Lyrids/Kyklos 2021 Featured Instructors
| Pacific Time | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| 9 AM – Noon | Three 50-min dance classes on the hour | Three 50-min dance classes on the hour |
| Noon – 1 PM | Folk Dance Teachers from the Netherlands | A compilation of performances of Het Internationaal Danstheater |
For afternoon workshop instructors see Workshops
Maurits van Geel lives in The Netherlands and holds a degree in Arts and Crafts and Art History. He graduated as a folk dance teacher in 1977 and received his degree at Dance Academy level from the Ministry of Culture in 1986. He taught at folk dance clubs in Amsterdam and worked as a dance consultant for the City Council 1986-1988, initiating dance projects in schools in combination with setting up dance projects and festivals. Also in the 1980s, he specialized in the Appalachian clogging, worked as guest teacher in Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany, and was invited to be a guest teacher at the Rotterdam Dance Academy.
He was employed by Het Internationaal Danstheater, a professional dance company in Amsterdam, first as choreographer and later as artistic director for 23 years (1988-2011). During his career, he produced over 47 theatre programs in the field of world dance for this company. Part of this job involved several months of dance research each year in order to prepare for these programs. His travels have included India, Pakistan, Turkey, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Cherkassy, among many other countries. His archive consists of almost 900 DVDs, with research material from all over the world, most of it recorded by himself. He has also choreographed folk dances, among them Syrtós Kitrínou.
Since 2011, Maurits has been teaching, often with his wife Tineke.
Tineke van Geel received her degree as folk dance instructor in 1977. She specializes in Armenian dance and works as a teacher and choreographer. Since 1985 she has regularly visited Armenia to study folklore at the Pedagogic Institute and Choreographic School in Yerevan. Part of each research trip was devoted to working with several amateur groups in Armenia and doing research on costumes. Two of those research trips were supported by scholarships of the Dutch government. On several occasions Tineke visited the United States to observe the dances performed by the Armenian communities there.
Tineke conducts workshops for students at various levels, beginning to professional, and has taught classes in international folk dance, Dutch and Armenian dances in many countries of the world, a fact that didn’t remain unnoticed in Armenia. In 2006, she received an award from the Armenian government for her extraordinary devotion and energy in promoting Armenian dance, music and culture. All her research in Armenia has made her a world-renown specialist of Armenian dance.
In addition to a pleasant sense of humor, Tineke is an excellent teacher who can break down dance patterns step by step to enable every student to master the dances and to experience the joy of both learning and executing this exciting material. Combined with a vast knowledge of Armenian dance and culture, these qualities have contributed to her worldwide success and popularity.