August-October 2013 - Texas International Folk Dancers

Inside this Issue
TIFD Board of Directors
Next Board Meeting
Steve Kotansky Bio
Susy Kotansky Bio
Merita Halili &
Raif Hyseni Bios
News from Local Groups
Calendar of Events
Travel Opportunities
About Albania
2
2
3
3
4
4
7
8
9
Nomination for the Texas International Folk
Dancers’ ALL-STAR TEAM
What does it take to be on an All-Star Team? Talent, dedication,
dependability, perseverance, striving for excellence, a spirit of
cooperation, integrity, a passion for the activity.
Who, in your dance community exhibits these attributes? To
whom are you grateful?
Who could you simply not dance without? It may be your best
dancer, your best instructor...or it might be the person who never
forgets to bring refreshments, who is always willing to carry the
equipment and set it up...the person who makes your dance
community a major priority in his or her life. Here is your chance
to thank them.
Texas International Folk Dancers would like to recognize one or
more people from each of our International Folk Dance
communities. Please fill out the nomination form by going to:
http://tifd.org/all-star-team/. Forward it to Lissa Bengtson 1343
W. Lullwood Ave. San Antonio, TX 78201-452.
Texas Camp 2013
Lineup Announced
This Thanksgiving weekend,
join us for our annual four-day
folk festival featuring Steve
and Susy Kotansky teaching
Hungarian couple dances and
Balkan line dances, with a
special focus on the dances of
Albania.
We’ll also be offering singing
and live music classes taught by
professional musicians,
wonderful ethnic cuisine and
our ever-popular
Deadline: August 22, 2013.
At the TIFD Board meeting on August 24, the Board will compile
the list of the 2013 All-Star Team. Presentations to the All-Star
Team members will be made at Texas Camp 2013.
___________________________________________________
Bruceville Roadhouse and Contra afternoon delights.
The Balkan Bazaar returns again to delight you with treasures from near
and far, and that isn’t all. More details to be announced soon!
New this year: we’re pleased to announce that kids under 16 are
free with a parent or guardian!
To register for Camp, go to Registration Page.
Page 2
August-October 2013 TIFD News
TIFD Board of Directors
Lissa Bengtson, President
Jan Bloom
Bruce Bostwick
Terri Chadwick
Emily Clement
Garry Karner
Sara Talbot, Vice-President
Misi Tsurikov, Secretary
Kathleen Yoder
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Ex-Officio
TIFD Treasurer: Georgia Horn
Deadline for the next issue of
TIFD News is October 18
The TIFD Quarterly Newsletter is
published on the first of the month,
in February, May, August, and
November; the eLetter is sent on
the first of the remaining months.
Send news to [email protected].
Articles received after the deadline
may be postponed until the next
issue or the next eLetter. Deadline
for the September eLetter is
August 25.
[email protected]
Membership Chair: Chuck Roth
[email protected]
TX Camp Co-chairs: Genevieve Kent
[email protected]
Jay Elbaor
[email protected]
TIFD News Editor: Jasmine Guha-Castle [email protected]
TIFD Recognition Chair: Elaine Moczygemba
Next Board Meeting
The next TIFD Board meeting will be on Saturday, August 24 at the
Southeast Austin Community Branch Library, 5803 Nuckols Crossing
Road, Austin, TX 78744. Tel. 512-974-8840. Time: 11:00 A.M. –
4:45 P.M.
NOTES: If you have an item you would like the Board to consider
or if you would like to attend, please contact [email protected].
If members of TIFD wish to have a copy of Board minutes, please
request by email to [email protected] or contact any Board member.
Texas Camp Silent Auction
Doing some summer cleaning? Don’t forget the Texas Camp silent
auction! Just box the items you are donating and store them in that
special closet until it's time to load the car for Camp.
Also, consider asking your employer and friends for gift certificates.
Next time you visit your favorite restaurant, ask the manager about
donating a $50 certificate. If a request by letter is required, contact
Lissa Bengtson, furnishing her with the name and address of the
establishment, and the name of the manager or person-in-charge.
If you have questions or would like more information about Texas
Camp’s popular Silent Auction, call Lissa at 210-867-0692 or email
[email protected].
TIFD News is published four times
a year for the members of Texas
International Folk Dancers, a nonprofit educational organization.
Submissions for publication are
welcome, yet subject to editing.
All opinions expressed are those of
the author exclusively. Material
herein may be reproduced with the
editor’s permission.
CALENDAR LISTINGS: Send
email to [email protected] and
[email protected].
ADDRESS CHANGES:
For newsletter mailing list or TIFD
Member Directory, contact TIFD,
PO Box 4516, Austin, TX 78765;
Attention: Chuck Roth, 512-4538936, [email protected].
SOUTHWEST FOLK DANCE
DIRECTORY: Contact
[email protected].
If you want to take on this project.
GENERAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
Email [email protected] or mail to
TIFD News, PO Box 4516, Austin,
TX 78765.
Page 3
August-October 2013 News
Steve and Susy Kotansky Career Highlights
Stephen Kotansky has been active in international folk dance for over four decades as a teacher, researcher,
performer, and choreographer throughout North America and Europe. He began his
career as a high school student in the San Francisco Bay Area and now lives with his
wife, Susy, near New York City. During the early years, Steve danced with the
Westwind Folk Ensemble and the San Francisco Russian Dance Group before
becoming a dance major at UCLA and joining the Aman International Folk
Ensemble. Meanwhile, he continued his study and teaching of Balkan and Central
European dance culture. He made his first research trip to Hungary and former
Yugoslavia in 1970.
In the early 70’s, Steve traveled throughout Germany for seven years. He worked
with ethnic communities in Munich, teaching international folk dance, performed and co-founded the
performing group GAJDA, while taking advantage of his proximity to Balkan and Eastern European countries
to pursue his interest in the study and research of their dances. He also lived in Bucovina for a while learning
local folklore. He taught folk dance in Western Europe and organized workshops in Hungary, Macedonia, and
Serbia. In the late 70’s Steve returned to Hungary and studied with dance master, Timár Sándor, among others.
It was during this time that Steve met his future wife, Susan Snyder. Upon returning to the United States, Steve
and Susy taught their first dance workshops, co-founded the Guzsály Hungarian Dance Group in New York and
became instrumental in introducing the Táncház movement in North America. **He has since taught at every
major North American festival and camp, often with his wife, Susy.
Steve and Susy have two grown children, Jesse and Maya. Their work continues to be an expression of their
love and passion for dance, finding time to teach dance to children K-12 in New York City area public and
private schools. He also serves as a consultant to several Hungarian folk ensembles.
Most recently, Steve has been researching Albanian and Roma dance from the Diaspora and continues his work
and research in Balkan and Central European countries. He is particularly interested in dance culture as it has
evolved since the “fall of the Wall” in these countries. (Article extracted from material supplied by Steve
Kotansky and from the following sources: http://www.eefc.org/Kotansky.shtml,
http://folkdancecamp.org/Oldsyllabi.html, and http://folkdance.com/Statewide2012.html).
** Steve Kotansky’s first teaching engagement at Texas Camp was in 1981. He returned to Texas Camp
in 1988, 1994, 1997, and 2004. (dates researched by Sally Jenkins). For a list of many dances made popular by
Steve Kotansky, go to the following: http://www.folkdancecamp.org/oldsyllabi.html.
Susy Kotansky studied ballet as a young child and has been dancing ever since. As a young adult she danced
with the George Tomov Folk Ensemble, Hungaria, and the Hungarian dance troupe, Hungaresca. Her passion
for Hungarian dance and music led her to a dance seminar is Sarospatak in northern Hungary. There she met
master teacher, Sandor Timar, who had a large role in initiating the Táncház movement. Inspired by the organic
method of teaching dance that he espoused, Susy returned to spend a year studying with Timar at the Folk
Dance Section of the Ballet Institute in Budapest and the Bartok Ensemble of which he was the director. At the
same time she made many research trips in Hungary and Transylvania. During this time, Susy met her future
husband, Stephen Kotansky, and together they brought the táncház style of teaching to NYC. They created and
co-directed the Guzsaly Ensemble while teaching weekly classes. They invited master teachers Zoltan
Zsurafszky, Zoltan Farkas (Batyu), and Ferenc Sara to choreograph and teach their ensemble. In addition, Steve
and Susy took many trips to Hungary for the purpose of studying and learning dance. Susy has co-taught
couple dances with Steve at many folkdance camps (including Texas Camp!).
Page 4
August-October 2013 TIFD News
Merita Halili and Raif Hyseni add Musical Thrills to Texas Camp
Merita Halili is one of Albania’s top performers. Born in the capital city of Tiranë, Merita grew up singing the
lyric songs of her native region of Central Albania. Her nationwide debut came in 1983, at the age of 17, when
she sang at the National Folk Festival in Gjirokastër.
Soon thereafter, she began to perform on Albanian Radio and Television and as a soloist with the State
Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances, later becoming one of the most popular singers in the country.
Merita’s greatest recognition came in 1995, when she was awarded first prize at a gala festival held in Tiranë in
which 90 singers from throughout the Albanian diaspora participated.
The repertoire for which Merita is best known is that of the towns of Central Albania, particularly Tiranë,
Elbasan, Kavajë, and Durrës, but her singing style has also been influenced by the music making and recordings
of famous singers of the generation that preceded her. She has developed her own approach to the songs from
that rich legacy by including more elaborate instrumental arrangements and full use of her prodigious range and
vocal technique.
Raif Hyseni, accordionist, composer, arranger and teacher hails from
The Republic of Kosova, which has a large Albanian majority. He grew up in
the town of Mitrovicë, where he studied accordion at music school and
performed in amateur ensembles.
Before moving to Tiranë in 1992, Raif was a well-known radio and television
performer in Prishtinë, the capital of Kosova, where he was a member of the
group Besnikët. Through his recordings and media appearances, Raif has
become known as a major innovator on the accordion, for which he has
composed dozens of instrumental melodies.
Raif and his wife, singer Merita Halili, immigrated to the United States in 1995. They now make their home in
New Jersey. They perform frequently around the country on numerous stages, festivals and at community
weddings.
News from Local Groups
Austin
Mediterranean Cruise Night
Saturday, June 22, 2013, was a special night in Austin. Our Board (especially Brenda Benton, VP) came up
with the idea for a Mediterranean Cruise program. Costumes were encouraged as were snacks and treats from
the Mediterranean regions. Board members and volunteers decorated the enchanting Hancock Recreation
Center Dance Hall for the special night. Mood lighting was installed and a seaside backdrop was put in place
for photo opportunities. Thoughtful props were put together and crafted for the special event. The Board
determined ports-of-call from Spain, around the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas all the way to Turkey with
appropriate dances at each stop. They thought of everything. Why, we were even treated to a Romanian pirate
invasion and made to give up one of our passengers to the marauders. (by Deborah Robertson)
Iola Hallock adds, “We had fun dancing Patrioti in Naples, Italy, Krici Krici in Dubrovnik, Croatia, Cho Cho on
the Greek island of Corfu, Moj Maro Moj Marie in Sarende, Albania, among many others”.
Page 5
August-October 2013 TIFD News
L to R: Deborah Robertson, Misi Tsurikov,
and Pamela Weems
Misi leading Siriysko Horo, from Syria
L to R: Frances Danis, Kostya Samsonov,
L to R: Nicolae Family, Max, Rikki, Calin and Laura
and Kristina Kinsel
Houston
On Sunday, July 20, thirteen HIFD dancers performed a Mediterranean suite of dances for the University Place
Retirement Community where the mother of Houston folkdancer, Kristin Lucas, lives. The dancers wore
Happy dancers pose after a fine performance.
Croatian dance Posavski Ples
Page 6
August-October 2013 TIFD News
costumes and performed dances from Turkey, Greece, France, Italy, Lebanon, Egypt, Israel, and Croatia. It was
an intimate venue with an audience of seniors – all seats occupied. Dancers and audience members enjoyed the
performance. (by Kristin Lucas)
Oklahoma City
Old Country Weekend
The Oklahoma City International Folk Dancers will host its 30th Old Country Weekend (OCW) on October 1820. The folk dance and music camp will be held at Cross Point Camp in Kingston, Oklahoma on the shores of
Lake Texoma. Gyslaine Van Tilbeurgh, from France, will teach a variety of French and Basque dances,
including bourees, bransles, and circle dances. Gyslaine is a delightful teacher who has introduced many fresh,
fun, and exciting dances to OKCIFD. Don Weeda and Anne Alexander from Austin, Texas will lead the camp
band and will provide live music for the dance parties.
The first Old Country Weekend was held in 1983 at a Girl Scout camp near Marlow, Oklahoma. The emphasis
on the camp was to dance to live music. Pat Dretzka, who had performed with a Romanian dance troupe in
Milwaukee, chose the name "Old Country Weekend" because we danced and played traditional music from the
"old country". Pat invited Izvor, a Balkan band from Milwaukee to be the featured band. Participants danced
all night to live music and participated in informal dance and music workshops during the day.
We held Old Country Weekend for the next few years, using a format of informal workshops and dance parties
featuring live music. In 1986, we changed the venue to Cross Point Camp, and we brought in a nationally
known teacher for a dance workshop. In order to maintain the tradition of having live music, we selected
Bulgarian teacher Jaap Leegwater, who was also a musician and was able to lead singing and music
workshops as well as dance workshops. Heavy Village, our own OKCFD dance band, provided music
during the dance parties. Since 1986, we have had many featured teachers, including Suni Bloland, Richard
Powers, Nicolaas Hilferink, Steve Kotansky, Yves Moreau, Ahmet Luleci, Andor Czampo, Roo Lester, Mihai
David, Lee Otterholt, and Joe Graziosi. Austin musicians Anne Alexander and Don Weeda have provided live
music for the last several years.
In 2010, due to increasing expenses of bringing in well-known teachers, we changed the format of OCW to in
house, local workshops. Although the format and venue has changed over the years, all of the Old Country
Weekends, from 1983 to present, have featured live music and singing. (by Noel Osborn)
Memories of Old Country Weekend
Balkan Singing, 2010
African drumming workshop led by Lissa Young
From left: Don Weeda, Lissa Young, Lydia Hill,
and Kyna Burnett in 2012.
Page 7
August-October 2013 TIFD News
Anne Alexander and Don Weeda playing for OCW
in 1997
L-R, Lita Pinter (LA), Sally Jenkins (Bartersville, OK),
Mary Jo Watson (Tulsa), and Karen Murray (Dallas)
dancing In 2011.
San Antonio
SAFD continue to attract at least fifteen dancers every week, some of whom are enthusiastic about leading and
teaching dances. With Texas Camp coming up soon, SAFD will provide generous stipends to several of their
own dancers who plan on attending Camp this year.
San Antonio folk dancer, Terri Chadwick, attended Cultural Focus: Jamaica Dinner and Dancing at the
International Folk Culture Center of Our Lady of the Lake University on July 20, 2013. The activity was
organized by Lissa Bengtson, Director of the IFCC.
Cultural Focus Nights at the IFCC happen about once a month, celebrating the food and dances of the countries
featured. For Jamaican Night, the menu included a wide variety of typical Jamaican specialties, such as jerk
chicken, curried cabbage, Jamaican rice and beans, fried plantains, a Jamaican citrus-cucumber quinoa salad,
sweet potato pudding and homemade ginger beer.
Jamaicans have a rich and diverse dance tradition which includes quadrilles and African dances. However,
traditional Jamaican dances were difficult to find. So for fun they did an Ira Weisburd line dance done to
Summer Celebration, a Reggae song. Previous Cultural Focus nights have highlighted Cajun, Hungarian,
Romanian, Canadian, African, Greek, Indian and many other cultures. Most of the cooking is done by
volunteers in the IFCC kitchen. Attendees are asked to contribute a $5 donation; volunteers are exempt. The
next Cultural Focus Night is September 13, celebrating Puerto Rico.
Calendar of Events
August 4-11. Raft Island, WA. Ti Ti Tábor, Hungarian Music and Dance Camp, with teachers Norbert Kovacs
and Beáta Gaschler, singing by Erika Juhász, and music by Düvö Együttes. http://www.tititabor.org
August 10-17. Iroquois Springs, Rock Hill, NY. Balkan Music and Dance Workshop. http://www.eefc.org
August 18-24 and August 25-31. Fryeburg, ME. Mainewoods Dance Camp. Two week-long sessions with
different teachers and musicians each week. http://www.mainewoodsdancecamp.org
August 30-Sept. 1. West, TX. Westfest Czech and Polka Festival featuring polka bands, ethnic food and
entertainment. http://www.westfest.com
August 30-Sept. 2. Camp Angelos, Corbett, OR (near Portland). Balkanalia! Dimitrios Kontogiannis and Jaap
Leegwater, teachers. http://balkanalia.org
Page 8
August-October 2013 TIFD News
September 22. Victoria, TX. Victoria County Czech Heritage Festival, featuring polka music, arts and crafts,
Czech foods, beer and exhibits. Info: http://www.victoriachamber.org/event/victoria-county-czechheritage-festival/
September 20-22. Black Mountain, NC. Mountain Playshop. Dances from the Balkans with instructor, David
Vinski. http://mountainplayshop.org
September 27-29. Atlanta, GA. Fandango! All English program with caller and instructor, Bruce Hamilton;
music by Bare Necessities. Brochure and registration information follows:
http://www.ecdatlanta.org/fandango-2013-dance-weekend
September 29. Houston, TX. 50th Annual Sts. Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival, featuring singing,
dancing and food from the Czech, Croatian, Polish and Ukrainian peoples.
http://houstonslavicheritagefestival.com
October 17-20. Dummerston, Vermont, (15 minutes from Brattleboro, Vermont). Co-sponsored by the
National Folk Organization, Pourparler “brings together those who do school residencies, community gigs,
traditional and IFD groups, and are educators in schools and universities. The weekend includes discussions,
parties, networking, music, and much dance-sharing.” Info at: http://www.nfo-usa.org
October 18-20, Kingston, OK. Old Country Weekend. Folk dance and music camp sponsored by Oklahoma
City International Folk Dancers. Teaching by Gyslaine Van Tilbeurgh (French and Basque); live music by Don
Weeda and Anne Alexander. http://www.okcifd.org/
October 18-20. Springfield, MO. SoleFest Contra Dance Weekend, featuring music by RIPTIDE and caller,
Nils Fredland. http://www.springfieldcontra.org
November 1-3. Austin, TX. Fire Ant Frolic Contra Dance Weekend. Diane Silver calling to music by
Contrazz and Ladies at Play. http://www.fireantfrolic.com
November 1-3. Nashville, TN. Autumn Leaves, 30th annual folk dance workshop, featuring Yuliyan Yordanov
teaching dances from Bulgaria. http://www.nifddance.com
November 1-10. New Braunfels, TX, Wurstfest. 53rd annual celebration, featuring Alpine and Bavarian food,
music, dance, etc. http://www.wurstfest.com
November 15-17. Lawrence, KS. 19th annual contra dance weekend, Pilgrim’s Progression, featuring music
by The Great Big Taters and caller, Cis Hinkle. http://www.lawrencebarndance.org/lbdawknd
November 28 – December 1. Bruceville, TX. Texas International Folk Dancers Texas Camp. Steve and
Susy Kotansky will be teaching Hungarian couple dances and Albanian line dances, with live Albanian
music and singing instruction by Raif Hyseni and Merita Halili. Stay tuned for further details.
http://tifd.org
Travel Opportunities
Mel Mann
September 3-19, 2013. Cruise Italy and Croatia. Anniversary Cruise for Yves’ 65th birthday. Guest teacher,
Zeljko Jergan – Croatian dances. Info: www.folkdancecruise.com
Jim Gold
October 6-18, 2013. Albania and Corfu, led by Jim Gold and Lee Otterholt. www.jimgold.com.
Page 9
August-October 2013 TIFD News
National Flag of Albania
Facts About Albania
Capital: Tirana
What are the languages used in Albania? Albanian (official language-derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects. Many people
are proficient in Italian and English as well. (one source added Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian, Aromanian).
What are the prominent festivals of Albania? Albania observes a dance meeting at Durres in April which includes a captivating array of modern, classical and
folk dances. An international Film Festival on Human Rights is held at Tirana every March which is open to
citizens and tourists alike. The Korce City Beer Fest held in August is perhaps the most jovial occasion in
Albania. Korce also holds a carnival in May much along the lines of Rio de Janeiro. A family event called the
Pie Fest held in July also adds to the attractions of Korce. Albania also celebrates Christmas, New Year, Good
Friday, Eid, Nawroz and Easter. The Independence Day falls on 28th November and the subsequent day of
29th November is celebrated as the Liberation Day. The day of Beatification of Mother Teresa on October 19
also falls in the list of major celebrations.
What is the currency of Albania? The currency of Albania is called Lek and is issued by the Bank of Albania.
What are the ethnic groups of Albania? Albanians constitute 97% of the population, followed by 1% Greeks. The remaining 2% is comprised of Vlachs,
Roma, Serbs, Macedonians, Balkan Egyptians, and Bulgarians.
What type of Government does Albania have? Albania has a Parliamentary Democracy with three branches of Government namely the Executive, the
Legislature, and the Judicial Wing. The Executive wing is made up of the President as the Head of State and
Prime Minister as the Head of Government. Voting rights are granted to every individual above 18 years of
age. The current president is Bujar Nishani (since 24 July 2012); the current Prime Minister of Albania is Edi
Rama (since June 2013).
Sources: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/.../al.html
Facts About Albania: www.mapsofworld.com/facts.html
Flag of Albania: Wikipedia