Le Grande Bal de l'Europe

 

Xfinity, our cable provider, occasionally offers a few days of free streaming of various premium channels.  This week it includes a French streaming service, TV5 Monde.  Scanning the offerings, a 2018 film called Le Grand Bal caught my attention, and I looked around for more info about the event that it documents, Le Grand Bal de l'Europe, https://www.gennetines.org/en/ . 

Looks like the 2023 Grand Bal is going on right now.  Here are a few short videos from  previous years.  In the first one, just after the 8 min timestamp, you may recognize a short clip of "L'homme Que Marche".  If you search youtube for "Le Grand Bal de l'Europe", you can find a lot more clips, if you're interested.

Upcoming Live Events in the Chicago Area

This post will be updated as events come to our attention.  Let us know of other events in the comments. This post is being retired as of Jan 2024 and will no longer be updated.  See https://argonneifd.blogspot.com/2023/12/upcoming-events-you-might-be-interested.html

https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/christmas-around-the-world/
Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light
Nov 18, 2023 - Jan 7, 2024
Museum of Science and Industry
Chicago, IL

https://chicagolandecd.org/chicagoland-west-ecd/
Chicagoland West ECD and IFD
Sun Dec 17, 2023
Glen Ellyn,IL

http://www.uofcfolk.org/
University of Chicago Folk Festival
Feb 9-10, 2024
Chicago, IL

https://sites.google.com/site/junecampifd/
June Camp International Folk Dance with Roberto Bagnoli
Jun 13-16, 2024
Lake Forest Academy
Lake Forest, IL

Dec 29-Jan 1 Folklore Village Virtual Xmas + Midwinter Traditions Fest

Folklore Village's 2020 Festival of Christmas and Midwinter Traditions will be held December 29 through January 1 as a series of workshops, performances, and gatherings hosted over the videoconferencing platform Zoom. 

Sonia Dion & Cristian Florescu will be teaching Romanian dance, and there will also be events for crafts, music, song, cooking, etc.

https://folklorevillage.org/festival-of-christmas-and-midwinter-traditions/

Seattle Skandia Folk Dance Virtual Midsommarfest Jun 26-28, 2020

The Skandia Folk Dance Society in Seattle is having their Midsommarfest virtually this weekend, so you can "attend" even if you're not in Seattle.  Info here:
https://skandia-folkdance.org/special-events.html

Some info from their flyer: "The online event will include music and dance performances, costumes, and of course, a traditional majstång-raising ceremony. Make your own flower crown at home following a special tutorial made by our flower crown queen. If you don’t have flowers and greens on hand, download paper versions to color and assemble.

"You’ll have a chance to ogle luscious Scandinavian treats, check out recipes, and view dance demonstrations to help you learn to dance or refresh your memory. There are special dance instruction videos for kids, too. Many musicians and dancers from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland appear on the site with messages for friends worldwide."

CANCELLED: Balkanske Igre Spring Fest Mar 20-22 Univ of Chgo

 http://www.ethnicdance.net/downloads/spring-festival-announcement.pdf


Balkanske Igre  https://www.balkanskiigri.com/  
https://www.facebook.com/ensemblebalkanskeigre/
55th Anniversary Spring Festival
Friday, 7pm, Balkanika Restaurant, 1414 E Oakton St, Des Plaines, IL 60018
Saturday, 9am to midnight, International House, 1414 E 59th St, Chicago
Sunday, 9am-5pm, Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 E 59th St, Chicago

 New Locations

·       Concert & Dance Party, March 21, 7pm, at Little Bulgarian Center, 832 Lee St, Des Plaines, IL. 

·       Workshops on Saturday & Sunday, March 21 & 22 9am-4pm, at Dance Studio D&B, 6069 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago.

à DO NOT GO to the International House on Saturday or Ida Noyes on Sunday.

 Unchanged 

·       Friday evening 7pm mini-workshop & party is unchanged and remains Balkanika Restaurant 1414 E Oakton Ave, Des Plaines, IL 60018.  Reservations required.

·       Sunday evening, 7pm post-festival dinner and party is unchanged at Mehanata, 1141 Lee St, Des Plaines, IL 60016.  Reservations required.

Madison Folk Ball 2020 Jan 24-26

Received from Michael:

WHAT:  Folk Ball Festival

WHEN:  January 24-26, 2020
WHERE: Memorial Union
               800 Langdon St   53715

FEATURING: Michael Ginsburg

 

FACEBOOK: "Madison Folk Ball"

WEBSITE:      www.madfolkball.org

FRIDAY DANCE PARTIES (Jan.25)
-INT'L DANCE PARTY in Great Hall 

  7:30-Midnight

  Music by YID VICIOUS, IZVOR ORCHESTRA,

      & BLACK WINE -CONTRA DANCE in Festival Room
  7:30-11:00pm, Musicians & Caller TBA

-TANCHAZ in Old Madison Room

  Music by Szaszka

 

SATURDAY DANCE WORKSHOPS (Jan.26)

10:00-noon,  1:00-3:00,  & 3:00-5:00

  Great Hall – Balkan Dance (Michael Ginsburg)

  Tripp Commons – Lindy Hop,

      Transylvanian Men’s Dance, Folk Ball 101

Brown Bag Talk   Noon-1:00 in Old Madison Rm

Singing Wkshop  1:00-3:00 in Old Madison Rm

 

THE LEGENDARY FOLK BALL DANCE PARTY

  7:00-Midnight  Saturday, Jan.26
  Great Hall ballroom

  Music by  INTEMPERANCE COLLECTIVE,

    ORKESTAR BEZ IME, SLOBODA,

    & BLACK BEAR COMBO

SUNDAY WORKSHOP REVIEW (Jan.27)

  Sat. workshop dances from Michael Ginsburg
  10:30am - 12:30pm in Old Madison Room

 

THE MONEY:

Folk Ball is funded solely by your GENEROUS DONATIONS. Come & go freely, but bring CASH,CHECK,or CREDIT CARD & give as you can!

Make one full-weekend donation at Info Table in Great Hall (check to "Madison Folk Dance Club")

or donate at each event you attend, but help keep this  celebration open to all.  THANKS!
SUGGESTED DONATIONS:  Workshop $15

       Party $30      Weekend $100
 
Presented by Wisc. Folk Arts Assoc.

    & Madison Folk Dance Club
Co-sponsored by Department of German,

    Nordic  & Slavic
Promotional support: WORT 89.9FM

    Community-Sponsored Radio

French Connection Day, Cantigny, Sun Aug 11, 2019

https://cantigny.org/event/french-connection-day/
French open-air market, live music, photo-ops by 23-foot-tall Eiffel Tower

Date: Sunday, Aug 11, 2019
Time: 10:00 am - 04:00 pm
Location: Parade Field
1 S 151 Winfield Road,Wheaton, IL 60189
Cost: Parking: $10 per car

Balkanske Igre Spring Fest Mar 22-24, 2019

Here's the link for this year's Balkanske Igre Spring Festival:
https://www.balkanskiigri.com/

Also a facebook event link:
https://www.facebook.com/events/341162626485242/

Looks like there are some new locations:

Friday, 7pm at Turkish Cuisine Restaurant, 2546 W Peterson Ave, Chicago
Saturday, 10am to midnight, International House, 1414 E 59th St, Chicago
Sunday, 10am-3:50pm, at the dance studio at 6069 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago.
Sunday evening, post-festival dinner and dance party at 6pm the N.O.K. Persian Restaurant, 6075 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago (next door to the dance studio).

Passport Europe Fest - Morton Arboretum Sep 22-23 2018

Passport Europe Festival
Morton Arboretum, 4100 IL-53, Lisle, IL 60532
Sat-Sun Sep 22-23, 2018
Free with Arboretum Admission
live music ranging from Spanish flamenco to Polish polkas and Italian jazz
dances from Ireland, Germany, and Greece.
http://www.mortonarb.org/events/passport-europe-festival 

While your're there, there's also the trolls:

 http://www.mortonarb.org/events/troll-hunt

French Connection Day Sun Aug 12, Cantigny

French Connection Day
Sunday, Aug 12, 2018 10am-4pm
Cantigny Park
1s151 Winfield Rd, Wheaton, IL

 French open-air market, petanque, musicians, can-can dancers...

https://cantigny.org/event/french-connection-day/

They're also having a French picnic under the stars the evening before:
https://cantigny.org/event/french-picnic-stars/

Balkanske Igre Spring Fest Mar 23-25, 2018, U of C Intl House

Spring Festival, 2018 Ensemble Balkanske Igre's 53rd anniversary

Ensemble Balkanske Igre
Mar 23-25 , 2018
International House
1414 E 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
Teachers:  Yannis Konstandinou (Greek),
Ahmet Luleci (Turkish),
Ventzi Sotirov (Bulgarian),
Chris Bajmakovich (accordion and Macedonin singing),
James Stoyanoff (clarinet)

Xmas Around The World, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

The Annual "Christmas Around The World and Holidays of Light" at the Museum of Science and Industry is coming up, with loads of ethnic dance performances throughout.  Here's a link to the schedule of events:
https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/christmas-around-the-world/events/december-events/
Charles will be performing with the Welsh dancers on Saturday, December 16.

Balkanske Igre Spring Fest Mar 24-26, 2017, U of Chgo

Balkanske Igre's 2017 Spring Festival
Fri-Sun, Mar 24-26, 2017
International House, 1414 E 59th St,
Chicago, IL
http://www.balkanskiigri.com/
https://www.facebook.com/events/570198566496107/

Francophone Celebration, Thurs Mar 9 COD

Thursday March 9, 2017 - 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Célébration de la Francophonie
College of DuPage Atrium
 http://www.afdupage.com/special-events.html
Charles will once again be leading French folk dancing at this event, associated with the Allance Francaise Dupage, and he says there may be Haitian and Middle Eastern dancing, too.

French Connection Day Sun Aug 14, Cantigny, Wheaton, IL

French Connection Day
Cantigny Park, Wheaton, IL
Sunday, August 14 |  10 am - 4 pm
Free with $10 per car parking fee
http://www.cantigny.org/calendar/signature-events/french-connection-day

Scottish Highland games June 18, Itasca, IL

http://scottishfestivalchicago.org/

30TH ANNUAL SCOTTISH FESTIVAL & HIGHLAND GAMES
Friday, June 17th & Saturday, June 18th
Hamilton Lakes, Itasca, IL

Midsommar Fest Sat June 18 Rockford

http://www.swedishhistorical.org/pages/midsommar


Swedish Historical Society of Rockford will hold its annual Midsommar Fest from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 18 at Erlander Home Museum, 404 S. Third St, Rockford, IL

COD Celebration de la Francophonie Wed Mar 9

Charles will be leading some French folk dances at the College of Dupage Celebration de la Francophonie, presented by College of DuPage Languages Dept, Alliance Française of DuPage and La Connexion Française:
Wednesday, March 9
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
College of Dupage
425 22nd St, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Student Services Center Atrium
SSC 2206
http://www.afdupage.com/uploads/2/7/4/8/27487037/2016_cod_celebration_de_la_francophonie.pdf

Balkanske Igre Spring Festival Mar 18-20 U of Chgo

March 18-20, 2016 at the International House at 1414 E 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
http://www.balkanskiigri.com/index.html 

Friday, 8pm - midnight / Saturday & Sunday, 9am-5pm
Workshops, Party, Culture Sessions with Master Teachers and Artists
Ahmet Luleci, Alex Markovic, Ventzi Sotirov, Chris Bajmakovich, James Stoyanoff, special guest Atanas Kolarovski, & others.

SATURDAY EVENING, March 19, 7pm, Concert & Dance Party featuring the finest live music and dances from all regions of the Balkans and Eastern Europe/Mediterranean

Folklore Village MIdwinter Traditions Festival Dec 28 - Jan 1, 2016

Roo sent info about the Festival of Christmas & Midwinter Traditions with Roots Singing Instructor Valerie Mindel and World Dance Instructors: Bill & Livia Vanaver, December 28th-January 1st 2016 at Folklore Village, 3210 Cty Hwy BBDodgeville, WI 53533

http://folklorevillage.com/t1/calendar#Festivals