Daniela Ivanova is an accomplished, professional folk dance teacher and performer. She is also a very gifted choreographer and a researcher of the South Slavic folk dance culture. Daniela had degrees in philosophy, literature and cultural studies from the Institute of Music and Choreography, Sofia , Bulgaria and from the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. She was a full time teacher in choreography and co-founder of the Medena Pitka school ensemble. She was artistic director of the Tropanka folk dance group ( New Bulgarian University ), choreographer of the Zornitza University students' folk ensemble, and a choreographer of student ensembles in Bulgaria , Banat and Besarabia. With these ensembles she toured France , Israel , Romania , Malta , Belgium , the Netherlands , Slovakia , and Mongolia . Her talent as an artist helps Daniela Ivanova to be a very good educator as well. Her fine singing and very charming personality make her workshops more fun than work.

A word about Bulgarian folk dance:
Bulgaria is a relatively small country but within its modern boundaries a wide diversity of folk dance styles can be found. This is probably the main reason why Bulgarian dances prove so popular among international folk dancers. Bulgarian folk dances are normally line dances, with hands joined either in low "V" hold, belt hold (na pojas), crossed in front or "W" hold. Footwork can vary from fast intricate steps to slow sustained cat-like movements. Dances from the north have some of the characteristics of dances from southern Romania, just across the Danube, i.e. fast crossing steps, dances from the Pirin Region in the West have much in common with dances from Yugoslav Macedonia, and dances from the Šop region round Sofia have similar characteristics to those from eastern Serbia. This illustrates how boundaries of dance styles do not necessarily conform with politically imposed nationally boundaries.

The Juneau DanceFest, an annual event that is held over Labor Day weekend at Centennial Hall, brings dance instructors and attracts dancers to Juneau for workshops and social dances. DanceFest provides instruction and the opportunity to practice a wide variety of dance styles including ballroom dances such as waltz and tango; popular dance such as hip-hop and contra; and dances from other cultures such as belly dance and Native American dance. Workshop participants and members of the general public have the opportunity to attend three dances with either live bands or DJ'd music. DanceFest is a project of JIF. Schedule is located at www.juneaudancefest.org.

Richard Powers is one of the world's foremost experts in American social dance, noted for his choreographies for dozens of stage productions and films, and his workshops in Paris, Rome, Prague, London, Venice, Geneva, St. Petersburg and Tokyo as well as across the U.S. and Canada. He has been researching and reconstructing historic social dances for twenty-five years and is currently a full-time instructor at Stanford's Dance Division.

Angela Amarillas has been Richard's teaching and performance partner for the past decade. She shares Richard's passion for historical and vernacular dance, has a dance minor from Stanford University, and has taught and performed across the U.S. as well as in Rome, Prague, London, Paris, St. Petersburg and elsewhere.

Stucture and Fee Schedule

Friday, February 29 Session I, 7:00 -7:55 PM: 1950's teen Rock'n'Roll (Bandstand style) swing, Flea Hop.

Session II, 8:05 PM - 9:00 PM: Party dances of the fifties and early sixties: The Stroll and Chalypso (1950's teen Cha Cha)

Saturday March 1 Session III, 10:00 - 10:55 AM: Bandstand-style Triple Bop plus major revolutions in swing dancing.

Session IV, 11:00 - 11:55 AM: 1950's Bandstand-style swing becomes 1970's Latin Hustle with almost no changes. It is not today's 3-count Hussle.

Session V, 2:00 - 2:55 PM: 1950's. 60's and 70's line dances: The Madison, Hully Gully and Bus Stop. Quick Latin Hustle review.

Session VI,3:00 - 3:55 PM: Cool disco Hustle figures, dips and drops that are still useful today. Latin Hustle becomes West coast Swing.

Sunday, March 2 Session VI ,10:00 - 11:30 AM: Review

Workshop fees: $45.00 for the package weekend workshop; $35.00 for JIF members and full time students with ID; $10.00 for single sessions. Checks made out to JIF or Juneau International Folkdancers.

Saturday, March 1 evening DJ'd dance party. $5.00

Richard Powers Stanford Faculty Page
Tango Pulse Interview with Richard Powers

Lee Otterholt is a freelance international folk dance master teacher based in Laguna Beach, California. Lee teaches locally in Southern California and at festivals and workshops in the United States and Europe and leads folk dance tours all over the world. Born in the US of Norwegian-American parents, Lee has lived and worked most of his life in Norway as a professional dancer, dance teacher and choreographer. In Norway he founded and led the Center for International Folk Dance in Oslo, Norway. He was a professor of folkloristic dance at the NorwegianNational College of Ballet and at the University College of Oslo. For the last 10 years he has been active on the international scene, teaching various Balkan dances at international folk dance festivals in Europe, the USA, and East Asia.

Lee Otterholt's web page

The Juneau DanceFest, an annual event that is held over Labor Day weekend at Centennial Hall, brings dance instructors and attracts dancers to Juneau for workshops and social dances. DanceFest provides instruction and the opportunity to practice a wide variety of dance styles including ballroom dances such as waltz and tango; popular dance such as hip-hop and contra; and dances from other cultures such as belly dance and Native American dance. Workshop participants and members of the general public have the opportunity to attend three dances with either live bands or DJ'd music.

http://juneaudancefest.org/