"Where the World Comes to Dance" Friday Dance Party 7:30pm-11:00pm-ish Central + Post Dance Discussion (Sound Checks/Music: 7:00pm – Repertoire Workshop: 7:30pm – Dance Party: 8:00pm – Discussion: 11:00pm-ish until …)
Fred Bear Invites You to View & Download Info About these Virtual Dance Room Events!
Upcoming VDR Events
VDR Weekly Dance Party (Most Fridays)
Friday (evening) 7:30pm - 10:00Pm Central
Featuring Tonight: A tribute to Frances "Sunni" Bloland" who passed away last Friday.
Sunni attended my Halloween wedding in 1987 and conspired with my best friend (Andrew Greenberg) to perform a "skit" with Andrew's Sister and Brother-In-Law.
Sunni brought "LOTS OF SUN" into the International Folk Dance Movement with her humorous and personable presentation of Romanian Dances!
If the VDR provides you with any amount of enjoyment and entertainment, please take a minute to click this link to review our request for your financial support.
To view various online and offline donation options for the VIRTUAL DANCE ROOM, click the GREEN button below
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
Click the GREEN button below for the usual multiple ways to donate to the Virtual Dance Room
If the VDR provides you with any amount of enjoyment and entertainment, please take a minute to click this link to review our request for your financial support.
To view various online and offline donation options for the VIRTUAL DANCE ROOM, click the GREEN button below
Upcoming VDR & Other Dance Events - Save These Dates
Advanced Notice - Upcoming Events Summary - Save These Dates
Apr 19 (Sat) - Global Dance Party - Theme TBA
Apr 19/20 (Sat/Sun) - Dance More at VDR's After-Party - Theme TBA
Apr 24-27 (Extended Weekend) - 15th Annual Verea Bulgarian Festival in Chicago Area
May 17 (Sat) - Global Dance Party - Theme TBA
May 17/18 (Sat/Sun) - Dance More at VDR's After-Party - Theme TBA
Jun 12-15 (Extended Weekend) - Annual June Camp with Steve Kotansky
Jun 21 (Sat) - Global Dance Party - Theme TBA
Jun 21/22 (Sat/Sun) - Dance More at VDR's After-Party - Theme TBA
Jul 11-13 (Weekend) - 46th Annual Door County Folk Festival at MUSE Sturgeon Bay (WI)
Jul 19 (Sat) - Global Dance Party - Theme TBA
Jul 19/20 (Sat/Sun) - Dance More at VDR's After-Party - Theme TBA
Fred Bear invites you to Czech out these links to many International Folk Dance Events! - (Save these dates!)
Apr 11 (Fri) - 7:30pm - to 11:30pm-ish - Central
Weekly VDR Dance Party + Post-Dance Discussion
Virtual Dance - Online Only
Guest Hosts: Paul Collins, Theresa Utschig, Michael Chyet, Orkester Unbound (Video Music)
If the VDR provides you with any amount of enjoyment and entertainment, please take a minute to click this link to review our request for your financial support.
To view various online and offline donation options for the VIRTUAL DANCE ROOM, click the GREEN button below
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 take a minute to click this link to review 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
The Door County Folk Festival requests your support. Help keep DCFF going by taking a moment to click this link to review our request for your financial support.
To view various online and offline donation options for the Door County Folk Festival, click the BLUE BUTTON below
"Where the World Comes to Dance"
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