Tuesday Night Folk Dancing at the Empire Grange Hall
Tuesday Night Folk Dancing at the Empire Grange Hall

Welcome to the site for information on International Folk Dancing in Fort Collins, Colorado.

3/16/2023: I’ve been transferring information from the old site, https://fctnfd.blogspot.com/ and playing around with format and site structure here, so things may still move around, but it’s not too bad right now. I’ll add dances to the TNFD dances table as time permits. -David

Fort Collins Tuesday Night Folk Dancing (TNFD)

Recreational, International Folk Dancing in Fort Collins, Colorado every Tuesday night. No experience or partner necessary. Old and new dances from cultures far and near shared in a relaxed atmosphere with friendly people. There is no set teaching schedule, but we regularly introduce new dances and review/relearn/remember old dances as different members share their knowledge with the group. If you are new to International Folk Dancing, we will tailor the night’s program to your abilities for the first hour to make your journey through your feet to cultural continents of the world as memorable and unintimidating as it should be!

Event:Open Social Dance
Type:Recreational International Folk Dancing
When:Every Tuesday, 7:30-9:30PM
Who:Everyone. No experience, partner, nor registration required
Cost:$3 donation
Location:Empire Grange Hall

What is folk dancing?

Well, the “folk” of folk dancing would be you and the people of your community. Back in the days before Netflix—and, if you can imagine, before the days of electric light and recorded music—people did not go somewhere “to be entertained;” people created their own entertainment. When people gathered socially to celebrate weddings, births, harvests, or just to “party” on a day of rest, some would play music and others moved their bodies and feet to the rhythms and melodies. Patterns developed, and in each village, people would know the steps that went with that particular music. The dances were simple, and everyone could and did join in. These early cultures did not use their native-language equivalent of the term, “folk dance.” They just called it, “dance.” As music developed with sounds and styles distinct to the local geographic region and peoples, dances followed suit and became an important part of the culture. Just as music from different areas and cultures sounds distinct, folk dances have steps, movements, and patterns that are distinct to a culture and geographic area.

Today, International Folk Dancing describes a movement started in earnest in the 20th century where people participate in or perform dances from all cultures of the world, regardless of the ethnicity of the dancers or the geography of the venue. Hobbyists enjoy International Folk Dancing as a recreational activity with the benefits of physical fitness, social interaction, and exposure to the music and culture of other peoples. Artists perfect the dances and perform them for enjoyment and to expose the public to the traditions of cultures they likely have never seen before. In modern times, choreographers create new dances “in the style of” the traditional cultures, and the repertoires of International Folk Dance groups have expanded well beyond the memory capacities of the dancers. Relearning the old dances is just as exciting as learning the latest one.

Come join us every Tuesday night for a world tour from Canada to Kurdistan, the Balkans to Bolivia, Johannesburg to Japan, and Europe to USA!