http://www.ethnicdance.net
Balkan Dance Workshop
with
Dennis Boxell
Friday, May 25th
Workshop 8:00pm to 10:00 pm
Request Dancing until midnite
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Dennis Boxell
| Dennis Boxell is originally
from Minneapolis, Minnesota where, at the age of 15, in 1955, he first
became acquainted with the music and dance of the South Slavs. Under
the encouragement of Lillian Kurkowsky of the St. Paul International Institute,
he learned the dances of the Croatian and Serbian immigrants there.
Later, in 1961, he formed a performing group in South St. Paul with the
children of these Slavic (mostly Serb) immigrants. It was during
his years in Minneapolis that Dennis first met the brilliant folk dance
researcher and then choreographer of the Duquesne University Tamburitzans,
Dick Crum. Inspired by Mr. Crum, Dennis began to develop a professional
and enthusiastic interest in Balkan Dance.
From 1958 to 1961, Dennis served in the U.S. Army Security Agency. He was trained in the Czech language at the Army Language School in Monterey, California where he graduated first in his class with highest commendations. From there he was sent to West Germany to monitor and translate radio transmissions from Czechoslovakia. While in Germany, in 1960, he took his annual 30-day leave and through a stroke of luck and good timing, ended up traveling with the National Folk Ensemble of Yugoslavia, “Kolo iz Beograda”. The dancers of “Kolo” accepted Dennis as their young American friend and shared with him many of their dances as he traveled with them from town to town. Dennis then traveled to London, England to study with Phillip Thornton’s “Yugoslav Dance Club and Danny Lumbley’s “Bulgarian Dance Group”. There he learned the original five dances that were to launch him on his career. They were Bavno Oro, Ravno Oro, Tresenica, Sitno Zensko, and Belo Lence. Returning from the Army, Dennis traveled West to study at the University of California, Berkeley, having finished his freshman year at the University of Minnesota. En route to California, Dennis was “discovered” by John Filcich in the small town of Richland, Washington during their annual folk dance festival. Mr. Filcich was the creator of the San Francisco “Kolo Festival” (Kolo means “dance” in Serbo-Croatian) and owner of the largest Balkan record and music shop in the U.S. He brought Dennis to the Kolo Festival that fall, in November 1962, where Dennis presented the “original five dances” with great success and acclaim. Dennis’ career was now launched in full swing. He was asked to teach at Stockton Folk Dance Camp where he taught for five years in a row. He was the first Balkan dance teacher to go on an extended national teaching tour, visiting dozens of cities throughout the country, presenting his five dances, including a new addition, “Šopsko Horo”. Of the original “Five,” Bavno Oro is still a favorite everywhere. Ravno, Šopsko and Tresenica are still danced here and there. Belo Len?e has been “resurrected” as “Iz Banju Ide” and is becoming a favorite as of this writing (winter, 2001). In the fall of 1963, heeding
the public’s clamor for more information about Balkan Dance, Dennis packed
his suitcases and headed for the Balkans. He did not return until
he had: 1) Recorded over 150 dance tunes. 2) Visited and studied
with eminent folklorists such as Ivan lvan?an of Croatia, Milica Illijin
and Dobrivoje Putnik of Serbia, Pece Atanasovski and Vasil Hadjimanov of
Macedonia, Kiril Dženev and Raina Katsarova of Bulgaria and Nana Stefanaki
of Greece. 3) And had picked up a working knowledge of the Serbo-Croatian
and Bulgarian languages along the way. These experts made it possible
for Dennis to travel to remote regions, collecting and recording the numerous
dances he was later to introduce to the folkdance world.
|
St Josaphat Parish Hall
SE Corner of Belden &
Southport
Belden (2300 N) - Southport
(1400 W)
Click
Here for Directions to St Josaphat Parish Hall
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Information
(773)-506-8222 - Paul/hm
(773)-463-2288 - Paul/wk
info@ethnicdance.net
Admission
General: $8.00
St Josaphat Parish Members: $7.00
Full time Students: $7.00