So far we have taught a total of 25 dances at Introduction to International Dance (see list below).

This week Barbara will teach Tsamiko, which will then give us three of the four main dances done at Greek food festivals: Syrto, Fast Hassapiko, and Tsamiko. Remember that fancy steps and turns are optional: stay in your comfort zone. We are dancing for fun!

Yvonne and I will introduce the popular Israeli Cha Cha mixer Ba La.

The night will start with a few warm-up dances.

1. Waves (line from Hong Kong)
2. Kortanc (line from Hungary)
3. Carnavalito (line from Bolivia)
4. Tsamiko (line from Greece)
5. Ba La (couple mixer from Israel)
6. Hora Mare (line Romania)
7. Followed by class requests from the taught dance list.

We encourage dance requests from the group. Dolly requested Syrto last week. Patty requested La Bastringue and Cicerenella when she attended our Social Dances of the World class last Sunday. If you don't remember the names of your favorite dances, tell us a little about them or show us some key steps and we should be able to guess. Here is what we have taught so far:

Taught Dance list

1. An dro retourne (line from France)
   
2. Carnavalito (line from Bolivia)
3. Chapelloise (couple mixer from France)
4. Cicerenella Tarantella (couple from Italy)
5. Cha Cha (couple from USA and Cuba)
6. Chilili (couple from Bolivia)
7. Circle Reinlender (couple mixer from Norway)
8. Dana (solo from Romania)
9. Fast Hassapiko (line from Greece)
10. Hora Mare (line from Romania)
11. Hora de Munte (line from Romania)
12. Kortanc (line from Hungary)
13. La Bastringue (couple from France)
14. Lesnoto (line from Macedonia)
15. Pravo (line from Bulgaria)
16. Raka (line from Bulgaria)
17. Reinlender/Schottische (couple from Norway, Sweden)
18. Robin Ddiog (line from Wales)
19. Setnja (line from Serbia)
20. Shibolet Bassadeh (line from Israel)
21. Syrto (line from Greece)
22. U'sest (line from Serbia)
23. Ve David (couple mixer from Israel)
24. Waves (line from Hong Kong)
25. Zemer Atik (line from Israel)

Thursday April 23 Class

If class keeps going as it is we will continue after May 7th. We have been making rent each week with a little to spare. Bring your friends and help us continue the class.

For long time dancers come out and dance with us. Yes we do the easier dances but that doesn't mean slow or boring, when you do the social style dances.

The weeks program:

Barbara Bevan will be teaching Hora Mare from Romanian.
Yvonne and I will start with Cha Cha

Program

Kortanc
Robin Ddiog review
Setnja review
Cha Cha teach
Hora Mare teach
Ve David Review
Shibolet Bassadeh Review
U'sest
Dana
Reinlender

Hora de Munte

Well the April 9 class went well. We introduced Barbara Bevan who taught Kortanc and reviewed Lesnoto. Yvonne and I started on Couple Reinlender (Norway) or Schottis as it is called in Sweden. I taught An Dro Retourne from France and reviewed Pravo and Syrto.

Next Thursday Yvonne will add the pivot turn to the Reinlender and review La Bastringue.

Barbara will add another country to our list Great Britain, when she teaches the Welsh dance Robin Ddiog.

I will teach Setnja a fun Serbian Dance in the Cha Cha pattern like Kortanc. Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow. I will also review U'Sest, a popular Serbian village dance
Program

Waves
Kortanc
Fast Hasapiko
Reinlender
Setnja
Robin Ddiog
La Bastringue
U'Sest
Cicerenella
An Dro Retourne
Pravo
Lesnoto

Hope to see you there.
Remember if we can reach critical mass we will continue the class past May 7.

This coming Thursday April 9, we will be introducing another local teacher Barbara Bevan.
She will teach a nice dance from Hungary, Kortanc.

Yvonne will start the couple Schottis (video) and review Cicerenella Tarantella adding the traveling polka step.

I will teach An Dro Retourne (video) and review Pravo and Syrto.

Program
Waves as warm up.
Zemer Atik
Circle Reinlender
Start Schottis
Kortanc
Cicerenella Tarantella
An Dro Retourne
Syrto
Dana
Pravo
Lesnoto ending.
We will also do Chilili and Hora de Munte if we have time.
Roy

April 2, 2009 Class

The first Thursday Class went well.

Yvonne and I reviewed eight dances.

Fast Hasapiko
Carnavalito
Zemer Atik
Chilili
Circle Reinlender
Waves
Hora de Munte
Lesnoto

Toba taught Raka
and I taught Dana.

Links to video of these dances are available on the main class page.
Introduction to International Dance
Roy

Class is starting Soon

Sacramento International Folk Dance and Arts Council's new Introduction to International Dance continuing class will start this Thursday, April 2, 2009. The class will be hosted by yours truly Roy Butler. I addition to myself , Yvonne Couvillion will be a regular teacher and we will welcome guest teachers from time to time.

The class got off to a good start with our free party on Sunday March 29, 2009

We taught the following dances during the openning party.

1. Fast Hassapiko
2. Circle Reinlender
3. Pravo
4. Cicerenella Tarantella
5. Zemer Atik
6. Chapelloise
7. Syrto
8. Chilili
9. Carnavalito
10. U'sest
11. Waves
12. Ve David
13. Hora de Munte
14. La Bastringue
15. Shibolet Bassadeh
16. Lesnoto

This Thursday we will review a number of the dances taught and teach a new dance Dana.
Video of Dana can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUTBxBTwUx4

Dance to live. Live to dance.
Roy