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"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 …)
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Virtual Dance Room General Information

VDR General Information

  • Donate to Support the Virtual Dance Room - Online & Offline Donation Options
    • VDR sessions are free, however 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.
    • Check out the two GREEN BUTTONS on the right to review donation options.

 

Upcoming VDR / EDC / DCFF Special Events

  • Nov 29-30 (Fri-Sat) VDR Joins the Fri/Sat Parties for the 73rd Annual Kolo Festival
    • Details and Login Info Later

Fred Bear

May We Have This Dance Please?

Requests for Dancing/Teaching

  • We'd love to see more interaction between hosts and participants - such as requests
    • So what can we do to entice participants to submit requests?
  • To that end, we invite participants to play a more active role by:
    • Requesting dances to be led, played or taught by our talented hosts
  • How can you do this?
    • Login to the updated and easier to use VDR Online Request List
    • https://virtualdanceroom.net/requests/
      • Move to the next available open request row (automated soon)
      • Enter your request and comments (request to teach, play, etc.)
      • Enter your name & email (optional)
    • We'll monitor this Online Request List and schedule dances accordingly
  • We'll continue the practice of leaving most of Set 500 open for your requests.
    • Please send your in-session requests via Zoom Chat to the "Music Hall"


View All About "Stuff"

 

View/Download Virtual Dance Room "Stuff"

  • Upcoming Late Night Global Dance After-Party Announcement updated
    • After-Party Playlist updated
    • Virtual and In Person This Month
    • Themes
      • Celebrating 1 year's worth of After-Parties (52)
      • Halloween - International Artist Day - International Music Day
      • National Cat Day - National Do Something Nice Day
      • National Hug a Drummer Day - National New Friends Day
      • Plush Animal Lovers Day - World Animal Day
      • Worldwide Howl at the Moon Night - National Immigrants Day



Links to MANY Other virtual and in-person Folk Dance Sessions

 

The GREEN button (below) is for the VDR / DCFF GoFundMe Fundraiser

The BLUE button (below, scroll down) is for regular VDR regular VDR Donations

We've initiated a GoFundMe Fundraising Drive to support VDR and DCFF activities that runs from 1 March through 30 April 2024.

Click this GREEN button below to participate in the VDR / DCFF GoFundMe Fundraising Drive

VDR Donation
 
 
 

Click this GREEN button below for the usual multiple ways to donate to the VIdrual 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 this Green Button

 

VDR Donation
 
Upcoming VDR & Other Dance Events - Save These Dates

Advanced Notice - Some Upcoming Events - Save These Dates

  • Oct 5 (Sat) Annual Ron & Kathy Fico Folk Picnic, Zion, IL, Bring a dish to share, 5pm
  • Oct 5-7 (Fri-Sun) - 19th Annual Pink Party in Omaha, NE with Barbara Bleisch
  • Oct 19 (Sat) - Global Dance Party - Theme TBA
  • Oct 19/20 (Sat/Sun) - Dance More at VDR's Late Night Global Dance After-Party
  • Oct 20 (Sun) - Outdoor TNR (OTNR) in Boston Area
  • Nov 16 (Sat) - Global Dance Party - Theme TBA
  • Nov 16/17 (Sat/Sun) - Dance More at VDR's Late Night Global Dance After-Party
  • Nov 28-Dec 1 (Thu-Sun) - Annual Texas Intl. Folk Dance Camp in Bruceville, TX
  • Nov 29/30 (Fri/Sat) - VDR's Joins the Kolo Festival's Evening Parties via Zoom
  • Nov 29/30 (Fri/Sat) - 75th Annual Kolo Festival in San Francisco, CA

Fred Bear Fred Bear invites you to Czech out these links to many International Folk Dance Events! - (Save these dates!)
  • Oct 5 (Fri) - 5:00pm - Until Central
    • Annual Fico Folk Party, at the Fico's place in Zion, IL,
    • LIFE IS A GIFT LET'S CELEBRATE BRING A DISH TO SHARE
    • BRATS AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE PROVIDED
    • RON & KATHY FICO, 42251 N. DELANY RD, ZION, IL, (847) 872-9750l
  • Oct 4 (Fri) - 8:00-11:00pm EDT - Hybrid Event
    • TNR - MIT Tuesday Night Revival (TNR) Dance
    • $10,
    • Attendees must be vaccinated - masks required
    • Location - First Parish, 50 Church St, in Waltham, MA 02452
    • Saturday Dance Zoom Link: https://tinyurl.com/tnrzoom
      • Meeting ID: 99176986857 (no passcode)
    • TNR Website/Schedule: https://tuesdaynightrevival.com/
  • Oct 11 (Fri) - 7:30pm - to 11:30pm-ish Central
  • Oct 18 (Fri) - 7:30pm - to 11:30pm-ish CDT - Central
  • Oct 19/20 (Sat/Sun) - 8:15pm-3:00am Central
    • Dance More at VDR's Late Night Global Dance After-Party + Post Dance Discussion
    • Hybrid Dance - Online and In Person
    • October Theme
      • Celebrating Local Live Music Groups
      • Music of Bands Originating Out of the IFD Movement
      • Including, but not limited to:
        • Veselba – Balkan Cabaret – Ziya – Edessa
        • PISS Band – Zlatne Ušte – Pečurka – Baksheesh Boys
        • Music Without Borders – Malo Selo
        • Aman Ensemble – NAMA Orchestra – Koleda
        • Maritza – Westwind Ensemble – Orkestar Bez Ime
        • Pinewoods Band Radost – Slavadillo – Pajdaši – Lyuti Chushki
        • Spatter Dash – Balkanski Bus
    • Late Night Global Dance After-Party Announcement
    • Click for After-Party Playlist
    • NOTE: THE AFTER-PARTY IS A 1-DAY EVENT THAT STARTS SATURDAY EVENING AND ENDS EARLY SUNDAY MORNING
    • WE SHOW SAT/SUN DAYS FOR OUR OVERSEAS PARTICIPANTS BECAUSE FOR THEM, THE EVENT STARTS ON SUNDAY
  • Oct 20 (Sun) - Oct 20 (Sun) - 8:00-11:00pm Eastern
    • Outdoor TNR (OTNR) - MIT Tuesday Night Revival (TNR)
    • Dance Location - Contact Barbara Gottfried: gotfried@bu.edu
    • No Zoom
    • TNR Website/Schedule: https://tuesdaynightrevival.com/

  • Oct 25 (Fri) - 7:30pm - to 11:30pm-ish Central
  • Nov 1 (Fri) - 7:30pm - to 11:30pm-ish - Central
  • Nov 1-3 (Wknd) - Central
    • Armenian Dance Workshop at Tapestry - Minneapolis, MN
    • Instructor: Sevag Avakian Teaching sessions on Friday night, Saturday morning and afternoon
    • Request dance party Friday night after teaching to recorded music
    • Potluck lunch on Saturday between teaching sessions with a culture session by Sevag
    • Dance party Saturday night to music by Orkestar Bez Ime
    • Sunday brunch followed by reviews of the weekend dances
    • You can register for the weekend on-line at the event page on the Tapestry website or download a printable registration form. Here is the link to the event page: https://www.tapestryfolkdance.org/internationalworkshop/

 

  • Nov 16/17 (Sat/Sun) - 8:15pm-3:00am Central
    • Dance More at VDR's Late Night Global Dance After-Party + Post Dance Discussion
  • Nov 22 (Fri) - 7:30pm - to 11:30pm-ish - Central
  • Nov 29 (Fri) - 7:30pm - to 11:30pm-ish - Central
    • VDR will join up with the Kolo Festival Friday an Saturday Night Parties
    • See Kolo Festival Listing Below - URL will be provided soon
    • Weekly VDR Dance Party + Post-Dance Discussion
    • Hybrid Dance - Online and In Person
    • Guest Hosts: TBD
    • Join the VDR Friday Dance Party

  • Nov 29-30 (Fri-Sat)
    • 73rd Annual Kolo Festival Location: Russian Center San Francisco, CA
    • Instructors: Sonia/Chrisian, Angelina Angelova, Michael Ginsburg, John Morovich, Yannis Konstantinou
    • Live Music from around the world
    • Web: https://kolofestival.org/

  • Nov 28-Dec 1 (Thu-Sun)
    • Annual Texas Camp
    • Location - Greene Family Camp in Bruceville, TX
    • Instructors: Nick & Melissa Enge (Social Dance), Joan Bennett (International)
    • Web: https://tifd.org/

 

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 this BLUE button

VDR Donation

 

Virtual Dance Room (VDR) Followups

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 this BLUE button

VDR Donation
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
    • Click to View Dick Miller Page: https://www.dcff.net/dickmiller/
  • Celebration Day Details
    • Lakeview Park Shelter in Middleton, WI - https://visitmiddleton.com/location/lakeview-park/
    • We have the shelter reserved (indoor/outdoor space)
    • We'll begin gathering at 1:30 pm. with a program starting around 2 pm.
    • The afternoon will include time for tributes, music, games, and a late lunch/early dinner concluding around 5 pm
    • We'd love for you to think of a story or memory to share - Click Link Below!

Jul 7-9, 2023 (Fri-Sun) - In-Person and Online Event - afternoon & evening proceedings were Zoomed

 

We've initiated a GoFundMe Fundraising Drive to support VDR and DCFF activities that runs from 1 March through 30 April 2024.

Click this GREEN button below to participate in the VDR / DCFF GoFundMe Fundraising Drive

VDR Donation
Miscellaneous Stuff

Miscellaneous Stuff

 

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Additional Information - Tel: (847)-846-8139, (773)-634-9381 - -

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