Mary Ginnebaugh began international folk dancing in 2007, above the curling rink in the small, Maritime Provence town of Wolfville, Nova Scotia. This international dance group was relatively small but well established and as a newcomer, Mary was welcomed to join in. It was the music that really stuck in her head and made this whole new learning experience so much fun.

After leaving Nova Scotia in 2008 and returning to Green Bay, WI she was delighted to find there was a folk dance group in Appleton … the International Folk Dancers of the Fox Valley! With the encouragement of the late Betty White along with Linda Blohowiak, Becky Bookter and others from the Fox Valley, she continued to learn various folk dances from many countries and was even brave enough to teach a dance or two that she had learned from attending the Madison Folk Ball or the Door County Folk Festival.

Since moving to Milwaukee in 2021, she dances less than when she lived in Green Bay, but still enjoys dancing and attends the Madison Folk Ball and the Door County Folk Festival. Mary is still engaged in political activities, supports Great Lakes environmental research and works with the social justice initiatives of Milwaukee.