MIT Folk Dance Club
The MIT Folk Dance Club sponsors three nights of
dancing every week:
Sunday: International Folk
Two or three Tuesdays per month: Contra Dance
Wednesday: Israeli
Updated July 2, 2009
Upcoming Dances
MIT students can earn PE credit for contra
dancing!
The most recent class was
February 10 - March 17, 2009.
Check back for classes in future semesters.
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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, almost always
on the 2nd or 4th floor of the Student Center:
| Sunday Dates (8-11 pm)
| Building/Floor
| Room
| Notes
|
| May 10 - 24, 2009
| Student
Center 2nd Floor
| Sala de Puerto Rico
| Klezmer dancing with KlezMITron May 17th!
|
| May 31, 2009
| Student
Center 4th Floor
| Room 491
| [changed!]
|
| June 7, 2009
|
|
| NO DANCING due to Commencement
|
| Saturday June 13, 2009
| Student
Center 2nd Floor
| Sala de Puerto Rico
| Greek Night, with live music by Ensemble
Aperiskeptos!
|
| June 14, 2009
| Student
Center 2nd Floor
| Lobdell Dining Hall
| Live music with the Cambridge
Folk Orchestra!
|
| June 21, 2009
| Student
Center 2nd Floor
| Sala de Puerto Rico
| Bulgarian dance workshop 4-6 pm with Ivan Dimitrov, and evening party with Ivan and Rakiya! [more info]
|
| June 28, 2009
| Student
Center 2nd Floor
| Lobdell Dining Hall
|
| July 5 - August 16, 2009
| Student
Center 2nd Floor
| Sala de Puerto Rico
| Live music July 19 with Rakiya! Oldies Night August 2! Another 50th anniversary event. Details to follow.
|
| August 23 - September 6, 2009
|
|
| Location to be announced
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To see what dances we've done from July 2002 - May 2009, see the playlist archive. See
our web archive for old versions of our web pages.
Wednesday night Israeli Dancing usually meets on the 4th or 2nd floor of the Student Center, from 8:00 to 11:00 pm.
| Wednesday Dates (8-11 pm)
| Building/Floor
| Room
| Notes
|
| June 10, 2009
| Student
Center 4th Floor
| Room 491
|
| June 17, 2009
| Student Center 2nd Floor
| Lobdell Dining Hall
|
| June 24, 2009
| Student Center 2nd Floor
| Sala de Puerto Rico
|
| July 1, 2009
| Student Center 4th Floor
| Room 491
|
| July 8, 2009
| Student Center 2nd Floor
| Sala de Puerto Rico
|
| July 15, 2009
| Student Center 4th Floor
| Room 491
|
| July 22, 2009
| Student Center 2nd Floor
| Sala de Puerto Rico
|
| July 29, 2009
|
|
| NO DANCING (Tisha B'Av)
|
| August 5, 2009
| Student Center 2nd Floor
| Sala de Puerto Rico
|
| August 12, 2009
| Student Center 2nd Floor
| Lobdell Dining Hall
| Updated!
|
| August 19 - September 2, 2009
|
|
| Location to be announced
|
Check the Israeli email
announcement archive for updated information about each week's
location and teaching schedule, and special events. Light kosher snacks
and drinks will be provided each week.
Israeli photo gallery
For more information about Israeli dancing, email mitisraeli
[at] gmail.com .
In addition to our folk and contra dance PE classes, some semesters
there is also a separate all-Israeli folk dance class. The most recent
class was IAP (January) 2009. Register with the PE Department. For more information,
contact David Karger: karger [at] csail.mit.edu , or
see http://people.csail.mit.edu/karger/ifd/
.
International Folk and Israeli Dancing each start with Early
Teaching at 8:00 pm, followed by teaching and requests until 11:00
pm.
Beginners are always welcome. Admission is free for MIT and
Wellesley students; a $1
donation is suggested from others.
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 2009-10!
| President
| Mahati Chintapalli
| mchint [at] mit [dot] edu, fdc-president [at] mit [dot]
edu
|
| Vice President
| Ira Winder
| jiw [at] mit [dot] edu
|
| Treasurer
| Nandi Bugg
| nbugg [at] mit [dot] edu, fdc-treasurer [at] mit [dot] edu
|
MIT students interested in running for Secretary should email
fdc-request
[at] mit.edu
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, 2009.
Club Email Lists
We maintain electronic mailing lists used to announce dances and
other events of interest. These lists are for announcements only and
have very low volume.
- International Folk (Sunday nights): Send a blank email to
fdc-international-subscribe[at]mit[dot]edu
or fill out this form. You will receive an e-mail requesting
confirmation.
- 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. You will receive an e-mail requesting
confirmation.
- Israeli (Wednesdays): Send a blank email to
mitfdc-isra-subscribe[at]yahoogroups[dot]com
or fill out this form. You will receive an email requesting
confirmation.
If you have any questions, please contact the Folk Dance Club officers
at fdc-request[at]mit[dot]edu.
Special Events
Bulgarian Folk Dance Workshop and Party, with Ivan Dimitrov and Rakiya
Sunday June 21, 2009.
Workshop with Ivan, 4-6 pm, Lobdell Dining Hall
Folk dance party with Ivan and Rakiya, 8-11 pm, Sala de Puerto Rico
MIT Student Center, 2nd floor
Suggested donation $5 per event, or $8 for both.
Free for MIT and Wellesley students.
Beginners welcome!
Ivan Dimitrov graduated from the National Academy of Dance Arts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He was a lead dancer and soloist with the famous Bulgarian State Folklore Ensemble, Trakia, in Plovdiv. His DC-based professional dance group, The Ivan Dimitrov Dance Ensemble, has been warmly received at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Cherry Blossom Festival opening ceremonies, and the Greater Washington International Folk Festival.
Rakiya is a fiery 8-piece Balkan Rom (Gypsy) band, based in the Boston area. They perform electric, very danceable songs and dance tunes.
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Macedonian Folk Dancing, with Live Music by
Goran and Adrijana Alachki
Monday January 26, 2009. 8-11 pm.
Kresge
Auditorium mainstage.
Suggested donation $7. Free for MIT and Wellesley students.
Acclaimed master accordionist and composer Goran Alachki has been
designated a "National Living Treasure" by the Macedonian Ministry of
Culture. His wife, Adrijana, an award-winning vocalist and recording
artist, is one of the most renowned singers in Macedonia.
Please join us for this great evening of folk music and participatory
dancing as we welcome Goran and Adrijana on their third visit to Boston
from Skopje, Republic of Macedonia!
See photos
and video clips of the event.
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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 4 am. It is usually held in
Walker Gym
on the MIT Campus. This year's marathon took place on Wednesday
December 24, 2008. (Check back for the location and exact date of the
December, 2009 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 14, 2010.
The show includes performances by dance ensembles from far and
near.
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.
See a Google map and get driving directions
See a schedule for the #1 bus which runs along Mass Ave.
Parking
Free parking is available in the N10 Lot (off Albany Street east of Massachusetts Avenue) or West Annex Lot (on Vassar Street west of Massachusetts Avenue, next to the West Garage), or on the street. The lot behind the Bank of America ATM at Mass Ave and Vassar Street is closest, but it often fills up on weeknights.
No parking permit is required at these lots after 5:30 pm or on weekends. Metered street parking is free after 6 pm.
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, Contra Dancing, 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.
Arthur Saltzman has posted FDC photos and movies from
the 1960s.
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.
Comments on this home page and other subjects are welcome.
Send mail to
fdc-request[at]mit[dot]edu .
Web page maintained by Daniel
Salomon d a 1 8 1 2 5 [at] mit [dot] e d u