This page is an historical archive, and therefore is out of date and will not be updated. Please visit our updated homepage at http://mit.edu/fdc for current information about the MIT Folk Dance Club.

MIT Folk Dance Club

Updated June 6, 2007.

Upcoming Dances

• Contra Dance
  Tuesday June 12, 2007, 8:00 - 10:30 pm, in Lobdell Dining Hall (Student Center 2nd Floor). Caller: Barb Kirchner.
  See the Contra Dance page for more dances. (Dates and locations vary.)
  
  
• International Folk:
  International folk dances occur every Sunday, 8:00 - 11:00 pm.
  June 10, 2007: Building 3 room 343 (3rd floor). Subject to change.
  June 17 - July 29, 2007: Sala de Puerto Rico (Student Center 2nd Floor).
  
  
• Israeli
  Israeli dances occur every Wednesday, 8:00 - 11:00 pm.
  June 6, 2007: Dancing outside! Look for us near Kresge (next to the Student Center).
  June 13, 2007: Sala de Puerto Rico (Student Center 2nd Floor).
  
  Check the Israeli email announcement log to confirm locations and events.
  
  

Quick Index

Click to jump to a category.

About The Club

IAP Special Events

Club Email Lists

Special Events

Vinovana, Our Performing Group

How to Find a Room We're Scheduled in

Organizational meetings of the Club

Links to related dance sites

About The Club

The MIT Folk Dance Club sponsors three nights of dancing each week throughout the year, all of which are open to the MIT community and the general public.

Sunday night International Folk Dancing meets every week from 8:00 to 11:00 pm:
June 10, 2007: Building 3 room 343 (3rd floor). Subject to change.
June 17 - July 29, 2007: Sala de Puerto Rico (Student Center 2nd Floor).
August 5, 2007: Lobdell Dining Hall (Student Center 2nd Floor).
August 12, 2007: Sala de Puerto Rico (Student Center 2nd Floor).
August 19 - September 2, 2007: Location to be announced.
September 9, 2007: Lobdell Dining Hall (Student Center 2nd Floor).
September 23 & 30, 2007: Beginner's Nights in the Sala!
September 16 - October 14, 2007: Sala de Puerto Rico (Student Center 2nd Floor).
October 21, 2007: Lobdell Dining Hall (Student Center 2nd Floor). Live music by Shining Moon!
October 28, 2007: Lobdell Dining Hall (Student Center 2nd Floor). Live music by the Cambridge Folk Orchestra!
November 4, 2007: Lobdell Dining Hall (Student Center 2nd Floor).
November 11, 2007: In Lobdell Dining Hall (Student Center 2nd Floor). Tom Roby will select the program.
November 18, 2007: Live music by the Cambridge Folk Orchestra! In the Sala de Puerto Rico (Student Center 2nd Floor).
November 25 & December 2, 2007: Lobdell Dining Hall (Student Center 2nd Floor).

Sunday Dates (8-11 pm)	Building/Floor	Room	Notes
December 2, 2007	Student Center 2nd Floor	Lobdell Dining Hall	Beginner's Night/PE Class (all are welcome).
December 9 & 16, 2007	Student Center 2nd Floor	Sala de Puerto Rico
December 23 & 30, 2007	NO DANCING
January 6 & 13, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Sala de Puerto Rico
January 20 - February 3, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Lobdell Dining Hall
February 10 & 17, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Sala de Puerto Rico
February 24, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Sala de Puerto Rico	Bulgarian afternoon workshop & evening party w/Daniela & Vlado
March 2, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Sala de Puerto Rico
March 9 & 16, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Lobdell Dining Hall
March 23 - April 6, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Sala de Puerto Rico
March 23, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Lobdell Dining Hall	Live music with the International Music Club!
March 30 & April 6, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Sala de Puerto Rico
April 13, 2008	Student Center 4th floor	Room 407	[updated!]
April 20 - May 11, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Lobdell Dining Hall
May 18 & 25, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Sala de Puerto Rico
June 1, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Lobdell Dining Hall
June 8, 2008	Location to be announced.
June 15 - August 10, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Sala de Puerto Rico	Live music June 29th with the Cambridge Folk Orchestra. Live music July 13th with Rakiya. Live music August 3rd with the Cambridge Folk Orchestra.
August 17 - 31, 2008	Student Center 2nd Floor	Lobdell Dining Hall

To see what dances we've done from 2002-2005, see the playlist archive.


Wednesday night Israeli Dancing usually meets on the 4th or 2nd floor of the Student Center, from 8:00 to 11:00 pm.
Note the following special events and room changes:
June 6, 2007: Dancing outside! Look for us near Kresge (next to the Student Center).
June 13, 2007: Sala de Puerto Rico (Student Center 2nd Floor).
June 20 & 27, 2007: Student Center 407 (4th Floor).

July 4, 2007: No dancing. Have a happy 4th!
July 11 [changed!] & July 18, 2007: Sala de Puerto Rico (Student Center 2nd Floor).
July 25, 2007: Student Center 407 (4th Floor).
August 1, 2007: Oldies Night in the Sala de Puerto Rico (Student Center 2nd Floor).
August 8, 2007: Student Center 407 (4th Floor).
August 15 - 29, 2007: Location to be announced.
September 5, 2007: Lobby 13.
September 12, 2007: No dancing -- Rosh Hashanah.
September 19, 2007: Beginner's Night, 7:30 - 9 pm, in Student Center 491 (4th Floor).
September 26, 2007: Lobby 13.
October 3 & 10, 2007: Student Center 491 (4th Floor).
October 17, 2007: Lobby 13.
October 24 - November 14, 2007: Student Center 491 (4th Floor).
October 31 (Halloween) : Come in costume, dressed as your favorite folk dance, and we'll do that dance! In Student Center 491.
November 7 & 14, 2007: Student Center 491 (4th Floor).
November 21, 2007: Lobby 13.
November 28, 2007: Beginner's Night/PE Class (all are welcome). In Student Center 407 (4th Floor).

December 5, 2007 - May 21, 2008: Student Center 4th Floor every week (either room 407 or 491):

December 5, 2007 - January 2, 2008: Student Center 407 (4th Floor).
February 6, 2008: Beginner's Night from 8-9 pm, followed by a regular session. In Student Center 407 (4th Floor).
February 13, 2008: Beginner's Night from 8-9 pm, followed by a regular session. In Student Center 491 (4th Floor).
February 20 - March 19, 2008: Student Center 491 (4th Floor).
March 26 & April 2, 2008: Student Center 407 (4th Floor).
April 9, 2008: Student Center 491 (4th Floor).
April 16 - May 21, 2008: Student Center 407 (4th Floor).

On two or three Tuesdays per month, the Contra Dance for All meets in various locations from 8:00 to 10:30 pm (check the schedule for dates and locations). Live music every time! Beginners are always welcome and are encouraged to come early.

Congratulations to our officers for 2007-08!

President	Ira Winder	jiw [at] mit [dot] edu, fdc-president [at] mit [dot] edu
Vice President	Caroline Rubin	rubinc [at] mit [dot] edu
Treasurer	Shaunalynn Duffy	infinite [at] mit [dot] edu, fdc-treasurer [at] mit [dot] edu
Secretary	(vacant)

Physical Education Credit is now available for MIT students who attend 5 contra, international, or Israeli dances during a fall or spring quarter.

Spring 2007 4th Quarter PE Class schedule: All classes are from 8:00 to 9:30 pm.
Tuesday April 3	Contra Dance in the Sala	Barb Kirchner calling, music by Apple Crisp
Wednesday April 11	Israeli Dance in Student Center 407	Joan Hantman teaching
Sunday April 29	International Folk Dance in Student Center 407	Henry Goldberg teaching
Tuesday May 1	Contra Dance in Student Center 491	Caller TBA, music by Peter Buchak and Friends
Sunday May 6	International Folk Dance in Student Center 407	Henry Goldberg teaching
Tuesday May 15	Contra Dance in Student Center 491	7-caller Roundup, music by Victor Troll and Friends

Make-Up/Optional Classes:
Tuesday April 17	Optional contra dance in Student Center 491	Laura Johannes calling, music by Contra Loco
Tuesday May 8	Optional contra dance in Student Center 491	Ann Cowan calling, music by Elvie Miller and Naomi Morse.

Register at the PE Department website from March 14 - 21, 2007, or in person at the Israeli dance on Wednesday April 11th.

1st Quarter Fall 2007 PE Class Schedule:

2nd Quarter Fall 2007 PE Class Schedule:

3rd Quarter Spring 2008 PE Class Schedule:

4th Quarter Spring 2008 PE Class Schedule:

The Club also sponsors , our very own performing group, which is always interested in getting new members and performing opportunities.

All Club Meetings are open to the general public. We're especially interested in hearing from MIT students!

We're considered to be one of the best places for International Folk Dance in the entire country. Come and check us out!

IAP Special Events

The MITFDC gives classes and workshops as part of IAP each January.
See our IAP offerings for January, 2007.

Club Email Lists

• International Folk (Sunday nights): Send a blank email to fdc-international-subscribe[at]mit[dot]edu
  or fill out this form:

  Your email address:
  Your name (optional):

  
  
• Contra Dancing, two or three Tuesdays per month: Send a blank email to fdc-contra-dance-subscribe[at]mit[dot]edu , or fill out this form:

  Your email address:
  Your name (optional):

  
  
• Israeli (Wednesdays): Send a blank email to mitfdc-isra-subscribe[at]yahoogroups[dot]com
  or fill out this form:

  Subscribe to "mitfdc-isra", the MIT FDC's Wednesday night Israeli Dancing Yahoo group

Special Events

Transylvanian folk concert/dance with MetróFolk

Saturday June 14, 2008 Workshop 3-5 PM, concert 8 PM, dancing 9-11 PM In Lobdell Dining Hall (Student Center 2nd Floor). MetróFolk is a hot new band playing traditional Transylvanian folk music. For this event, MetróFolk will be joined by virtuoso Romani musicians Alexandru Ciurcui (violin) and Iuli Gheti (bass & accordion) from the village of Soporul de Cimpie, playing Romanian village Gypsy, Hungarian, and Transylvanian music.

Suggested donations:
$10 for workshop, $15-$20 for concert/dance, $25 for all 3. Free for MIT and Wellesley students.
For more information, contact Clare Stanley: 617-253-7708 (9am - 5pm), clares [at] mit.edu .

Bulgarian Folk Dance Workshop and Party

with Daniela Ivanova and Vlado Mollov Sunday February 24, 2008 Student Center 2nd Floor Balkan Singing Workshop: 1:00 - 2:30 pm, Lobdell Dining Hall Balkan Folk Dance Workshop: 3:30 - 5:30 pm, Lobdell Dining Hall Balkan Folk Dance Party: 8:00 - 11:00 pm, Sala de Puerto Rico Suggested donation: $10 each workshop, $8 party. Free for MIT and Wellesley students.

Daniela Ivanova is an accomplished, professional folk dance teacher and performer. She is also a very gifted choreographer and a researcher of the South Slavic folk dance culture. She has directed and choreographed several folk dance ensembles in Bulgaria, Banat and Besarabia. [official site] [bio]

Born in 1983 to a family of wedding musicians, accordionist Vlado Mollov was inspired by the sounds of the accordion from early childhood. He has won numerous prizes at accordion competitions around the world, and arranged the music and performed for more than 350 performances with the Duquesne University Tamburitzans. [official site] [bio]

Annual Israeli Dance Marathon The Christmas Eve Israeli Dance Marathon takes place every year on or about Christmas Eve. We start at 6 pm and dance until 6 am. It is usually held in Walker Gym on the MIT Campus. (Check back for the location and exact date of the December, 2007 marathon.) People come from all over the continent (and even from Amsterdam!) to dance at MIT! We'll start with simpler dances and move progressively to harder dances as the night goes on, so be sure to come earlier rather than later...even beginners will have fun if you show up at six!

Beginner's Nights Beginner's nights are for people who haven't done much dancing before and want to learn some and for more experienced dancers who want to practice the basics. In other words, they are for everyone. You need no prior experience and you don't need a partner. Beginner's Nights for all 3 nights of dancing occur in September and January each year.

The Israel Folkdance Festival of Boston takes place each year in March, in Kresge Auditorium on the MIT campus. The next festival will be on Sunday March 9, 2008. The show includes performances by dance ensembles from all over the United States and Canada. Call MIT Hillel at (617) 253-2982 or visit http://www.bostonfestival.org for more information and to order tickets.

Vinovana

Vinovana is our performing group. It is currently on hiatus.

If you are interested in performing in an international folk dancing, singing, or instrumental group, please contact the club officers at fdc-request[at]mit[dot]edu .

Where We Meet

These are the locations where we usually meet. Click on a location to see it on a campus map.

1. The Stratton Student Center (Building W20). It is located at 84 Mass. Ave., directly across the street from the main entrance to MIT. La Sala de Puerto Rico and Lobdell Dining Hall are located on the second floor. Rooms W20-407, W20-491, and our club office W20-437 are located on the fourth floor.

2. Lobby 13. Can be accessed from either Vassar St. or the Infinite Corridor (go in the main MIT entrance at 77 Mass Ave and turn north at Lobby 10).

3. Kresge Auditorium. Kresge is the triangular dome with a turquoise roof, set back on a plaza at 48 Massachusetts Avenue (across the street from the main MIT entrance). Rehearsal Rooms A and B are located in the basement.

Parking

Club Meetings

Organizational club meetings usually take place once a year in late May or early June.
Contact the club officers at fdc-request[at]mit[dot]edu to find out about upcoming meetings.

Links to other folk dance resources

International Folk and Other kinds:

The Folk Arts Center of New England home page, including their calendar Folk Dancing 'Round Boston.

New England Folk Festival Association (NEFFA) runs a folk festival each April in Natick, MA, as well as a contra dance each Thursday night at the Scout House in Concord, MA. (This dance was formerly located at the VFW in west Cambridge, and hopes to move back there once the city rebuilds it as a youth/community center.)

Country Dance Society, Boston Centre (Contra and English Country dancing.)

contradancelinks.com, a comprehensive page of links to other Contra Dances around the world.

Larry Denenberg's Beginner's Catechism page

The Cambridge Folk Orchestra plays at various folk dances in the Boston area, and occasionally plays at MIT at our Sunday night international folk dances.

The MIT Folk Dance Club Songbook, a compilation of lyrics of the songs in our record collection.

Our own Neil Rosen has written a Folk Dance mp3 Player which can be used along with a database of dances.

The Tuesday Night Revival is an advanced Balkan dance group that used to dance at MIT, and now holds dances about once a month in Arlington on a Friday or Saturday.

Balkan Music Night is a concert and dance which occurs each year in March, in Concord, MA.

The Dance Gypsy is a calendar of contra and other folk dances throughout New England.

Israeli Folk Dancing:

israelidance.com, which includes a test to see if you are a true folk dance addict and a session-finder, in case you're thinking of moving and want to see if there's dancing there first.

Ken Avner's Israeli Folkdance page

Sunday night Israeli Dancing at Temple Emanuel in Newton (formerly located at Harvard Hillel). This page also includes links to other Israeli dancing sessions and classes in the Boston area.

Monday night Israeli dancing in Brookline with Raphael and Ronnie.

Israeli Dance Plus, Boston's newest Israeli session, meets on occasional Saturday evenings at Springstep in Medford.

Comments on this home page and other subjects are welcome.
Send mail to fdc-request[at]mit[dot]edu .