until the end (about 6:30PM), and then I realized something new and important about folk dancing -- something I’d not considered before… leadership.

For those who like ballroom dancing, leadership means a man leading a woman through a waltz or a tango. But in circle dances, leadership means two things. And Dean was a good example of both. First, I noticed that Dean introduced variations in the path of the circle dancing -- sometimes following a wide arc across the floor, and other times making a small arc. This makes it interesting for the dancers that follow. Also, Dean would sometimes make eye contact with me, and then roll his eyes slowly to the spot to his right -- implying that I could take over as leader. He was sharing!

Afterward, I thought about how effective Dean was as a leader. He provided all these things: (a) consistent footwork for others to follow, which is essential for beginner dancers, (b) introducing variation into the dance, which made it interesting, and (c) sharing leadership with me and others who had experience.

So, in the future, whenever I lead a Greek dance, I’ll keep these things in mind. It’s easy for me to “get lost” in the moment and to merely repeat the same patterns. But now that I’ve seen top-notch leadership, my view of the Greek landscape is higher.

----------------------------------------

Upcoming Dance Events

November 2005

19-20, Saturday-Sunday: Israeli Dance Workshop, Gainesville see flier here: http://folkdance.org/archive/

January 2006

4-8, Wed.-Sunday: Greek Festival, Tarpon Springs, http://levendia.org/schedule.htm

February 2006

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

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

April 2006

1,2, Saturday, Sunday: 19^th Annual Israeli Workshop at JCC of Greater Orlando, Guest Teacher: Ruth Goodman

Fall Fling 2005

John Daly [jdaly@palmnet.net]

What a great way to celebrate the autumnal equinox! There was dancing, and then there was a pot-luck lunch contributed by many and enjoyed by all, and then there was more dancing, and then there was supper, and then there was even more dancing. For those who like numbers, Saturday there were more than 30 people and we did something like 120 dances during the day. And we did this all on the wonderful wood floor at the Melbourne Village Community House. We met again on Sunday, but unfortunately all but Virginia had gone home by then. Those of use who were there enjoyed a few more dances and a bit of birthday cake.

This was the second year in which we used a pre-planned program and it went over well. One person described our choices as a trip down memory lane. And of course three out of every 10 dances were free requests.

John Daly is off to Folklore Village in Wisconsin at the end of October to enjoy some Scandinavian dancing and maybe collect some more to share.

Thanks to all who came, to all who brought food, and especially to all who enjoyed dancing together. Let's meet again in February at Camp and again at Spring Fling.

Satziki recipe

Sent in by Ellie Hall

After Lecanto Greek Fest 10-29-2005

tzatziki

3T Olive oil

1T Vinegar

2 Cloves of Garlic

1/2 tsp Salt

1C Yogurt

1C Sour Cream (or 2C of yogurt total)

2 Cucumbers: peeled, seeded & diced

1tsp Fresh Dill - or - 1/4tsp Dried Dill

Combine the first 4 ingredients

Blend separately from above yogurt & sour cream together

Add to oil mixture

Add cukes, mix well & chill

Garnish with extra dill & cuke slices on top

Serves 4 with pita or gyros

----------------------------------------

Orlando Int’l Folk Dance Club
By: Pat Henderson henderp@bellsouth.net

It was great to have Joan and Wally Washington back with us this month. At least this year, they did not have to clean up after a hurricane after being gone for the summer. We had a very busy month with club parties and attending ethnic events.

On Wednesday, October 5, Bobby turned 60 and the group threw him a party.

He and I spent the two nights before his birthday at New Smyrna Beach while we watched the high surf of Tropical Storm Tammy from our condo balcony. On October 7, five members of the group performed three dances for a local middle school international festival. It has been a long time since we had a performance so that was a nice change. Several members of the group attended the local German American Society's Oktoberfest and the Maitland Greek Festival. Several of us traveled to Lecanto for their Greek Festival on October 29. Annette Brand, who is from Ottawa, was visiting her daughter here, and danced with us twice and also went to Lecanto.

We had our annual Halloween party on October 26 and everyone was in costume--even Bobby. See if you can find him in the photo!

For upcoming news, Ann Robinson is having a Christmas show at her ceramics shop in Oviedo on December 3rd & 4th. Also, we will not be dancing the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, November 23.

----------------------------------------

Email to the editor

Dear Dan,

I love your newsletters and read them from "cover to cover" or whatever the computer equivalent is. Even though I don't get to dance much with the Florida folks, I know most of them and enjoy hearing about them. You do an outstanding job!

Thanks, Sandy [sandals08@hotmail.com]

If you have comments for the editor, please send to [dan@webuniv.com] I’d like to hear what parts of the newsletter you like the most, and the least.

News from Atlanta

The main news for the Thursday night international group is that it is finally moving, as of the first of January, 2006. We will be meeting

at the Life Enrichment Center, the same location already listed for Monday night. Time and other details remain the same, except that we may have to adjust the fee. Monday night is charging $5, but we will be using a smaller room at less cost, so we may be able to keep our fee at $3. The web site, www.allorgs.com/aifd, will be updated closer to the end of the year, so as not to confuse current inquiries. I should also mention that the English Country Dance group has also been meeting at the Life Enrichment Center, 2-5 PM on the second Sunday of most

months, again, the same location already listed for Monday night. They plan to continue to use this venue, which is easier to find, and has better parking, than most places we have tried before.

David Digby

ddigby@mindspring.com

----------------------------------------

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

Last night was our night to thank Ann Kessler for teaching the Sarasota Grapeviners folk dances since 1992. The "chorus" serenaded her with Ann Paige's version of "Thanks for the Memory". One verse came out like this:

Thanks for your expertise
On kolos and on vines
Ridas so sublime,
Yemenites and hop step rights
Cherkessiyas so divine
How gracious you were.

Eva Stunkel added a parody from H.M.S. Pinafore and a hornpipe dance. Ann now has a tote bag decorated by June Morse and autographed by the Grapeviners, a certificate expressing our appreciation thanks to Thekla Kahn, and some cash to bring her back and forth to dance with us

Terry Abrahams journeyed down to help us to party as did Bill Schwartz. We were glad to have Nancy Wilusz back from Minnesota to participate in the festivities. There was lots of good food and dancing.

----------------------------------------

Gainesville’s Halloween Party

Photos sent by Mary Jean Linn kolar58@bellsouth.net

Here’s a quick snapshot of the Gainesville group doing a dance called “Yolanda” at their Halloween Party recently.

---

Brief Notices & Upcoming Events

Israeli Workshop!

An Israeli Workshop will be held in Gainesville, FL, on Nov 19-20, 2005, by Nissim Ben-Ami of Ft. Lauderdale. The address is Westwood Middle School Cafeteria, 3215 NW 15th Avenue, Gainesville, FL. For More Information contact Tony Arroyo 352-485-1710 or Joseph Simpkins 352-485-1926.

Dance class with Lee Otterholt!

Jim Gold and Lee Otterholt will be teaching dances from the Balkans, Greece, and Normay on Nov. 7, 2005, at 7:30PM at St. Paul’s Church, 113 Engle Street, Englewood, N.J.
Driving directions: Route 4 to Grand Avenue in Englewood. Drive north 1 mile on Grand Ave. which turns into Engle Street after crossing Palisade Avenue. See St. Paul's Church on your right.

Dancing in Ocala

It’s on Fridays, from 10am-11:30am, at the Oak Run Club House (Orchid Hall). For more info, call Jo Ann Terkowski 352-873-2312

Dancing in New England

George Fogg is available for New England Dance information via email. Write to him at georgedance@earthlink.net

Dancing trip to Europe!

Jim Gold’s next wonderful trip is to Budapest & Prague on March 24-April 3, 2006, to be led by Jim Gold and Adam Molnar. For more information, go to www.jimgold.com or email jim@jimgold.com

----------------------------------------

MEDEA

(Middle Eastern Dance Educational Association )

is sponsoring the following Belly Dance Show to raise money for the Alachua County Humane Society's "Pet Meals on Wheels" program for people who are unable to leave their homes to care for their pets.

WHAT: 8th Annual MEDEA Holiday World Dance Recital & Fund raiser for Alachua County Humane Society's "Pet Meals on Wheels"

WHEN: Sunday, November 20, 2005

TIME: 4:00 to 6:30 PM (doors open at 3:30)

WHERE: Indian Cultural & Education Center, 1115 SW 13th Street in Gainesville

TICKETS: Adult $12.00; Senior 60+ $10; and Children under 12 $6

CONTACTS: Marjorie Malerk at 352-384-9200 or sallamah@bellsouth.net or Libby Parker at 352-466-4551

WEB SITES: www.ethnicdanceexpressions.com or www.alachuahumane.org

----------------------------------------

Flagler Beach

from Jan Lathi amarjan@bestnetpc.com

Our group has recently spent quite a bit of time preparing for a folk dance presentation which was given at a Unitarian/Universalist Society meeting on October 30th. The whole service was centered around "dance"; the prelude - "Dance Americaine"; the Hymn - "Let It Be a Dance"; the Offertory - "Czardas, part 1" - and the Postlude - "Czardas, part 2". We presented seven dances - mostly simple ones, since our mission was to entice some of the congregation to come join us for dancing on Thursday afternoons. It seemed to have been well-received.

I found out that I, in fact, can come to camp. I had the dates wrong for my little cruise to Nassau - I go in January, not February. Our yoga classes on Tuesday afternoons are still going strong. About 5-6 of us are taking the classes and enjoying them. We are already missing Arleen Kaufmann who has returned to Gainesville. We hope she will come back for a visit now and again before she returns next summer. Betty, Arleen and her daughter, and I have signed up to go on Jim Gold's Greek Islands tour with Lee Otterholt next October. Many from Orlando will also attend - it should be fun! My new family K-9 member, Sami, is giving me such joy! We go for walks each day and share our home in Palm Coast with rawhide bones, doggy beds, pull-toys, and other dog paraphernalia which you can see in every room. I'm lovin' it! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! (I'm off to California to visit with my daughter and her family for that holiday.)

----------------------------------------

News from the International Dancers of Gainesville

It's in 3 parts.... a journal entry from Gary while on the road in Europe.....and some listings of our latest taught dances.

From Gary........

Buon giorno de Bologna

Well if you ever come here, forget about ordering a bolognese. It's the same as what you get in the states, except there's a lot less tomato sauce, and you can do it yourself. But you might like the burro salvia, butter/sage sauce. It's a local favorite.

After a few days in Paris, where our friend Ann made the best mussels in all of France, we visited a friend a bit south in the Loire, not far from Sancerre. Sancerre and other areas of the Loire valley are just famous for white wines. You can buy some mighty good ones here for less than $5. Sally has a 19th century farm house in a tiny town to the north of Sancerre. It's a beautiful area, with rolling hills producing not just grapes but all kinds of veggies and other crops. Nearby is a medieval farm that looks like a fortified castle from the road, but it opens to the rear, with stalls on the interior. A year or so ago someone dropped off a baby boar and sheep. they are now inseparable friends. The boar is particularly friendly. She comes and rubs against your legs like a cat, and rubs her snout on your shoes. I think she smelled a mushroom in mine. There's a true castle also not far, and not famous, although shooting crews use it for filming from time to time.

Sally's had a bad year. Her husband Paul ran away with Rachel, Jean Michele's wife. Paul then told Jean Michele that Sally approved of the whole idea, which she had not. She was a shocked as Jean Michele. For a while Jean Michele and the rest of her neighbors weren't

talking to her, but finally she convinced them that she hadn't and never would approve. In a town of under 100 people, all this caused quite a stir.

We left Sally's after a short visit to go to Beaucaire, in the south near Avignon. Another couple we met when we were on our boat is living on their new boat over the winter. Beaucaire's sister city is Toulon, where the TGV dropped us off two hours after leaving Paris (it's faster to go back to Paris), achieving speeds of about 150 mph on the way. Beaucaire and Toulon are divided by the rivers Rhone and Gard, which nearly join her, only separated by a narrow island, which in fact often floods after the snow melts in the Alps. Beauciare was a main border town of the kingdom of France in medieval times, while Toulon was the border of the Holy Roman Empire, back when the Pope was not just a spiritual ruler (in fact he was more a worldly one). We visited the castle on the Toulon side. The large fortified medieval structure sits above the Rhone. We followed the 'sens de la visite' (the route) as it took us through the large open court yard on the lower lever, through the dining hall, the chambers of the king and queen, the kitchen, the treasure room, and so on, taking us up narrow spiral staircases made of stone. From the roof you can see for many kilometers up and down the Rhone valley, and east over the tiled rooftops of Toulon, ready for the next cubist study.

The next day, after a trip to the market in the morning, we went to a barge owned by John and shared by Ann, who owns a motorboat moored on the Rhone. They grilled sausages, chicken with a tandoori sauce, and pork cutlets. We ate crisps (chips in American English) and drank wine while we waited. Ann made an excellent coleslaw. It turns out the English love coleslaw and consider it a traditional dish.

Jackie and Armand (Jackie's wife) were there when we arrived. They live on the barge just behind John's. They are French. He once was a professional barge pilot, but long ago. His parents were refugees during W.W.II, fleeing the German advance into France. They ended up in Normandy, and lived through the Allied invasion. They went from the pan to the fire. This was before he was born.

Our next stop was Cannes, the home of the famous film festival. It's on the French Riviera, not far from Nice. It has a neat medieval section, with typical narrow stone paved streets. Lots of the restaurants offer moules frites, mussels with fries, escargot and lots of seafood. Lobster is over $20 a pound, langoustine about the same, this being the street market prices, not the restaurant ones. I had my third moules frites of the journey. None were as good as the first.

We were here to see our friends Gaston and Gloria. They bought a sailboat early last year. They sailed it from Normandy, on the Atlantic coast, as far as Turkey, with stops in northern Spain, Portugal, Barcelona, southern France, Corsica, Sicily, Tunisia, the Greek island of Lesbos, then Istanbul in Turkey. They liked Turkey the best. The people are friendly, they work hard and provide good service. It's also loaded with history, having been in the Roman Empire from very early times, played an important role in early Christian history (Ephesus is here, as in Paul's letters to the Ephesians), and been the home of the Roman Empire, the eastern version, until it fell to the Ottomans in the 1400's, having outlasted the Roman half by about 1000 years.

We arrived in Bologna yesterday late in the afternoon. Today we walked through some of the 20 or so miles of arcades for which Bologna is justly famous. In the middle ages when Bologna was a walled city, there wasn't enough housing for the growing population. So the government ordered the building of arched walkways on the street side of every building, on top of which they built additional housing, all connected to the existing structures. Bologna is also famous for being the site of Europe's first university. Umberto Eco joined the faculty here in 1971 as professor of semiotics, the study of signs and symbols.

From Max........

Here's the list of dances taught for 10/7/2005...

From Joyce......

Had a great time dancing this past Friday night. John taught most of the dances Sandansko Horo (Serbia), Ada's Kujawiak (Poland), Atlantic Mixer (Germany), Vulpuita (Roumania), and Kystendilska Rucenitasa (Bulgaria). This dance is a real treasure with its wonderful dance patterns and the beautiful music. I went over Iste Hendek (Turkey) which I had taught two weeks ago.

----------------------------------------

TAMPA TATTLER

By Terry Abrahams

Our most important news is that Ursula is back among the living. Maria Pasetti had a party Oct. 30, we all brought a dish and danced and had a terrific time, but best of all Ursula came, and actually did 3 slow dances with us. A little more weight and a little more time and she’ll be back like new – I’m sure. The next best part of the party was that Dylan also showed up. Maria must have something on him, but whatever it was – he danced too!

I went to the Halloween party at Pat and Bobby’s and had my usual good time with their group – good food, good costumes, good dancing, my usual fun overnight with P and B. My sis and b-i-l also spent a few days there – got off the car train to discover Sanibel was being evacuated, so sought shelter in Orlando for a few days. Then I went back to O. on Sat

for a fencing tournament – I need an apt. there. Andi is now teaching in Sarasota and says so far so good! She’s starting a card file like our

Israeli cards – so look out – she’ll be able to do a million dances!

I also attended the We Love You Party for Ann Kessler, who has retired as the instructor for the Sarasota group. It was a lovely party with songs, gifts, good food and good dancing! Here are the pictures I gathered for you:

Fran Schneider, the artist who created the picture given to Annie

Sarasota’s group on eat break during Annie's party

Marie Millet, leader of Sarasota group, Annie, retiring instructor, Andi, incoming instructor

Here’s one of the songs they sang:

(Tune: Thanks for the memory)

Thanks for your expertise

T'was quality five-star

You traveled from a far

And tried to please everyone

Making Wednesdays fun

How gracious you are.

Thanks for your expertise

On Kolos and on vines

Ridas so sublime,

Yemenites and hop step rights

Cerkasias so divine

How gracious you are

Many's the time that we faltered

And many's the time we faked it.

Oh well, it was swell while it lasted

We did have fun, so says everyone.

Thanks for the memories

Of new dances galore

We hadn't known before

You always did your homework

And then you did much more.

So thank you so much.

We also have a new person - Bill – who has

come twice now and hit Maria’s party, so we hope he’s a keeper. Somewhere in his past he danced somewhere else, but I can’t remember where or when. Hmm – sounds like a song. Bobbie Barbara and Maria are showing up almost regularly, and one of the gals who came with Judith at our BIG night returned as well last week. Is it possible we’ll have more than 6 people on a sorta regular basis?

Many of us went to the Greek Festival at St. John’s Church, which included Judith and Ernesto’s granddaughters dancing with a group – they are gorgeous girls and good dancers besides – runs in the family, I guess. It was also good to see Hanson and Joann – proud parents of the girls. And the usual good food and dancing. Boy, I love to say that!!!

Well, since I have used so much of the newsletter with Presidential stuff, I’ll cut this one a little short. Hope everyone survived the latest weather. It’s getting a little wearisome…see you all soon in February~ TA

----------------------------------------

DAN’S VIDEO JOURNAL
by Dan Lampert <dan@webuniv.com>

Surprise! Here’s something new for our little newsletter! We had some space to fill… so I created this innovative format to show you video clips from this year’s Lecanto’s Greek Festival. That’s right -- I said video clips. Never before have video clips been printed on the pages of the FFDC Newsletter!

Dan and Kelly do the Tango! Actually, I’m as happy as Kelly looks. I’m just concentrating on leading…

Manuel and Bobby were energetic in the Zebekikos.

Manuel was in fine form!

The “water” guy danced with 2 cups this year. Awesome.

The women’s costumes were lovely and intricate.

The men showed off a little. Very exciting to watch.

This guy had too much coffee. He almost left the building.

Some of the official performers were children.

It’s good to see that we’re “passing the baton.”

FLORIDA FOLK DANCER

Florida Folk Dancer is a monthly publication of the Florida Folk Dance Council, Inc., a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to further knowledge, performance, and recreational enjoyment of International Folk Dance.

2005 FFDC OFFICERS:

President: Terry Abrahams

813-324-1231

terry.abrahams@verizon.net

VP: John Daly

321-951-9623

jdaly@palmnet.net

Treasurer: Pat Henderson

407-275-6247

henderp@bellsouth.net

Return Address

FFDC Newsletter Editor

Post Office Box 151719

Altamonte Springs, FL 32715-1719

USA

FIRST CLASS

Secretary: Jean Murray

321-952-7025

mmurray9496@cfl.rr.com

Editor / Dan Lampert

Historian: PO Box 151719

Altamonte Spgs., FL 32715

dan@webuniv.com

Send all submissions to the Editor during the last week of the month, to be published the first week of the next month.

Copyright: articles in the Florida Folk Dancer are copyright by the Florida Folk Dance Council, Inc., or by their individual authors.

Subscriptions are $15 per year and include membership in the Florida Folk Dance Council. The membership year runs from one Annual Camp (usually February) to the next. Members can receive the newsletter electronically if desired.

For more info: www.folkdance.org