Folk Dancing

***RÃan*** · 01-24-2005, 03:25 AM

I did a search and didn't see any threads on this, so here goes!

Does anyone here do folk dancing? That's what it's called in the US; maybe it's called something else in other countries. Basically, it's older, "folk" (not sure what else to call it - maybe ethnic?) dances from other countries, typically things like line dances.

I first learned some folk dances in 6th grade (approx. 12 yrs old) - a dance from Africa and a dance from Israel, IIRC, and really liked it. Then I think I took a class in high school. But when I really got into it was college/uni. I went every Sunday evening for my last few years of uni, and just adored it! Dances from Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Israel, Russia, Greece, Turkey, etc. etc. I guess they tended to be mostly Eastern European. I loved the music, and the steps ranged from simple to extremely complex.

I remember when I was about to graduate, I took my tape player to the dances for the last few months and recorded quite a few songs. I kept the tapes over the years, and played them on occasion, but tape players always seemed to jam, and I was always afraid I'd lose the tape. Just recently I was able to transfer them to CDs, and I've just been playing them like crazy and dancing around the house and having a ball! So I was just wondering if anyone else here loves folkdancing?

Hemel · 01-24-2005, 05:37 AM

Yes

I haven't been able to recently, thanks to things going on in my life

, but I was well into traditional English dancing, and regularly used to dance out at festivals and such as well. And I get very twitchy feet if I hear the music!

sun-star · 01-24-2005, 07:33 AM

Yep, me too. I like English country dancing and Scottish dancing, though I'm not able to dance regularly at the moment - mostly I only get time in the summer at our local folk festival. I love watching it too (especially morris dancing) and I'm into the music as well. I've never done the Eastern European ones you mentioned - sounds interesting...

Artanis · 01-24-2005, 08:04 AM

I'm currently taking Flamenco classes and belly dance classes. Though I don't know if that may be classified as folk dance.

Flamenco is like therapy for me.

I love the attitude, the music, palmas, the temper.

Belly dance is also wonderful, it's 'softer' and more sensual.

Embladyne · 01-24-2005, 01:13 PM

My grandmother used to take me to her folkdancing classes when I was pretty young. Now that I'm in college, I've taken a few dance classes, the most fun one was just this month...Puerto Rican Folkdancing. It's a huge workout, and really beautiful with the flowing skirts and everything.
My grandmother also gave me some Scandinavian folkdance sheet music before I left for college, and I've been meaning to look it over, so that when I get home, I can convince my brother to play some of it with me.

***RÃan*** · 01-24-2005, 01:23 PM

Sounds like we could put on quite a show with all these dances!

I wish someone knew some of the eastern European ones that I know, like Jove Male Mome. Great dance with really intricate time signature, and 7 sets of step variations. It took me a long time to learn. To learn a dance you didn't know, the custom was to watch for awhile, then go behind the line of people dancing it and try it (so when you messed up you wouldn't throw them off), then finally join in when you got it. It took me quite a few weeks to pick up that one. The music is really wild - reminds me of the music described in Narnia in the depths of the woods. There's a bagpipe-type instrument, I think called the gadja, that gives it a really cool sound.

***KhamÃ»l*** · 01-25-2005, 02:25 AM

I did some square dancing when I was about 10. I remember it being lots of fun. "Spin your partner and do-see-do" and all that good stuff.

Embladyne · 01-25-2005, 03:13 PM

What surprised me about square dancing is that it's a type of dance practiced world wide....and the calls are standardized...which means that you can go to any square dance in any country, and you can understand the caller...that's so weird, but cool

***RÃan*** · 01-25-2005, 04:25 PM

Yeah, that's fun - and I like how with a live caller, he can make it totally unique. With the folk dances I did, most were always the same (altho complex and beautiful, so very fun!), but there were one or two where someone would call the next step.

Embladyne · 01-25-2005, 08:43 PM

I love live callers. It's so fun to be out on a dance floor and not really have to think about what you're doing, or what to say, or that you can't dance, or that you don't know the music. Everything is taken care of, and there's all kinds of people there.
(I like other dancing too, this kind is just less stressful.)

ElemmÃrÃ« · 01-25-2005, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Artanis

I'm currently taking Flamenco classes and belly dance classes. Though I don't know if that may be classified as folk dance.

Flamenco is like therapy for me.

I love the attitude, the music, palmas, the temper.

Belly dance is also wonderful, it's 'softer' and more sensual.

I'm planning on learning some flamenco as soon as and if it's eventually taught at my college. I love belly dance myself (I finally made an outfit over winter break), it's so much fun, and rather tough on muscles. There's really nothing like it.

I don't know if you could consider it folk dance either, maybe not, but I do the Latin ballroom dances (samba, cha-cha, rumba...). Wonderful.

***RÃan*** · 01-26-2005, 12:51 AM

We can talk about any type of dance here

Flamenco does sound fun! and those Latin ballroom dances.

Looks like we have a few belly dancers here!

Hey, we should have a folk dance night at the Teacup Cafe!

sun-star · 01-26-2005, 10:29 AM

That's a great idea! We should've done it last night (since it was Burns Night - Burns did a lot to protect Scottish folk traditions.)

Embladyne · 01-26-2005, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

Hey, we should have a folk dance night at the Teacup Cafe!

You name the day, and I'll be there!
I've been wanting to learn to break dance for quite a while, and have taught myself a few things...but haven't really had the time to go to dance competitions to watch and learn...and I don't know of any breakin groups where I'm going to college right now...

Someday, I'll learn some better moves.
Actually, right now, the kind of dancing I'm best at is DDR (dance dance revolution) I tried parapara once, and....failed....the instructions were in japanese, so I was trying to guess from the pictures, and my friends couldn't read it either....so we stood there, flailing around..

I have the DDR game and dance pads...and no ps2... it's on my list...
And I would go to the arcades to play, but out here, it seems they charge a buck for a game, and I'm used to paying 75cents...and I'm cheap...So, I pounce upon my friends that have ps2s...and then we dance

***RÃan*** · 01-26-2005, 06:41 PM

Hmm, I wonder if Friday would be a good day - howz that sound, everyone? Nurvs, how's the schedule?

ElemmÃrÃ« · 01-26-2005, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

Hmm, I wonder if Friday would be a good day - howz that sound, everyone? Nurvs, how's the schedule?

Friday's fine.

I only have two classes.

This is horrible, I've been back in classes a day and still...

Embladyne · 01-26-2005, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

Hmm, I wonder if Friday would be a good day - howz that sound, everyone? Nurvs, how's the schedule?

Friday sound wonderful...Do we want to decorate the cafe for the dancing?

***RÃan*** · 01-27-2005, 01:43 AM

of course! Let's hunt up some pictures!

Artanis · 01-27-2005, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elemmire

I'm planning on learning some flamenco as soon as and if it's eventually taught at my college.

That's great! Then we can do some BulerÃ*as together.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elemmire

I love belly dance myself (I finally made an outfit over winter break),

Did you make a dress yourself? That's awesome. Is it a cabaret costume or a tob?

Latin ballroom looks like great fun too, but I cannot manage those high heels!

***RÃan*** · 01-27-2005, 04:07 AM

Arty, we're starting to decorate and warm up at the Teacup Cafe ... come join us!

01-24-2005, 03:25 AM	#1
*RÃan* Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Not where I want to be ... Posts: 15,254	Folk Dancing I did a search and didn't see any threads on this, so here goes! Does anyone here do folk dancing? That's what it's called in the US; maybe it's called something else in other countries. Basically, it's older, "folk" (not sure what else to call it - maybe ethnic?) dances from other countries, typically things like line dances. I first learned some folk dances in 6th grade (approx. 12 yrs old) - a dance from Africa and a dance from Israel, IIRC, and really liked it. Then I think I took a class in high school. But when I really got into it was college/uni. I went every Sunday evening for my last few years of uni, and just adored it! Dances from Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Israel, Russia, Greece, Turkey, etc. etc. I guess they tended to be mostly Eastern European. I loved the music, and the steps ranged from simple to extremely complex. I remember when I was about to graduate, I took my tape player to the dances for the last few months and recorded quite a few songs. I kept the tapes over the years, and played them on occasion, but tape players always seemed to jam, and I was always afraid I'd lose the tape. Just recently I was able to transfer them to CDs, and I've just been playing them like crazy and dancing around the house and having a ball! So I was just wondering if anyone else here loves folkdancing? __________________ . I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ã‘Ã¡ Ã«?* Ã³Ãº Ã©Ã¤ Ã¯Ã¶Ã¼ Ã–Ã± Ã‰ Ãž Ã° ÃŸ Â® Ã§ Ã¥ â„¢ Ã¦ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lÃ³mÃ«! AurÃ« entuluva!

01-24-2005, 08:04 AM	#4
Artanis Greatest Elven woman of Aman Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Having way too much fun with FÃ«anor's 7 Posts: 4,285	I'm currently taking Flamenco classes and belly dance classes. Though I don't know if that may be classified as folk dance. Flamenco is like therapy for me. I love the attitude, the music, palmas, the temper. Belly dance is also wonderful, it's 'softer' and more sensual. __________________ --Life is hard, and then we die.

01-24-2005, 01:13 PM	#5
Embladyne Honourary Elitist Inklette Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: between the mountains and the sea Posts: 704	My grandmother used to take me to her folkdancing classes when I was pretty young. Now that I'm in college, I've taken a few dance classes, the most fun one was just this month...Puerto Rican Folkdancing. It's a huge workout, and really beautiful with the flowing skirts and everything. My grandmother also gave me some Scandinavian folkdance sheet music before I left for college, and I've been meaning to look it over, so that when I get home, I can convince my brother to play some of it with me. __________________ Even on the pinnacle of a palace a crow does not become an eagle. My DA page

01-24-2005, 01:23 PM	#6
*RÃan* Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Not where I want to be ... Posts: 15,254	Sounds like we could put on quite a show with all these dances! I wish someone knew some of the eastern European ones that I know, like Jove Male Mome. Great dance with really intricate time signature, and 7 sets of step variations. It took me a long time to learn. To learn a dance you didn't know, the custom was to watch for awhile, then go behind the line of people dancing it and try it (so when you messed up you wouldn't throw them off), then finally join in when you got it. It took me quite a few weeks to pick up that one. The music is really wild - reminds me of the music described in Narnia in the depths of the woods. There's a bagpipe-type instrument, I think called the gadja, that gives it a really cool sound. __________________ . I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ã‘Ã¡ Ã«?* Ã³Ãº Ã©Ã¤ Ã¯Ã¶Ã¼ Ã–Ã± Ã‰ Ãž Ã° ÃŸ Â® Ã§ Ã¥ â„¢ Ã¦ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lÃ³mÃ«! AurÃ« entuluva!

01-25-2005, 02:25 AM	#7
*KhamÃ»l* Slacker Warrior Admin Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,759	I did some square dancing when I was about 10. I remember it being lots of fun. "Spin your partner and do-see-do" and all that good stuff. __________________ "If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you." Gandalf to Pippin Psalm 107:31

01-24-2005, 05:37 AM	#2
Hemel Elven Warrior Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: on the boats Posts: 264	Yes I haven't been able to recently, thanks to things going on in my life , but I was well into traditional English dancing, and regularly used to dance out at festivals and such as well. And I get very twitchy feet if I hear the music!

01-24-2005, 07:33 AM	#3
sun-star Lady of Letters Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Either Oxford or Kent, England Posts: 2,476	Yep, me too. I like English country dancing and Scottish dancing, though I'm not able to dance regularly at the moment - mostly I only get time in the summer at our local folk festival. I love watching it too (especially morris dancing) and I'm into the music as well. I've never done the Eastern European ones you mentioned - sounds interesting...

01-25-2005, 03:13 PM	#8
Embladyne Honourary Elitist Inklette Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: between the mountains and the sea Posts: 704	What surprised me about square dancing is that it's a type of dance practiced world wide....and the calls are standardized...which means that you can go to any square dance in any country, and you can understand the caller...that's so weird, but cool __________________ Even on the pinnacle of a palace a crow does not become an eagle. My DA page

01-25-2005, 04:25 PM	#9
*RÃan* Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Not where I want to be ... Posts: 15,254	Yeah, that's fun - and I like how with a live caller, he can make it totally unique. With the folk dances I did, most were always the same (altho complex and beautiful, so very fun!), but there were one or two where someone would call the next step. __________________ . I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ã‘Ã¡ Ã«?* Ã³Ãº Ã©Ã¤ Ã¯Ã¶Ã¼ Ã–Ã± Ã‰ Ãž Ã° ÃŸ Â® Ã§ Ã¥ â„¢ Ã¦ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lÃ³mÃ«! AurÃ« entuluva!

01-25-2005, 08:43 PM	#10
Embladyne Honourary Elitist Inklette Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: between the mountains and the sea Posts: 704	I love live callers. It's so fun to be out on a dance floor and not really have to think about what you're doing, or what to say, or that you can't dance, or that you don't know the music. Everything is taken care of, and there's all kinds of people there. (I like other dancing too, this kind is just less stressful.) __________________ Even on the pinnacle of a palace a crow does not become an eagle. My DA page

01-26-2005, 12:51 AM	#12
*RÃan* Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Not where I want to be ... Posts: 15,254	We can talk about any type of dance here Flamenco does sound fun! and those Latin ballroom dances. Looks like we have a few belly dancers here! Hey, we should have a folk dance night at the Teacup Cafe! __________________ . I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ã‘Ã¡ Ã«?* Ã³Ãº Ã©Ã¤ Ã¯Ã¶Ã¼ Ã–Ã± Ã‰ Ãž Ã° ÃŸ Â® Ã§ Ã¥ â„¢ Ã¦ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lÃ³mÃ«! AurÃ« entuluva!

01-26-2005, 10:29 AM	#13
sun-star Lady of Letters Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Either Oxford or Kent, England Posts: 2,476	That's a great idea! We should've done it last night (since it was Burns Night - Burns did a lot to protect Scottish folk traditions.) __________________ And all the time the waves, the waves, the waves Chase, intersect and flatten on the sand As they have done for centuries, as they will For centuries to come, when not a soul Is left to picnic on the blazing rocks, When England is not England, when mankind Has blown himself to pieces. Still the sea, Consolingly disastrous, will return While the strange starfish, hugely magnified, Waits in the jewelled basin of a pool.

01-26-2005, 06:41 PM	#15
*RÃan* Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Not where I want to be ... Posts: 15,254	Hmm, I wonder if Friday would be a good day - howz that sound, everyone? Nurvs, how's the schedule? __________________ . I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ã‘Ã¡ Ã«?* Ã³Ãº Ã©Ã¤ Ã¯Ã¶Ã¼ Ã–Ã± Ã‰ Ãž Ã° ÃŸ Â® Ã§ Ã¥ â„¢ Ã¦ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lÃ³mÃ«! AurÃ« entuluva!

01-27-2005, 01:43 AM	#18
*RÃan* Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Not where I want to be ... Posts: 15,254	of course! Let's hunt up some pictures! __________________ . I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ã‘Ã¡ Ã«?* Ã³Ãº Ã©Ã¤ Ã¯Ã¶Ã¼ Ã–Ã± Ã‰ Ãž Ã° ÃŸ Â® Ã§ Ã¥ â„¢ Ã¦ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lÃ³mÃ«! AurÃ« entuluva!

01-27-2005, 04:07 AM	#20
*RÃan* Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Not where I want to be ... Posts: 15,254	Arty, we're starting to decorate and warm up at the Teacup Cafe ... come join us! __________________ . I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ã‘Ã¡ Ã«?* Ã³Ãº Ã©Ã¤ Ã¯Ã¶Ã¼ Ã–Ã± Ã‰ Ãž Ã° ÃŸ Â® Ã§ Ã¥ â„¢ Ã¦ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lÃ³mÃ«! AurÃ« entuluva!

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