A native of Turkey, Ahmet Lüleci is an accomplished choreographer, dance teacher and performer as well as a researcher of Anatolian culture. He is currently the artistic director of the Boston based Collage Dance Ensemble, which allows him to further his goal of making folk dance and music accessible to a wider audience. From the age of eight he has danced with numerous ensembles and private associations.  Ahmet’s college major was music and his fascination with dance led him to conduct scholarly research into the historical, social and cultural background of the costumes and spoon dances from Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. From 1974 to 1985 Ahmet taught in several excellent traditional dance ensembles in Turkey. Since arriving in North America in 1985, Ahmet taught many dance workshops and camps in North America and abroad and has set innumerable suites of dances for the stage.  Ahmet is also the winner of many prestigious awards in dance, choreography, and achievement in the arts and humanities. Ahmet Lüleci’s website.

Gergana Panova-Tekath was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. From 1988 to 1993 she choreographed and was a solo dancer with the Filip Kutev Bulgarian National Folk Ensemble in Sofia. She studied folk dance pedagogy and ethnology in Bulgaria, performing arts and Laban-Notation in Germany, obtained her Ph.D. in cultural philosophy and communications from Dortmund University in Germany and her D.Sc. in ethnomusicology from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Gergana regularly commutes between Bulgaria, where she heads the Ethnochoreology Studies at the Institute for Art Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and Germany, where she is Professor of International Dance at Folkwang University in Essen.

Gergana has published over 70 articles and two books on various aspects of Bulgarian traditional dance, ethnology and non-verbal communication and has lectured at numerous universities in Europe, Asia, South and North America. She has initiated theatre and dance therapy projects in different European countries, leads dance courses for refugees and locals in Germany and has taught over 300 dance workshops in many countries around the world.

Dances to be presented are Doidi Doidi Libe Le, Jove, and Imala Maika.

RHYTHM & DRUMMING FOR FOLK DANCERS
Taught by Polly Tapia Ferber

If you’re curious about rhythm, especially the complex rhythms of international folk dance music, join renowned percussionist Polly Tapia Ferber to learn how to hear, count, and play a variety of dance patterns. Use any hand drum available: a doumbek, a djembe, an oatmeal box, a coffee can… Your feet know what to do, invite your hands and brain to come along!

Percussionist Polly Tapia Ferber is a music educator, performer, and recording artist who specializes in hand percussion from the Balkans, the Middle East, Turkey, North Africa, and Spanish Andalucia. She is noted for her melodic style of playing on several percussion instruments including the doumbek, frame drums, the Middle Eastern tambourine, and Spanish wooden box-drum (cajon). She is a member of several bands from New York to New Mexico, playing various musical styles.

Polly has traveled to Tunisia, Egypt, Greece, Spain, Morocco, and Israel studying with celebrated teachers and performing with some of the world’s most renowned musicians. She maintains an active performing and teaching schedule.

Naomi Taussig is known for her infectious energy and enthusiasm – especially when it comes to Israeli dancing!  First introduced to Israeli dance when she spent a high-school year living in Israel, Naomi started dancing in Vancouver in 1982. Within a few years, she started teaching, running her own dance sessions, and then became a certified Israeli Folk Dance instructor at Israel’s Wingate Sports Institute.

In addition to running sessions in both Israel and Vancouver over the past 35 years, Naomi has danced in and directed performance troupes and offered Israeli dance classes specially geared to seniors, children and special needs adults. Her belief is that anyone with interest and desire can dance – there is no such thing as “two left feet”. It’s about having fun, enjoying the process, and keeping active in mind, body and spirit.

Naomi will teach Balada L’Ma’ayan, Lifnei Shenifradim, and possibly a third dance.

Miamon Miller (see bio here) will teach two folk dance melodies from the Greek islands.

“We’ll compare a syrto from Zakynthos with another from Samothraki (Samothrace). The melodies, harmonies and rhythms should be accessible to anyone who has a modest handle on their instrument. I’ll do my best to make it enjoyable for all attendees, from beginners to those more advanced. Although traditionally Greek island music emphasizes string instruments, at Lyrids/Kyklos everyone is welcome.”

This workshop will explore two Greek island pieces:

• Syrto from Zakynthos
• Syrtos Samothraki

View Workshop Overview document here.

C and Bb charts are available in teacher resources.