Co-op Dancing in April
Every Friday
7:30 PM till 9:30 PM
Westminster Presbyterian Church
1757 N. Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104
Admission: $6 (members $5)
During the 8:00 teaching sessions this month Valerie Daley and Toti O’Brien will be teaching the French Canadian dance, Danse des Cerfs-Volants. Also we’re resuming Beginners’ Hour this month (see below for details). For directions to the venue see the Location page.
Beginners’ Hour Resumes in April
We’re restarting Beginners’ Hour this Friday, April 4th, after a three-month hiatus imposed by the Eaton Fire. It will run every 1st and 3rd Friday from 6:30 till 7:30, with additional 4th-Friday session if attendees are interested. If you’re a beginner or if you’d just enjoy some review of basics, come and join us, and of course if you know any interested beginners, this is a great time to send or bring them in to share the joy.
We teach and review beginner friendly dances, and review folk dance basics and common folk dance patterns. The very first time a person attends it’s free, and thereafter admission is the usual $6. Attendees are encouraged to stay for our regular Friday night dancing (no additional charge).
Pasadena Folk Dance Co-op Presentation at Pasadena Art Night
For the first time ever, Pasadena Folk Dance Co-op presented at Pasadena Art Night. Toti O’Brien, Rick Cofield, Don Krotser, Pat Cross, Kate Cook, Valerie Daley, and Ling O’Connor presented a program of demonstration dancing, folk dance orientation, and teaching, which was repeated multiple times throughout the evening. The event was made possible by a generous grant from the City of Pasadena Arts and Cultural Affairs Division, and was hosted by Red Hen Press on Lincoln Ave. Thank you to all who participated, with extra special thanks to Toti O’Brien who spearheaded and organized the whole effort and did a great deal of behind the scenes work to bring it all together.
Co-op Board Meeting News
The Pasadena Folk Dance Co-op board of directors met on Friday, March 21st. The main topic of discussion was the venue. We are happy with our current location at Westminster Presbyterian in every way except the size of the room, so we’re continuing the venue search but in a less urgent mode. Possibilities may improve as fire relief efforts wrap up. Input on possibilities is still very welcome. Most wanted information: name, address, and contact info for the venue, along with size, floor material, parking availability, Friday-night availability, and price.
From January 9, 2025
Dear Dancers,
Sadly, I have to inform you that our dance venue has burned down in the Eaton fire. Our condolences go out to the staff and members of Altadena Community Church, along with thanks for the years they’ve hosted us. A number of our dancers have been affected by the disaster, but by all reports, everyone is safe and well. I hope all of you are also safe and well.
We will dance again soon though not right away, and we won’t be able to have our Winter Festival on the 18th. After personally affected board members have had time to recover and regroup, we’ll meet and organize and find a new venue. Possibly we’ll dance at a temporary venue for a little while.
Dancing in the park will continue. See Nomad Dancers on the Associated Groups page, and you’ll find other dance groups listed there as well.
Please keep the faith and keep dancing in your heart. We shall overcome. Stay safe and well.
All the best, Mari Werner
for the Pasadena Folk Dance Co-op Board
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Co-op Memberships
A membership year at the co-op is July through June. A membership costs $10 for the full year and it gets you into Friday night dancing for $5 rather than the standard $6 as well as making you eligible to vote for the board of directors and to serve on the board. Plus it’s just a nice expression of solidarity and support for the Co-op.
Folk Dance Resources
Most of you probably know that Pasadena Folk Dance Co-op is a member of the Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc. Through the federation we are connected with other folk dance groups around the region, and the federation provides us with support and a wealth of folk dance resources. They also sponsor our festivals and those of our sister organizations in the area. On their website you can find a directory of federation clubs, advices on teaching, organizing events, and managing clubs, as well videos and syllabi for an enormous library of dances, plus folk dance news and events, and more.
Something probably less well known is that via the federation we belong to the National Folk Organization (NFO). NFO also offers a wealth of resources on their website and through various events both online and in-person nationwide, and they offer scholarships to many of their events. Check out a recent newsletter to get a flavor of who they are and what they do.
Join the Folk Dance Federation Facebook Page
The Folk Dance Federation of California South now has a page in Facebook Groups here. If you’re a Facebook user, joining it will help you stay informed on all the great folk dance happenings going on in the whole region and also connect you with lots of folk dance clubs and individual folk dancers.
Federation Scholarships
Are you interested in attending folk dance festivals and camps, but maybe a little short of funds? The Federation offers scholarships for camps and festivals to dancers who are participating in their local clubs and supporting the growth of international folk dance. You can receive up to half of camp tuition or the full registration fee to festivals with teaching. Click here to find out how to apply.
Folk Dance Scene
Folk Dance Scene is the official publication of the Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc. It comes out ten times a year in both print and email form (monthly, with combined issues for June/July and December/January). In it you’ll find news and information on our sister clubs in the area plus interesting articles on folk dance, music, costumes, customs, lore, and culture of the peoples of the world, as well as news of folk dance opportunities in other regions. Design and layout are done by our own Pat Cross and Don Krotser.
Click here to peruse a sample issue (March 2024) and if you’re interested in a subscription, send an email to: subscriptions@FolkDanceScene.org.
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Current Health Protocols for Co-op Dancing
- Do not attend if you are sick
- Face masks are recommended but not required
- Please bring your own water and any snacks you want to have
- Hand sanitizer is available
Some Co-op History
from Marshall Cates
In the middle 80’s the Pasadena Coop was at a very low state We had been dancing at the Odd Fellow’s Lodge -upstairs when they suddenly doubled our rent. I was President at the time, so It fell on me to find a new location. I thought I had a place at the congregational church, but when they said we had to quit at 10:30, it was a deal breaker (we were dancing to 11:30 at the time). We finally settled on Holliston Church even though the floor was not wood. Slowly we lost people, eventually Ray Augustine quit coming. This was a serious blow as he and I were the main teachers with Ester Purcell doing beginning. He brought the new dances from Stockton. We dropped to about 15 with Cheryl bringing refreshments, both of us opening and closing and me doing most of the teaching. We started quitting at 11:00. About two years later Phil Gamble found Throop hall with its wonderful floor. Ray returned and we began again to flourish. By 1993 we had good attendance at both the New Year’s Eve party and the Winter Festival.
1990s
Quotes
The job of feet is walking, but their hobby is dancing.
– Amit Kalantri
Hard times require furious dancing.
– Alice Walker
Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.
– Voltaire
If you hit a wall, climb over it, crawl under it, or dance on top of it.
– Unknown