A Jaap Leegwater Evening

Come join us for a Bulgarian dance workshop with Jaap Leegwater! Jaap has brought us many of our favorite dances, including Karamfil, Mari Mariko, Rusi Kosi, and many more. An international folk dance party will follow after a short dinner break.

Time	Event	Donation
5:00-6:45pm	Dance Workshop with Jaap Leegwater	$10
6:45-7:15pm	Dinner break (we’ll order pizza, bring a snack to share!)
7:15-10:00pm	International Folk Dance Party (first-timers free) with MCs Ken Kaye and Adony Beiares	$10

As a reminder, vaccinated dancers only. If you’ve been to our parties in the past, we’ve marked you as vaccinated. If this is your first party, please bring proof of vaccination. N95 or KN95 masks highly recommended.

Send dance requests to pfdcparty@gmail.com

Jaap Leegwater started his dance career in his native country, The Netherlands, where he earned degrees in both education and international folk dance. Fascinated with the irregular Balkan rhyhms and drawn to the expressiveness of its movements, Jaap specialized in Bulgarian dance and choreography. In 1969, he was one of the first non-Bulgarians invited to study at the State Choreographer’s Schools in Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Mr. Leegwater was first introduced to the American folkdance scene by the late Ciga Despotovic in 1980. He gratefully recognizes the support and inspiration received from Marianne and Michael Herman, Dennis Boxell and Yves Moreau in establishing himself in Northern America professionally.

For the past 30 years Mr. Leegwater has conducted workshops and dance seminars in various countries: The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Israël, England, United States, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. He is a regular instructor at many major dance camps and organizations including Maine Folk Dance Camp, Stockton Folk Dance Camp at the University of the Pacific, Mendocino Folklore Camp, the EEFC Balkan Music and Dance Camp, Kolo Festival, in San Francisco, Texas Folk Dance Camp, New Mexico August folk dance Camp, Santa Barbara Folk Dance Symposium, Montreal International Folk Dance Camp, Ontario Folk Dance Camp and the Bulgarian Festivals in Vancouver, B.C.

Dances range from beginning to advanced, and all forms (line, couple, and set). If you’d like to bring a snack to share, please make sure they are prepared for individual servings.