Welcome to the site for information on International Folk Dancing in Fort Collins, Colorado
You can find information on recreational, international folk dancing happening in Fort Collins, Colorado right here. The TNFD Dances Table, Dance Info Pages, and the TNFD Blog are the active sections of this site. I add new dance info pages as they come up for teaching or review, or if the moment it right.
The table to the right (or below) shows the icons this site uses to indicate links to dance information resources. Click on an icon to open the relevant page, external site, YouTube or other video, PDF, or whatever the heck in a new tab.
My dance information pages are aggregations of information I find on the web at dance info sites (primarily Andrew Carnie’s Folk Dance Musings, Dick Oakes’ FDFoC,S Dance Notes, and Don Buskirk’s Folkdance Footnotes) and embeds/links to YouTube, etc. videos and music. I craft each page as an aid for myself when I am learning a dance and throw in some witty observations of my very own. I am interested in the music as much, or more, than the dances, so you’ll find some bias there.
I hope your journey through the world of folk dance and this website is fulfilling and helpful. If not, drop me a line and let me know how it could be better. Also let me know if you find any broken links, YouTube videos that have been taken down, or if you just want to say, “Hey!”
David Poulson
Tuesday Night Folk Dancing Coordinator, Music Librarian, Tech Guy, & Dance Programmer
New & Updated on This Site
Raca Plava po Dravi – Croatia/Međimurje – A love song about a duck, but not really…and some history.
Ali Paşa – Turkey – A folk dancer’s folkdance of controversy, and a great story behind the song, Ali Paşa Ağıdı (Ali Pasha Lament).
De Secerat – It’s not the dance, it’s the music! The Twins of Maramureșean Folklore crafted the neo-traditional music used for this Romanian-style dance.
👣 Čoček/Sa from Bujanovac – Romani/Serbia 👣 Čoček/Sa Gjijile (Xhixhile) – Romani/Albania 👣 Ooska Gookas – Armenia 👣
👣 Trei Păzeşte Bătrânesc – Romania/Oltenia 👣 Hulu/Chulu/Chloeloe – Israel 👣
TNFD Winter Solstice Party, 12/19/23
TNFD Party on December 19, 2023, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM The 2023 December/Northern Hemisphere Winter Solstice on Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 8:27 PM MST, while those in the southern hemisphere will have to wait six months to celebrate Winter—you always wondered why…
TNFD Playlist: 2023.11.28
♪ 27 dances; 1 hour and 17 minutes of dancing.→ Dancers: 16→ Dances Taught: Haro’a Haktana [Yonatan Karmon] – Israel (Cherie); Raca (Vlach) – Serbia/Vlach (David)→ Dances that need Reviewed: Shopska Râčenica – Bulgaria; Romska gajda – Macedonia; El Adon Al Kol Hamaasim [Shmulik…
TNFD Playlist: 2023.11.21
♪ 27 dances; 1 hour and 21 minutes of dancing.→ Dancers: 16→ Dances sort of Taught: Čoček/Sa Gjijile (Xhixhile) – Romani/Albania→ Dances that need Reviewed: Baztan Dantza – Basque; Sitno Mališevsko horo – Bulgaria; Bučimiš – Bulgaria; Sapri Tama [Yoav Ashreil] – Israel; Ikariótikos…
TNFD Playlist: 2023.11.14
♪ 26 dances; 1 hour and 18 minutes of dancing.→ Dancers: 16→ Dances Reviewed: Trei păzeşte bătrânesc – Romania/Oltenia (Deryl); Shiri Li Kineret [Shlomo Maman] – Israel (Dee)→ Dances that David needs to Practice Leading: I Trata – Greece; Somogyi Karikázó – Hungary; Maričensko…
Fort Collins Tuesday Night Folk Dancing (TNFD)
Recreational, World, International Folk Dancing in Fort Collins, Colorado every Tuesday night. No experience or partner necessary. 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 More about Tuesday Night Folk Dancing here.
| Event: | Open Social Dance |
| Type: | Recreational World, International Folk Dancing |
| When: | Every Tuesday, 7:30-9:30PM. The hall is occupied until 7:30 PM, so dancing starts around 7:40 PM, after setup, shoe changing, and people show up. |
| Who: | Everyone. No experience, partner, nor registration required |
| Cost: | $3 donation |
| Where: | Empire Grange Hall |
| 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. |
| Contact: | David Poulson |
Recently Taught, Reviewed, or Revived at TNFD:
Shiri Li Kineret – Israel [Shlomo Maman] – Intermediate, moderate circle dance
Trei Păzeşte Bătrânesc – Romania [Sunni Bloland*] – Advanced-Intermediate, lively, open circle dance
Hulu/Chulu/Chloeloe – Israel [unknown] – Easy, moderate circle dance
Ooska Gookas – Armenia [Rickey Holden*] – Easy, gentle circle dance
El Adon Al Kol Hamaasim – Israel [Shmulik Gov-Ari] – Intermediate, moderate circle dance
Čerešna – Macedonia – Easy, gentle circle dance
Sitno Mališevsko Horo – Bulgaria/Pirin [Yves Moreau*] – Easy, moderate circle dance
Omorfoula/Ličenoto & Armensko/Aloniotikos – Greek Macedonia [Traditional] – Easy, lively, open circle dance
Pentozális – Greece/Crete [Traditional] – Intermediate, lively, open circle dance
Kόtsari – Greece/Pontos [Traditional] – Intermediate, lively, open circle dance
Ikariótikos – Greece/Ikaria [Traditional] – Intermediate, lively, open circle dance
Dhiváratikos, aka Syrtós Kefalliniás – Greece/Kefalonia [Traditional] – Easy, moderate circle dance
Fado Português de Nós – Portugal [Nanni Kloke] – Easy, moderate Sacred Circle dance
Nabrala Je – Croatia [Željko Jergan*] – Easy, lively circle dance
Sapri Tama – Israel [Yoav Ashreil] – Easy, moderate, individuals line dance
Jimmy Copacabana – USA [Beauchamp, Gagnon, & Weisburd] – Easy, moderate C&W line dance
Shema Israel – Israel [Shmulik Gov-Ari] – Intermediate, moderate circle dance
Get the full list of Recently-Taught Dances HERE
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.
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!