INTERNATIONAL FOLK DANCE IN SARATOGA

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If this will be your first time with our group, please call (408-287-9999) or email first. We occasionally have to move to an alternate location or close because the church needs the hall for its own event.

LOCATION -- St. Michael Archangel Serbian Orthodox Church,18870 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070

GENERAL INFORMATION:

ADMISSION -- $8 general/$6 for seniors. No charge for non-dancers and children. Discounts and scholarships available. Your first visit is FREE! No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

HOLIDAYS -- No dancing on Thanksgiving. There are sometimes Thusdays that we have to close because of Orthodox holidays. Please contact me before attending if you are not sure.

SCHEDULE --
7:30-8:15 pm Dances for beginners, some teaching, some easy dances most beginners can do without a lot of instruction. One or two mixers. New dancers always welcome to join.
8:15-8:40 pm Slightly more difficult dances while experienced dancers arrive. 8:15-8:45 pm, one or two dances will be taught. Perhaps one more difficult dance or two less complex dances.
8:40-9:00 pm Practice of dances recently taught.
9:00-10:15 pm Sometimes one more dance is taught, typically more challenging than earlier dances. Otherwise, dancing to dancer requests. Dances become increasingly more difficult. Sometimes I will call a contra.

MUSIC/DANCE -- Very wide range of musical and dance tastes. About 60% is Eastern European/Middle Eastern, but that's sprinkled liberally with Contra dances, Scottish country dances, Country-Western line dances, Japanese, French Canadian, Russian, etc. Definitely no dance purists. 70% non-partner dances. Lots of easy dancers and mixers when beginning dancers are there. Class is very friendly, kind, and helpful to beginners. As of the fall of 2023, we typically have more men than women!

PLAYLIST -- I have posted a sample playlist here. I will try to update this list every couple of months. If you cannot wait for an update, contact me and I will send you the latest playlist via email.

REQUESTS -- I use a request board. If you can't remember the name of a dance show me some steps or hum some of the music. I've been teaching for over 35 years and dancing for 45, and I can usually figure out the dance you want.

FLOOR/ROOM -- We dance in a large, high-ceilinged social hall with a wood floor. The hall is air-conditioned in the summer, but we have a lot of fans to keep the air circulating.

ATTENDANCE -- Varies from 40-55; close to 50/50 men and women with frequently more men than women! Average age about 50; age range from mid-20s to late-80s.

CONTACT -- Contact me if you have further questions.

Photos from the June 2017 "Box of Crayons" party. Serious and Silly.