"Where the World Comes to Dance" Weekly Friday Parties with 3-4 Guest Hosts/Musicians - 7:30pm-11:00pm + Post-Dance Discussion 3rd Saturday After-Parties with 15-18 Guest Hosts/Musicians - 8:15pm-3:00am + Post-Dance Discussion
Out of the Woodwork Holiday Party - No Zoom this week
$5/person
Call your friends who haven't been at EMNFD recently - bring them out of the woodwork for this annual reunion! Two and a half hours of dancing to old favorites
As usual, we will have a freewill collection for Connections for the Homeless, Evanston's support and advocacy organization
Feel free to bring snacks, and come early to help decorate
New Year's Eve Party (hybrid) - live music by Pinewoods Band
8:30pm - 12:30am
Payson Park Church
365 Belmont Street
Belmont, MA 02478
Zoom Registration Information TBA
Cost - TBA
Whether at home or in-person, kick up your heels with FAC to usher in the new year and celebrate the start of FAC's 50th year!
About the Band The Pinewoods Band showcases the far-reaching talents of an eclectic and spirited group of musicians who have been playing together at home in Greater Boston and throughout the US and Canada since 1991. Their energy, wit and enthusiasm are matched by an amazing breadth of repertoire and instrumental command.
Band Members: Tom Pixton, band leader (accordion, vocals) Ralph Iverson (fiddle, gadulka, tambura) Barbara Pixton (bass) Julia Poirier (guitar, vocals) David Skidmore (percussion, clarinet, whistle) Brian Wilson (fiddle, clarinet) Patrick Yacono (clarinet, kaval, gajda) Niki Yeracaris (violin)
Proposed Schedule Revisions - Fri & Sat, Jan 31 & Feb 1 Stockton Winter Weekend "Morning-After" Parties (Saturday, January 31, 2026 - 10:00am-1:00pm CST)
(Sunday February 1, 2026 - 10:00am-1:00pm CST)
VDR will host two "Morning After" Dance Parties for Stockton Winter Weekend 2026
Sat, Jan 31 & Sun Feb 1, 2026 - 10:00am to 1:00pm CST
(note the day and time changes)
Sat/Sun - Jan 31 & Feb 1, 2026 - Temtative Schedules 10:00am-1:00pm CST
VDR sessions are free, however we do have expenses...
We greatly need & appreciate your donations that offset operating costs, including Zoom & internet fees, increased facility rent, equipment replacement/repair costs and funding for musicians and dance workshop instructors
We suggest a donation of $10 per person per session (or best effort) or between $20 and $25 per month when you attend.
Click any of the GREEN BUTTONS on this page to review donation options
The Mystery Dance Theme Challenge of Friday, October 29, 2023
We planned a "Mystery Dance Theme" for all music used in sets 50 and 100.
Accidentally, all music for sets 200 and 400 followed this theme.
All dances except 1 in set 300 followed this theme.
Unfortunately, no one guessed the theme this time.
Instead of usinga lot of alternate music for doing dances on Halloween (other groups did that) we put the Halloween mood into the program by using only music in a minor scale or modal scale (Mixolydian, Lydian, Phrygian, Dorian, etc.)
I think we did this theme a couple of years ago and will try it again sometime.
The Mystery Dance Theme Challenge of Fridays, July 21 and August 4, 2023
The Mystery Dance Theme was continued on August 4th from the Friday July 21st dance
Barbara Bleisch (St Louis) guessed correctly (on the 21st) that all the dances had movements into the center and out / or forward to the center and back
We wanted 1 or 2 or more prize-winners, so the theme continued on August 4 and all hosts (Melissa, Theresa, Barbara-B) included theme dances in their sets
Erika Nadas (Chicago, IL), a fellow dancer and college mate of mine, got a 95% noting that all dances had movement into and out of the center - Erika also suggested that the dances seemed to then progress around the circle, but several did not.
Don Weeda (Austin, TX) took a look at the list and sent an email guessing that all dances had backing up, but not all went forward - which was only half correct. Besides, Besides, Don did not actually login, so he gets a 50% (and an honorable mention) but no fabulous prizes.
Special VDR Life Celebration Dance Party of July 28, 2023
This event was a great success
Thanks to all of the 40+ International Folk Dancers and Bulgarian Folk Dancers and Musicians who attended in person and to the 75+ participants who attended virtually
We used this occasion to celebrate the lives of several dancers who've had an impact on Chicago International Folk Dancing and who've recently passed away
Jeri Lynn Banina Sherby (regular dancer at EDC & the VDR for many years)
John Kuo (leader of Balkanske Igre and organizer of the Spring Festival)
Mary Garvin (Twin Cities dance leader who taught regularly at DCFF)
If the VDR provides you with any amount of enjoyment and entertainment, please consider our request for your financial support.
To view various online and offline donation options for the VIRTUAL DANCE ROOM, click the GREEN button below
Door County Folk Festival (DCFF) Information
Door County Folk Festival (DCFF) Followups
Aug 20, 2023 (Sun) - Richard "Dick" Miller Celebration of Life in Middleton, WI
Aug 20 (Sun) - 1:30pm-5:00pm CDT
Celebrate the Life of Richard (Dick) Miller
We invite you to celebrate the life of Richard "Dick" Miller (Middleton, Wisconsin) who passed away on January 7, 2023 while on vacation visiting relatives and friends in Nevada.
Dick and Miriam Miller played VERY IMPORTANT ROLES by leading extremely fun and creative Youth/Children's Activities for the Festival.
Please visit the "Celebrating the Life of Dick Miller" Page on the DCFF website, where you'll find
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