Fermilab International and Silk & Thistle Dancers entertain and teach at Fox Valley Folk Festival

The folk and Scottish dancers in local groups are preparing for the Fox Valley Folk Festival this year with considerable excitement. The Festival takes place Sunday and Monday, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, on Island Park in Geneva, and features dance performances and workshops, as well as a traditional barn dance.

The Fermilab International Folk Dancers will be presenting dances from seven countries at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, on the Festival's main stage. "Each year's performance is different," said Mady Newfield, the group's director. This year's dances come from Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria, Russia, Italy, Norway, and the USA. "We're excited we can finally danc our favorite Romanian dance at the festival. To my knowledge there is only one musician in this country who can play it, since it's hard tune done on the jaw harp." Newfield said.

That musician, John Parrish of Chicago, will join Don Weeda of Austin, Texas, and Warren Kubitschek of South Bend, Indiana, in playing for the dancers' performance and a concert set at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. They will also play for teaching workshops, where festival visitors can try dances from all over the world, at 4 p.m. Sunday and noon Monday.

The Silk and Thistle dancers, another Fermilab-affiliated dance group, have their own reason to be excited. They will demonstrate Scottish country dancing Monday afternoon in front of the main stage to the music of two featured groups, Navan, a Celtic vocal quartet from Madison, Wisconsin, and Cooper, Nelson, and Early, a local folk trio.

"When we heard Phil Cooper play at last year's festival, we cornered him afterwards, and asked if we could arrange to dance to his fine music," said Doug Jensen, the Fermilab physicist who teaches the Scottish dancers. Similarly, the dancers heard Navan in concert, and brought their a capella harmonies to the attention of Fox Valley Folk Festival Director Juel Ulven.

Scottish country dancing is social dancing, and the group will pull the public in to try it out in a workshop at 3 p.m. Sunday. They always hope they'll find a few more folks interested to keep coming to their weekly classes held at 7:30 p.m.Tuesdays at the American Legion Hall, 22 S. Second Street in Geneva.

Likewise, Newfield says the Folk Festival always helps the international folk dance group to attract a few newcomers, who can continue to learn dancing of many lands at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays. also at the American Legion Hall in Geneva.

There is no charge for the lessons in either group, and anyone is welcome, with no partner required.

More information on international folk dancing and Scottish country dancing is available by calling (630) 584-0825 or (630) 840-8194 or e-mailing folkdance@fnal.gov. For information on the Fox Valley Folk Festival or Barn Dancing, call (630) 897-3655, or check the Web site at www.foxvalleyfolk.com.