Local Resources
Find bands, folk dancing or other events / organizations in the United States and Canada through these links. Other sites will help you find Eastern European activities around the nation. Please add to this list! Email me at
. Of course, typing "Eastern Europe" and "folk music" and "[your city here]" into Google will get you started as well. Most are in Washington currently, as that's where I am.
CALIFORNIA
Northwest Balkan Events
This is an announce-only mailing list from Yahoo! that keeps you up on all things Balkan in the Pacific Northwest area. Fantastic resource. Mendocino Folk Music and Dance Camps - Balkan and General Folklore
These two summer camps in the Mendocino Woodlands of the Northern California coast offer a chance to learn singing, music and dance through a week of classes and workshops, as well as parties, ethnic food and jam sessions. Register early. The Eastern European Folklife Center has more information.
Barátság Hungarian Dance and Music Camp
This camp, founded in 1982, is also in the Mendocino Woodlands. Read its history here.
Los Angeles Hungarians
Meet others interested in Hungarian culture. Site is in Hungarian and English.
Croatian-American Cultural Center
"The Croatian American Cultural Center in Sacramento, California is a non profit organization whose main purpose is to promote the Croatian name to the local and surrounding communities as well as to preserve and endear the Croatian culture for future generations." In Sacramento.
Kolo Festival
This San Francisco festival has been around for more than 50 years and includes dance and singing classes, live music and ethnic food. It's in November.
CANADA
Vadrozsa Hungarian Folk Dancers
This group was founded in 1974 and performs all around Calgary and Southern Alberta. They have also performed in Hungary.
KANSAS
Little Balkan Festival (September)
This festival is held annually over Labor Day weekend in Pittsburg.
MASSACHUSETTS
East Coast Balkan Music & Dance Workshop
This week-long workshop in August is located at Camp Hi-Rock, in the Berkshires at the border of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. Learn the music, singing and dance of the Balkans. Parties, jam sessions and ethnic food also. The Eastern European Folklife Center has more information.
MINNESOTA
Orkestar Bez Ime
This "orchestra without a name" is from Minneapolis and plays Balkan-influenced music.
NEW YORK
Zlatne Uste
Balkan style brass band that has been to Serbia's Guca festival four times.
The Hungarian House
The center of Hungarian cultural activity in New York.
Áron Székely (and Erika Bodak)
Amazing Hungarian folk dancers and teachers in NY and NJ.
Annual Golden Festival of Balkan Music and Dance
Jan 14-15 in New York. Folk to modern music and dance, crafts and foods.
Eletfa
An eight-member Hungarian folk ensemble that has been around for about 20 years.
OHIO
Csardas Dance Company
"Csárdás Dance Company, founded in 1994, is a unique professional dance organization. The various components of the nonprofit dance organization consists of the Csárdás Youth Ensemble, which performs traditional as well as contemporary works stemming from Hungarian heritage, and a dance school, the Movement Arts Center (MAC), which offers instruction in several dance disciplines and serves as home to other dance organizations including the Ohio Conservatory of Dance and Ohio Youth Ballet."
OREGON
Northwest Balkan Events
This is an announce-only mailing list from Yahoo! that keeps you up on all things Balkan in the Pacific Northwest area. Fantastic resource.
Aratas Ensemble
A group of ten dancers who perform Hungarian
folk in the Portland area
Balkanalia!
This August Balkan dance and music in Oregon welcomes enthusiasts of all levels. Instrument classes are for more advanced musicians, but the dancing and parties are for all.
Google group for Northwest Balkan Events
This is new as of February 2006 and a great resource for all sorts of goings-on, including some middle-eastern stuff. Thanks to Amy Mills for putting it together and posting much of the stuff.
TEXAS
Csardas
Hungarian folk dance enthusiasts group that have regular parties and perform throught Texas. "We are a group of people from many walks of life who love Hungarian dance and music. Members include students, teachers, professionals, and more. Though some of us are Hungarian or Hungarian-American, most of us do not have Hungarian cultural backgrounds."
UTAH
Jomoka
Hungarian Tanchaz band in Salt Lake City made up of a violin, viola, cimbalom and bass. They perform weekly.
WASHINGTON
Northwest Balkan Events
This is an announce-only mailing list from Yahoo! that keeps you up on all things Balkan in the Pacific Northwest area. Fantastic resource.
Seattle Balkan Festival
This February event is a three-day festival that brings together musicians, dancers and singers for workshops and parties to celebrate Balkan culture and improve their skills. Local musicians, as well as national ones and even international experts are common. Sign up early for discounts!
Google group for Northwest Balkan Events
This is new as of February 2006 and a great resource for all sorts of goings-on, including some middle-eastern stuff. Thanks to Amy Mills for putting it together and posting much of the stuff.
Ratchenitza
This is the official site of the Greenlake Folk Dancing group in Seattle.
Radost
Seattle's largest dancing and singing folk ensemble, whose name means "joy" in many Slavic languages. They also have a compact disc including many acts in the Seattle area.
Orkestar RTW
An orchstra of traditional Balkan dance music that play locally.
Bulgarian Events in Seattle
This site is in Bulgarian and English and includes other elements of culture, such as food and literature.
Balkanarama
"Hot, gypsy party music in Seattle."
Vela Luka
Croatian dance ensemble in Seattle.
Hungarian American Association of Washington
All sorts of Hungarian events, including music, dance and language learning.
Ti Ti Tabor
This annual summer dance camp is near Seattle. This page is for the 2004 camp, but nothing else is available and contacts are listed.
Erdely Ensemble
Hungarian and Transylvanian folk dance ensemble established in 1998 in Spokane . They perform annually at the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle and with Salt Lake City's Jomoka (see UTAH above) at the Spokane's MET every fall.
WISCONSIN
Szaszka
Szaszka has been performing village dance music from Transylvania and Hungary for events and workshops in the Midwestern U.S. since 1996.
GENERAL
Balkan Bands in the USA (and out)
A long, linked list of bands in and out of the States, listed by state.
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Local Non-Eastern European Resources
Dick Oakes' International Folk Dance Resources
A ton of links divided by type.
More Folk Dance Links
Festivals, groups, clubs, more.
Folkdance Locations by state
Folkdancing.org
This is a huge resource for folk dancing of all kinds, including a directory where you can find things in your area.
SeattleDance.org
Find folk dancing groups of all types in the Seattle area.
Northwest Folklife (Seattle)
"Northwest Folklife, founded in 1972, is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes the cultural heritage of Pacific Northwest communities. Supported through individual donations, grants and sponsorships, Northwest Folklife is the most visible advocate of the traditional arts in the Northwest region. It presents the annual Memorial Day weekend Northwest Folklife Festival, education programs and other public programs." The festival features music from around the world, including Eastern Europe.
EthnicDance.net (Chicago)
Links to ethnic dancing, food, events and the like in Chicago.
The page of links on folk music and dancing is here.
International Folk Dancing in New Mexico
Links to several resources for ethnic folk dancing.
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