Bal Folk Dances have been discontinued
Hello Dancers! Thank you for your interest and participation in Bal Folk over the last 15 months. It has been a great opportunity to delve into this genre of dance. Due to circumstances, I have made the decision to discontinue these dances.
Why? There are two basic reasons for having to discontinue Bal Folk dances. First, it has become unaffordable. With the increase in venue fees, it's no longer reasonable to continue to subsidize these dances or ask attendees to cover the additional cost. Second, while we have all enjoyed learning dances and dancing 'in the moment' we don't have a consistent enough audience and attendance (core group) to advance beyond where we are. It was getting harder and harder to keep the experience fresh and interesting.
Thoughts. I have pursued offering a class to build a larger audience, but the entity I approached did not accept the proposal. Our current dance venue could work, but it would not be affordable for participants. I would certainly entertain other ideas, and I would make myself available to lead an ad hoc evening of dancing to just dance and revisit what we know. If you have thoughts to share, please feel free to send me a message through the contact page or talk to me at one of the other Missoula Folklore Society dances.
Thank You!!
I had a great time meeting you and dancing together.
Sincerely, Mike Sweet
Bal Folk derives its name from traditional “folk balls” held around western Europe. Over the last decade western European folk music and dance has experienced a revival that is sweeping across Europe and gaining momentum in the North America.
Bal Folk dances are participatory events, based on traditional dances gathered from all over Europe that have easy basic steps, everyone can get involved, and dancers are free from gender-defined roles. The music is based mostly on western European traditional tunes, but "amped up" with new arrangements or new compositions written for Bal Folk dancing. It’s not just the dancing, the music, or the traditions – it’s the magic that happens when we put it all together.