Welcome to the site for International Folk Dancing in Fort Collins, Colorado
& Wit-Laden Information on Selected Social & Recreational International Folk Dances
Join In Recreational, Fun, DEI-Filled Dances From Around the World.
• No Partner nor Experience Required.
• Every Tuesday Night in Fort Collins!
You can find information on recreational, world, international folk dancing happening in Fort Collins, Colorado right here. Every Tuesday night, the Tuesday Night Folk Dancers (TNFD) group meets in Fort Collins at the Empire Grange Hall for easy, friendly, community, social dancing from around the world. No experience nor partner required, but loads of fun for all ages, great exercise, and new friends guaranteed! If you’re new to international folk dancing, we’ll help you learn with some teaching and doing easy dances at the start of the night. Almost all of our dances are “follow the leader,” so you just have to do what everyone else is doing.
Storm Mountain Folk Dancers’ 50th Anniversary Party in Fort Collins with Live Music by Barbelfish, May 17, 2025
Storm Mountain Folk Dancers will be celebrating their 50th anniversary the weekend of May 15-18. Part of that celebration will be a folk dance party featuring live music by…
About This Site
Hi, I’m David. I built this website as a teaching tool, reference, and contact point for international folk dancing in Fort Collins, Colorado and beyond. This site will help you find information on international folk dance, no matter where you are. I add new folk dance info pages as a dance comes up for teaching or review, or if the moment is just right. I made this site for myself…and for you. You can bring up videos on your mobile, tablet, or desktop for dancing along with or learning and practicing with ease and without YouTube ads! The Folk Dances Info & Learning Pages and TNFD Dances Table are the most active sections of this site.
Some dance names on this site, for example: Ciganski Orijent, will be highlighted in purple with mouse-over/touch glossary popups that give you some quick information and Resource Links to a page on this site, another note site, YouTube or other dance videos, music, and documents. I hope your journey through the world of international folk dance presented on this website is fulfilling and helpful. If not, please drop me a line and let me know how it could be better. In any case, feel free just to write to say, “Hey!”
David Poulson
Tuesday Night Folk Dancing Webber, Music Librarian, & Catherd
Fort Collins Tuesday Night Folk Dancing (TNFD)
Recreational, Social, World, International Folk Dancing in Fort Collins, Colorado every Tuesday night. No experience, no partner required. Old and new dances from cultures of the world 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! Read even more about TNFD here.
| What: | Fort Collins Tuesday Night Folk Dancing (TNFD) Recreational, social dancing, featuring dances and music (recorded) from around the world |
| When: | Every Tuesday, 7:30-9:30 PM. The hall is occupied until 7:30 PM, so setup, shoe changing, etc. happen, then dancing starts around 7:40 PM Easy dances first hour, then adding in some intermediate & advanced |
| Who: | Everyone. All ages. No experience, partner, nor registration required |
| Cost: | $3 donation |
| Where: | Empire Grange Hall, Fort Collins, Colorado |
| How: | • Wear comfortable, casual clothing. • For summer especially: wear cool clothing, as there is no A/C in the building. Shorts are acceptable/recommended. • Bring a water bottle for hydration (there is a non-refrigerated drinking fountain). • Optional, but recommended: ▫ Bring a pair of clean shoes with non-marking, non-gripping, soles, sturdy enough for hopping and turning on a wooden floor. |
| CoViD: | No current restrictions, but please do not attend if you are feeling sick or showing symptoms of any communicable illness. |
| David Poulson |
Teaching & Review at Tuesday Night Folk Dancing
* Highly subject to change based on weather, attendance, and mood
On-Deck for Teaching, Review, or Revival:
What Is International/World 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.
Want even more definitions and history? Read up on Britannica.
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!