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2026 Still Zooming

We will continue to meet on Zoom for folk dancing on Friday evenings, 8pm-10pm. Contact lindaandjay@comcast.net for Zoom meeting info.  Pl...

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Scandinavian Day Sep 10, 2017 Vasa Park, South Elgin, IL

Scandinavian Day Festival
Sunday, Sept 10, 2017 10am-6pm
$10/person, kids under 12 free
Vasa Park, 35W217 Route 31, South Elgin, IL 60177 | 847-695-6720
Scandinavian crafts, dance, education, food, music, and merchandise;
Nordic Folk Dancers perform at 1:30pm, teaching at 2:30
http://www.scandinaviandayil.com/index.html

Fermilab English Country Dance Sun Sep 10, 2017 + other ECD events

Received from Mady:
"This Sunday afternoon, September 10, at Fermilab's Kuhn Barn, there will be English country dancing from 1 to 5 p.m. (experienced from 1 to 2 p.m., then all welcome), with live music by Old Fezziwig's Band. We'll start working on a few of the dances coming up on the Harvest Moon Dance Weekend programs (see below), as well as Pat Shaw and other favorites from our summer experiences. There are also dates for upcoming dances at Fermilab through the 2017-08 season on the website now.This coming Monday evening, September 11, from 7 to 10 p.m., there will be a special workshop with dance historian Susan de Guardiola, with live music by Tim Macdonald and Jeremy Ward, at Oak Park's Nineteenth Century Club. Susan's focus is "The dancing of early 19th century Edinburgh" and is based on her recent research into the dancing of the Lowe brothers. (More details on the website.) Of course, if you want to wear historic costume, that is always appreciated, though certainly not required.
Also coming up soon is our Harvest Moon Dance Weekend, October 13 - 15, held entirely at Oak Park's lovely Nineteenth Century Club, with superlative music by all four members of Bare Necessities and wonderful calling and workshops by Bruce Hamilton. The early bird price for the full weekend ($130 for adults, $85 for full time students and limited income seniors) expires September 15, so you might want to register online by then!

In news of Central Illinois, dancing in Champaign-Urbana will move from the previously announced date of Saturday, September 23, to Sunday afternoon, September 24, 2 to 5 p.m., at the Phillips Center.
English dancing in Evanston has already started up for the season every other Wednesday evening. Check the website for upcoming dates."

Oconomowoc Folk Dance Camp Sep 15-17, 2017

Fall Dance Camp in Oconomowoc
Sponsored by Lake Geneva Folk Dancers
Where: Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI), 600 Lac Labelle Dr,  Oconomowoc, WI
When: Sep 15-17, 2017, check-in starts Friday 4:30pm, Dinner 6:30pm
Camp ends Sunday after a light lunch
Cost: $225 per person if paid in full by Aug 15 30, 2017 ($245 after Aug 15 30)
Accommodation: Double occupancy rooms with private bath.  Charge for a single room, IF AVAILABLE, will be an additional $75
More details on flyer. Click on flyer image at left to open it full size.

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Passport Europe Festival Sep 23-24, 2017 Morton Arboretum

Passport Europe Festival
Sat-Sun Sep 23-24, 2017
Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL
Live music ranging from Spanish flamenco to Polish polkas and Italian jazz. Dances from Ireland, Germany, and Greece.

You may want to bring a blanket or folding chair if you want to sit & watch the performances.

Admission: $14 Adults ages 18–64, $12 Seniors ages 65+, $9 Youth ages 2–17
Admission includes FREE parking. Members enter for free with valid membership credentials.

http://www.mortonarb.org/events/passport-europe-festival 
You may want to bring a blanket or folding chair if you want to sit & watch the performances.

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Gofundme fundraiser for Door Co Folk Festival

We received e-mail from Paul about a gofundme campaign to support the Door County Folk Festival, "to retire the remaining debt from the 2017 Festival and raise start-up funding for 2018 Festival planning activities". 
Here's the link if you'd like to support it:
https://www.gofundme.com/dcfolkfest
The campaign runs thru Sept 16, 2017.

Mayim-Mayim, Ricky Holden, and Japanese video games

Listening to PRI's The World on the radio, I heard familiar music and an interesting story -- it starts at about time 40:25:

It refers to this article "How an Israeli Folk Song Became A Hit on Japanese Video Game Soundtracks":
http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/242738/jewcy-mayim-mayim
"...Seriously, everyone in Japan knows “Mayim Mayim.”
"How did this happen? It began in the post-WWII occupation of Japan, led by General Douglas MacArthur. As part of the (admittedly somewhat forced) cultural exchange, the United States decided to teach the youth in Asia folk dances. They enlisted the aid of Rickey Holden, a prominent square and folk dance-caller, scholar, and educator..."
If you search for "Mayim Mayim Anime" in youtube, you find an amazing number of clips:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mayim+mayim+anime 
Who knew?