Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

DANCE WORKSHOPS (All Weekend) (back to top)

DCFF offers a variety of dance-related learning opportunities for both new & experienced dancers. Most dances won't require partners.  

The material presented at Friday sessions will be repeated at the Saturday sessions. 

Order your Dance Syllabus (paper, or pdf files on CD or Flash Drive) and Dance Music (Playable music CDs or mp3 files on CD or Flash Drive) in advance since limited copies are produced. Dance Music & Dance Syllabus costs will be higher at the Festival.

Click Here to view schedule

• 12 Ethnic Folk Dance Workshops
  • 6 geared for beginning to intermediate level dancers (Fri/Sat 10:00am, 1:15pm, 3:15pm @ SBVH)
  • 6 geared for intermediate to advanced level dancers (Fri/Sat 10:00am, 1:15pm, 3:15pm @ EVH)
• 3 American Contra/Square Dance Workshops (Fri/Sat 8:00am, Sun 9:00am @ SBVH)
• 2 Middle Eastern Movement Dance Workshops (Fri/Sat 8:00am @ EVH)
• 3 Bhangra Dance Workshops (Thu/Fri/Sat 12:00pm @ SBVH)
• 1 Oldies But Goodies Ethnic Dance Workshop (Thu 10:00am @ SBVH)
• 1 Dances of Anatol Joukowsky Workshop (Thu 1:15pm @ SBVH)
• 1 Couple Dance Workshop (Thu 3:15pm @ SBVH)
• 3 Dance Review Workshops (Sun 11:15am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm @ SBVH)

For workshop details see the Schedule

Click for An Enlarged Photo

DANCE TYPES: (back to top)

• Ethnic dance is any dance form which can be identified as originating with an ethnic culture and expressing the movement aesthetics of that culture. Folk dance requires not only an ethnic identification, but a participatory and aesthetic tradition.  Ethnic Folk Dance may be defined as dance that is an integral and anticipated behavior in a culture and is defined by the aesthetics of that culture whether rural or urban.  Members of the folk dance tradition would include village dances, national dances, ritual dances, social dances, and educational dances.

• American Contra Dance (also contradance, contra-dance and other variant spellings) refers to several folk dance styles in which couples dance in two facing lines of indefinite length. Contra dances can be found around the world, though they are especially popular in the United States. Contra dance is also referred to as traditional New England folk dance. A contra dance evening may include a few dances of other types including: Traditional American Squares, waltz, polka, schottische, swing, rounds, clogging, Hambo and other Scandinavian, and other types of couple dancing.

• There are two distinct categories of Round Dance. Dances in the first category are often considered to be ethnic, folk or country dances, while dances in the second category are more closely related to social ballroom dancing and are choreographed to popular music.  American Round Dances are couple dances usually progressing in a counter-clockwise direction around the dance floor. Round dancing differs from free-style ballroom dancing in that each round dance has been fully choreographed ahead of time.  Some round dances are mixers in which the couples change partners each time through the dance.  In earlier times, dancers remembered round patterns. In more recent times, a dance “cuer” or leader at the front of the hall prompts the dancers to the steps, much like a contra or square dance caller calls the dance figures in advance.

• Bhangra is a lively form of folk music and dance that originates from Punjab, India.  Many people believe that Bhangra originated in the 1400s, however, it may be even older. Primarily men performed Bhangra, while the ladies performed their own fierce, yet elegent, dance called Giddha. The men wore the turbin, lungi (long cloth wrapped around the waist), and kurta (traditional Indian shirt), while the women, when performing Giddha, wore the salvar kameez (a long colorful shirt accompanied with a baggy style bottom piece) accompanied by their bright colored duppattas (cloth wrapped around the neck).The main instrument played during bhangra is a barrel size drum called the Dhol. Its strong bass beats are so contagious & can lure even the most dedicated of wallflowers onto the dance floor.  Bhangra was created among farmers while they worked in fields. Since its grounded in earth, its basic movements relate to farming activities like plowing, sowing, and, harvesting. Bhangra was traditionally performed to celebrate the harvest. Nowadays, because of Punjabi influence worldwide, people perform Bhangra in all parts of the world at occasions such as weddings, receptions, and parties. Bhangra has evolved from a dance and music only performed in the Punjab region, to a popular style of music and dance that people perform throughout South Asia and many parts of the world.

• Middle Eastern Dancing, i.e. belly dancing, has been around for a really, really long time.  Older-than-the-pyramids long time.   It's THAT good.  It's a dance form that exercises just about every muscle in your body, develops balance and control, and still manages to be fun.  It is a group experience, while at the same time it is an intensely personal exploration of discovery.  "I never knew I could move like that..."  To top it all, it gives everyone something to do when you're stuck with those dances at weddings when you kind of stand there and wiggle!

• Milwaukee Zombies wreak havoc at an Ethnic Dance Workshop in Sister Bay - Click the photo to the left and continue clicking the next photos to see a frightening story!

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

REVIEW WORKSHOPS (Sun 11:15am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm @ SBVH): (back to top)

The DCFF Review Sessions are yet one more opportunity to capture each dance…on your feet, on your notepad, or on your camera! Every dance taught at the festival is reviewed on Sunday during one of the three review sessions.   These are interactive sessions that lure even the most tired soles onto the floor to dance new favorite dances one more time with the instructors who taught them!  You’ll see the wide array of dances taught at the festival throughout the whole weekend all in one day!  Try out ones that you didn’t get time to learn…refresh your memory on ones you tried to learn…and learn a thing or two more on every single one!!!  Review session schedules will be posted on Saturday at the Sister Bay Village Hall.

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

POSSIBLE CULTURE SESSION TBD- (Fri/Sat 1:15pm @ FBC) (back to top)

PRESENTATION / DISCUSSION TOPIC TBD

SINGING WORKSHOPS (Fri/Sat - 10:00am - FBC) (back to top)

Singing Workshop "Impromptu Festival Chorale" with Shelley Orbach

• Come join us as we sing in our "Impromptu Festival Chorale". We'll be learning songs in many languages including French, Swahili, Yiddish, Russian and even English! We’ll have lots of opportunities to sing including Friday during the Picnic and Saturday after the Fish Boil and at the Olympics and Friday & Saturday at the informal jam sessions. Bring your voice and your smile!

• Songs: Asi Ka Tali (Swahili), A Si Mon Moine (French), Sail Away Lady (English), Ich Vil Shpilen (Yiddish), Katyusha (Russian), Or Shalom (Hebrew)

• Song-Dances: Hora Agadati (Israeli), Mechol Ovadia (Israeli)

Singing Workshop participants will have additional opportunities to sing:

• Musicians and Singers Informal Jam Session - Fri/Sat, 3:15pm at the Gazebo in Sister Bay Waterfront Park
• Pot-Luck Picnic Dinner at the Voyager Inn Motel - Friday 5:45pm to 8:00pm
• Fish Boil Dinner with Music, Dancing and Singing in Sister Bay Waterfront Park - Saturday 6:00pm til Sunset
• Any other time you'd like to sing

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

• Wed Night (8:00pm-until): 6th of July Ethnic Folk Dance Party @ SBVH with recorded music requests hosted by Forrest Johnson and other regional leaders

• Thu Night (8:00pm until): Ethnic Folk Dance Party @ SBVH with live music by Nick Bratkovich (Tulsa, OK) and recorded music requests hosted by Forrest Johnson and other regional leaders

• Fri Night (8:30pm until): Ethnic Folk Dance Party @ SBVH with live music by with live music by Orkestar Sloboda (Milwaukee, WI) and Nick Bratkovich (Tulsa, OK) and others. Special Feature - Stuffed Animal Night - Bring your favorite stuffed animal pals to the Friday Night Party! They'll get to meet & dance with some of the classiest and best-dancing party animals around

• Fri Night (8:30pm-11:00pm): Contra/Square Dance Party @ EVH with calling by Doc Hartnett & Paul Collins with live music by The Last Gaspé

• Sat Night (8:30pm-until): Ethnic Folk Dance Party @ SBVH with live music by Orkestar Sloboda (Milwaukee, WI) and Nick Bratkovich (Tulsa, OK) and others. Stay tuned for the Larry Hoey Memorial Olympics sometime around 1:00am

• Sat Night (8:30pm -10:00pm): Bhangra Dance Party @ EVH -DanceParty (9:00pm-10:00pm) (Quick-Start Bhangra Dance Lesson @ 8:30)

• Sun Night (8:30pm-until): Survivors' Ethnic Folk Dance Party @ SBVH, recorded music requests selected by the participants, a spontaneous, unstructured event that tends toward the anarchistic and chaortic*, where participants have a lot of fun while also sharing in the responsibility of running the program without the “traditional” forms of group leadership
  
  • Chaortic as in "Chaortic Organizational Design" by Dee Hock (1999)
    • Creating self organizing systems can handle complexity efficiently
    • Innovating at the edges of a system
    • Distributing power and resources to create a reason to support a common good (not to decentralize)
    • Managing self and empowering others

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

MUSIC, SINGING & DANCING IN THE PARK & ON THE PIER (Sat Evening approx 7:00pm) (back to top)

Musicians bring your instruments, singers bring your voices, dancers bring your dancing shoes to Sister Bay Waterfront Park during and after the Fish Boil Dinner - Sat between 7pm or so and sunsset.  Come and join in the on the fun. 

To celebrate and honor the lives of Warren Kubitschek and Nancy Yugo,
DCFF will conduct moments of silence and provide time for testimonials:

Saturday July 9, 2011, approximately 7:00pm during the Fish Boil Dinner with Music, Dancing & Singing in Sister Bay Waterfront Park

Click Here for the Warren-Nancy Remembrance Page

Click Here for the Warren-Nancy Remembrance Document (pdf)

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

MUSICIANS & SINGERS INFORMAL JAM SESSION - (Fri/Sat 3:15pm to 5:00pm - Sister Bay Waterfront Park) (back to top)

Musicians, singers & observers are welcome to meet @ the Gazebo in Sister Bay Waterfront Park for an informal jam session

Video # DCFF-2007-3
Click to play video

Video # DCFF-2007-4
Click to play video

Video # DCFF-2007-5
Click to play video

CONCERT IN BAILEYS HARBOR (Fri 12:30PM @ BHTH) (back to top)

As a public service, DCFF is delighted to sponsor this Concert for the Baileys Harbor Senior Citizens Group.

This event is open to the public. Admission is free for holders of DCFF Weekend and Daily Passes.

Bring your lunch to Baileys Harbor Town Hall and enjoy the music of of:

• Shelley Orbach (Skokie, IL)
• Al Day (Evanston, IL)
• Nick Bratkovich (Tulsa, OK)
• Orkestar Sloboda (Milwaukee, WI)
• The Last Gaspé (Madison, WI)
• Gerhard Bernhard (Sister Bay, WI)
• Northern Door YMCA Youth will demonstrate dances they have learned in DCFF dance workshops at this concert.

MINI-CONCERT AT SCANDIA RETIREMEMENT COMMUNITY IN SISTER BAY (Thu 10:00AM @ SCA) (back to top)

As a public service, DCFF is delighted to sponsor this Mini-Concert for the Scandia Retirement Community in Sister Bay

This event may be open to the public.

Bring your breakfast to Scandia and enjoy the music of of:

• Shelley Orbach (Skokie, IL)
• Al Day (Evanston, IL)
• Nick Bratkovich (Tulsa, OK)
• Gerhard Bernhard (Sister Bay, WI)
• Northern Door YMCA Youth will demonstrate dances they have learned in DCFF dance workshops at this concert.
• Ethnic Dance Chicago will present a few dances from its repertoire

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

TAKE TIME TO RELAX (All Weekend by appointment) (back to top)

When fatigue sets in, take a nap. Some folks are really good at this!

Click for An Enlarged Photo

WORK SCHOLAR TEAM (back to top)

The administrative side of DCFF is run extremely well because of an well-managed and highly motivated and competent team of Work Scholars. 

The Festival requires the equivalent of twelve (12) full-time Work Scholars.

To download an applicaiton for the Work Scholar Program, click on the link below. 

Scholarships are awarded on a first come-first serve basis.

Click here for details about the Work Scholar Program

NOTE: WORK SCHOLAR POSITIONS FOR 2011 ARE CLOSED - PLEASE INQUIRE ABOUT THE WAITING LIST!

SILENT AUCTION BENEFIT (Thu-Fri-Sat) (back to top)

Benefit for DCFF Work Scholars Fund: Since 1995, DCFF has held a Silent Auction in the basement of Sister Bay Village hall. Participants and "Friends of the Festival" donate all sorts of items to this activity that directly supports the twelve (12) Work Scholars required for the Administrative Staff. Auction proceeds have subsidized as many as four (4) of the twelve Work Scholar positions. We'd like your help in increasing that contribution level this year. In 2004 and 2005 over 100 items were contributed to the auction.

You can find some great items at bargain prices. Check your closets, cabinets, attics, bookshelves, etc. for ethnic and folk related things that you no longer use. Do some "Spring Cleaning" and donate items that are still serviceable, wearable, usable, etc.

The DCFFF Silent Auction is a way to help your "under-utilized" items find a new life in a new home. Articles for the auction can include ethnic clothing, shoes and accessories, items related to ethnic dance, music or singing, international travel, ethnic cultures, foreign languages, music collections, dance notes/descriptions, etc.

All proceeds from the DCFF Silent Auction contribute to the support of the 12 administrative staff Work Scholars that make the festival run smoothly. 

The silent auction opens at the Thu night party and closes on Sat night at 11:45pm, giving participants ample opportunity to place a final bid.

To donate items to the DCFF Work Scholars Fund, contact Mercedes: , (262)-632-2986.  

Click here for more details about the Silent Auction. 

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

Click for An Enlarged Photo

POT LUCK PICNIC DINNER - BYO - (Fri Only 5:45pm to 8:00pm - The Voyager Inn Motel in Sister Bay) (back to top)

In 2010 we tried different approach to a Friday Group Dinner.  The Voyager Inn Motel invited us to host a pot-luck picnic dinner in their garden/lawn area.  DCFF participants who’ve stayed at the Voyager Inn Motel had long enjoyed the ambiance of picnicking on the garden/lawn area, swimming in the outdoor pool and relaxing in the hot tub. Last year this became a reality for the entire DCFF Community.

2010’s Pot Luck Picnic Dinner at the Voyager Inn Motel was a TREMENDOUS success. Let's do it again!

There will be no extra charge for this event. 

However, Advance Reservations and Food/Beverage Contributions are required.

The event will begin on Friday at 5:45pm and will end at 8:00pm

WHAT TO BRING:

• Bring beverages to share for a “Happy Hour”
• Bring food to share for dinner
• Bring portable lawn chairs and small grills if can.
• Musicians bring your instruments, singers bring your voices, and dancers bring your dancing shoes to the picnic. Opportunities to play music, sing, dance, etc. will completely spontaneous.
• Bring your swimming attire as participants will have access to the Motel's swimming pool and hot tub during this event.
• Bring your appetite for good eating and a good time.

Again, Advance Reservations and Food/Beverage Contributions are required. 

PARKING:

• Registered guests of the Motel may park in the Motel’s Parking Lot
• Non-registered guests of the Motel must park in the Applewood Retreats Farmhouse adjacent to the Voyager Inn.  The Farmhouse is to the south of the Motel and there is access to the Farmhouse parking area from the Motel’s Parking Lot and also from HWY 57.

To celebrate and honor the lives of Warren Kubitschek and Nancy Yugo,
DCFF will conduct moments of silence and provide time for testimonials:

Friday July 8, 2011, approximately 7:00pm during the Pot-Luck Picnic Dinner at the Voyager Inn Motel

Click Here for the Warren-Nancy Remembrance Page

Click Here for the Warren-Nancy Remembrance Document (pdf)

FISH BOIL DINNER (Sat Only 5:45pm to 7:45pm - in Sister Bay Waterfront Park) (back to top)

A visit to Door County isn't complete without experiencing a traditional fish boil dinner - even if only to watch. Dinner features freshly caught Lake Michigan Whitefish, boiled to perfection with new potatoes, sweet onions and spices and served with or without melted Wisconsin butter.

Fish Boil Background: While fish boils are thought to have originated with Scandinavian settlers and lumberjacks who discovered a tasty way to enjoy the fruits of Lake Michigan, there is also a tradition of fish boil dinners in Scotland using salmon. Fish boils feature both great food and great showmanship. The ingredients are boiled in a kettle with about 30 gallons of water over an open fire. After cooking a while, spices are added and as the fish oils rise to the surface of the boiling cauldron, the cooking crew tosses a small can of kerosene on the fire. A great burst of flame shoots up and the intense heat causes the pot to boil over, spilling the unappetizing fish oils over the side, extinguishing the fire and leaving the ingredients perfectly done, steaming hot and ready to serve.

The fish, potatoes and onions are served with coleslaw and topped off with Door County Cherry pie for dessert. Coffee, iced tea, lemonade are included. BYO Beer & Wine.

There will be three seatings at 6:00pm, 6:30pm and 7:00pm for this fixed-price meal - $18.00, Kids Under 13: $12 - tax & tip included.

Reservations required. Limit 35 per seating. Specify your seating time on the Registration Form.

Following dinner, there will be the usual live music, singing and dancing in the park and on the Sister Bay Pier before sunset.

To celebrate and honor the lives of Warren Kubitschek and Nancy Yugo,
DCFF will conduct moments of silence and provide time for testimonials:

Saturday July 9, 2011, approximately 7:00pm during the Fish Boil Dinner with Music, Dancing & Singing in Sister Bay Waterfront Park

Click Here for the Warren-Nancy Remembrance Page

Click Here for the Warren-Nancy Remembrance Document (pdf)

YOUTH ACTIVITIES (Fri/Sat 10:00am & 1:15pm) (back to top)

Youth Activities include crafts, story telling, sing-alongs, creative games and dancing provided free in Sister Bay Waterfront Park.  Your youngster(s) will enjoy interacting with new acquaintances and our good-natured, dynamic activity leaders.

Please take note: The Youth activities in Sister Bay Waterfront Park are not a baby sitting service.   

Your youngster(s) can be involved in these activities with your permission and consent and their willingness and ability to participate and interact with others.  The activities are geared to participants between the ages of 5 and 15, although there have been exceptions at both ends of the scale.   Please also note that the activities may be modified or truncated due to adverse weather conditions. 

Please note further that there is no charge for these activities!

If you are considering having your kids participate, we would appreciate if you would notify Dick or Miriam Miller by telephone: (608)-836-5114 or by email: . 

Click here for more details on Youth Activities.

SITTERS
If you are in need of a sitter, with advance notice, we will try to match you with a one.  There is limited availability so act sooner than later - Telephone: (847)-846-8139 or by email: .

NORTHERN DOOR YMCA YOUTH PROGRAM (Wed-Sat) (back to top)

The Northern Door YMCA has asked DCFF to include ethnic dance programs for youth participating in its Day Camp. DCFF wiill offer dance workshops on Wednesday as well as opportunities for partipants to demonstrate the dances they have learned to the Scandia Retirerment Community in Sister Bay(Thursday) and to the Baileys Harbor Seniors Group (Friday).

YMCA Program Schedule

SUNSET CONCERT CRUISES (back to top)

Gerhard has "retired" from the Concert Criuse Business. There are no Concert Cruises this season 

However...

Visit Grace Bernhard's beautiful cottage garden, 2 miles south of SBVH on Hwy 57 (920 421 2985): http://handverksgardens.com

Visit Gerhard's Harp Studio (same location), a source for unusual folk instruments (920 421 2986): http://handverksmusic.com

INTERNATIONAL FOLK RHYTHMS (All Weekend) (back to top)

Joan Amsterdam ’s International Folk Rhythms "bazaar" at the Sister Bay Village Hall will feature folk-related merchandise including CDs, books, cassettes and ethnic apparel. 

Joan will bring specific videos and other items only if requested in advance!  

To request specific items or to order items in advance contact International Folk Rhythms at:

• Phone: (847)-564-2880
• Fax: (847)-564-2868,
• E-mail:
• Website: www.folkrhythms.com
  

DOOR COUNTY VACATION DESTINATION (back to top)

The Door Peninsula, mid-America's favorite vacation area, is located in north east Wisconsin between Green Bay and Lake Michigan.  Door County, often alluded to as "the Cape Cod" of the Midwest, has something for everyone: sandy beaches, rocky shores, scenic trails & vistas, state parks, art galleries, music & theater, water sports, golf, unique shopping opportunities and a large selection of restaurants, including one with "goats on the roof". 

Click here for links to other Door County resources and activities.

Warren Kubitschek (South Bend, IN) (back to top)
Warren, known as the "Gentle Giant", was an indispensible planner and coordinator for DCFF and my friend. Warren helped me deal with many tough planning and scheduling issues. I miss him greatly.  Warren was the director of the Spatter Dash Orchestra, which played for DCFF, Ethnic Dance Chicago, the Madison Folk Ball, and the Fox Valley (Illinois) Folk Festival.  He was widely recognized in midwestern folk dance circles, as the tallest person around. 

Celebrations of Warren's Life

• South Bend
  • Friday, June 10, 2011, 7:00pm EDT, the South Bend Folk Dance Group will hold a Pot-Luck Dinner-Dance to honor the lives of Warren Kubitschek and Mary Gay Peltier (a Spatter Dash member who passed away in January). St Paul's Methodist Church, 1001 W. Colfax, South Bend IN 46616.
    Info: Maggie Wiseman, (574)-288-3314,
  • Saturday, July 23, 2011, 2:00pm to 4:00pm (doors open at 1:30pm), LaFortune Student Center, Notre Dame Room (Room 202), University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN. RSVP & food/beverage contribution to Brandy Rypma: brypma@nd.edu.
• At DCFF
  • Friday July 8, 2011, approximately 7:00pm during the Pot-Luck Picnic Dinner at the Voyager Inn Motel.
  • Saturday July 9, 2011, approximately 7:00pm during the Fish Boil Dinner with Music, Dancing & Singing in Sister Bay Waterfront Park.

Nancy Yugo (Madison, WI) (back to top)
Nancy had the "Gentle Voice " and was a key part of starting, planning and organizing the singing activities at DCFF. For many years she was a leader and organizer in the Madison International Folk Dance Community. Nancy was a member of Tri Bratovchedki (Three Cousins), along with Debbie Kmetz and Dan Garvin, which specialized in singing Balkan & Eastern European village music. The "3 Brats" were a cornerstone of the DCFF singing workshops. 

Celebratons of Nancy's Life

• Madison Area
  • On Sunday, May 29, 2011, there will be a memorial service to celebrate Nancy’s life, followed by a potluck dinner and celebration, at Folklore Village - 3210 County Highway BB - Dodgeville, Wisconsin 53533.
    General outline: guests welcome at 2:00 (earlier arrivals may be drafted for preparation), Memorial 2:30-4:00, Dinner 5:00-6:00, Dancing & Singing 7:00-9:00.
    Info: Michael Kuharski, (608)-241-3655,
• At DCFF
  • Friday July 8, 2011, approximately 7:00pm during the Pot-Luck Picnic Dinner at the Voyager Inn Motel.
  • Saturday July 9, 2011, approximately 7:00pm during the Fish Boil Dinner with Music, Dancing & Singing in Sister Bay Waterfront Park.