Co-op Dancing in June & July
We have two big news items for June. First, we’ve found a beautiful new venue and we’re going to start dancing there in July. Photos and details below. And… (a bit of a good-news/bad-news situation here) in light of recent events, hall-rental prices, and the fact it’s been 20 years since this happened, the board has decided it’s time to raise our admission price. More details below if you want them.
What will Not change is that we dance Every Friday from 7:30 PM till 9:30 PM. Here are the specs for June and July:
June 2025 only
Westminster Presbyterian Church
1757 N. Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104
Admission: $6 (members $5)
July 2025 forward
Saint James Episcopal Church
1325 Monterey Rd., South Pasadena, CA 91030
Admission: $8 (members $7)
For directions to both locations see the Location page.
On the first Friday in June during the 8:00 teaching sessions, Ling O’Connor will be teaching the Taiwanese circle dance, Zhan Zai Gao Gang Shang (see a solo demonstration of the steps here). On the other three Fridays, Yael Steinfeld will teach the Israeli circle dance, Libi.
Set Dance Review Resumes
Marshall Cates will be resuming 2nd-Friday set dance review on June 13th starting at 6:30 before regular dancing. Thereafter set dance review will once again be happening on the 2nd Friday of every month.
Beginners’ Hour
Beginners’ Hour happens on the 1st and 3rd Fridays every month for sure, and if there’s enough interest, we add the fourth Friday as well. It goes from 6:30 till 7:30 before regular dancing. If you’re a beginner or if you’d just enjoy some review of basics, come and join us, and of course if you know any interested beginners, please send or bring them.
We teach and review beginner friendly dances, and review folk dance basics and common folk dance patterns. The very first time a person attends it’s free, and thereafter admission is the regular admission price. Attendees are encouraged to stay for our regular Friday night dancing (no additional charge).
New Venue Starting in July
As noted above we found a beautiful new venue in South Pasadena, and we’ll start dancing there on the first Friday in July.
The photo above shows the Parish Hall at St James Episcopal Church (imagine it without the tables). The church is located at 1325 Monterey Rd, in South Pasadena at the corner of Fremont Ave and Monterey. It’s easy to find and the hall is right off the parking lot once you arrive. There’s a beautiful wood floor as you can see, a kitchen, storage, plenty of room for both dancers and a band, and very nice people to work with. Here’s a view of the exterior:
A very big thank-you to Westminster Presbyterian for their hospitality and generosity over the last few month. Other than the smallness of the room, we’d have been happy to stay there indefinitely.
Price Increases
It’s been 20 years since the admission charge was increased at the co-op, and at a board meeting on May 28th, in addition to deciding on the move to St James Episcopal, we voted to increase our admission charge by $2. Starting on the first Friday in July, admission at the co-op will be $8 for non-members or $7 for members. Also we are raising the cost of memberships from $10 to $15, effective in July.
Board Election
The Co-op’s administrative year is from July 1st through June 30th. On the first Friday in June we’ll announce the board nominations that have been submitted by this year’s nominating committee, and at that time the floor will be open for additional nominations. If we have additional nominations, we’ll schedule a vote for the following Friday, and if there are none, the nominating committee’s slate will be approved by a ‘white ballot.’ The new board will take office on July 1st.
The current elected officers are President, Mari Werner; Vice-President, Rick Cofield; Secretary, Ruth Seid; Treasurer, Ann Armstrong; Member-at-Large in charge of MCs, Les Slifkin; Member-at-Large in charge of Publicity, Kate Cook; and Delegate to the Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Marshall Cates. The appointed nominating committee members this year are Pat Cross, Ellen Stern, and Marshall Cates.
Memberships
Co-op memberships coincide with our administrative year, July 1st through June 30th, so May and June are the time for renewing memberships or getting new ones. Along with that announcement there is a shout-out that’s overdue because of being overshadowed by the venue scramble. Rick Bingle, our stalwart forever membership officer has retired from the position and been replaced by Lucie Cofield. Huge big thank you to Rick for all the years he took such good care of memberships. And thank you to Lucie for stepping up to fill the position.
The benefits of membership are: it gets you into Friday night dancing for $1 off the standard price, makes you eligible to vote for the board of directors and to serve on the board, and perhaps most importantly, it’s an expression of solidarity and support for the Co-op. To renew your membership or become a new member, see Lucie on any Friday evening. Or in the event Lucie can’t be there, Rick Cofield will be filling in. As mentioned above, both membership and admission prices are going up in July. The cost of a 1-year membership (July through June) will continue to be $10 through the month of June, and go up to $15 starting July 1st.
From January 9, 2025
Dear Dancers,
Sadly, I have to inform you that our dance venue has burned down in the Eaton fire. Our condolences go out to the staff and members of Altadena Community Church, along with thanks for the years they’ve hosted us. A number of our dancers have been affected by the disaster, but by all reports, everyone is safe and well. I hope all of you are also safe and well.
We will dance again soon though not right away, and we won’t be able to have our Winter Festival on the 18th. After personally affected board members have had time to recover and regroup, we’ll meet and organize and find a new venue. Possibly we’ll dance at a temporary venue for a little while.
Dancing in the park will continue. See Nomad Dancers on the Associated Groups page, and you’ll find other dance groups listed there as well.
Please keep the faith and keep dancing in your heart. We shall overcome. Stay safe and well.
All the best, Mari Werner
for the Pasadena Folk Dance Co-op Board
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Folk Dance Resources
Most of you probably know that Pasadena Folk Dance Co-op is a member of the Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc. Through the federation we are connected with other folk dance groups around the region, and the federation provides us with support and a wealth of folk dance resources. They also sponsor our festivals and those of our sister organizations in the area. On their website you can find a directory of federation clubs, advices on teaching, organizing events, and managing clubs, as well videos and syllabi for an enormous library of dances, plus folk dance news and events, and more.
Something probably less well known is that via the federation we belong to the National Folk Organization (NFO). NFO also offers a wealth of resources on their website and through various events both online and in-person nationwide, and they offer scholarships to many of their events. Check out a recent newsletter to get a flavor of who they are and what they do.
Join the Folk Dance Federation Facebook Page
The Folk Dance Federation of California South now has a page in Facebook Groups here. If you’re a Facebook user, joining it will help you stay informed on all the great folk dance happenings going on in the whole region and also connect you with lots of folk dance clubs and individual folk dancers.
Federation Scholarships
Are you interested in attending folk dance festivals and camps, but maybe a little short of funds? The Federation offers scholarships for camps and festivals to dancers who are participating in their local clubs and supporting the growth of international folk dance. You can receive up to half of camp tuition or the full registration fee to festivals with teaching. Click here to find out how to apply.
Folk Dance Scene
Folk Dance Scene is the official publication of the Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc. It comes out ten times a year in both print and email form (monthly, with combined issues for June/July and December/January). In it you’ll find news and information on our sister clubs in the area plus interesting articles on folk dance, music, costumes, customs, lore, and culture of the peoples of the world, as well as news of folk dance opportunities in other regions. Design and layout are done by our own Pat Cross and Don Krotser.
Click here to peruse a sample issue (March 2024) and if you’re interested in a subscription, send an email to: subscriptions@FolkDanceScene.org.
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Current Health Protocols for Co-op Dancing
- Do not attend if you are sick
- Face masks are recommended but not required
- Please bring your own water and any snacks you want to have
- Hand sanitizer is available
Some Co-op History
from Marshall Cates
In the middle 80’s the Pasadena Coop was at a very low state We had been dancing at the Odd Fellow’s Lodge -upstairs when they suddenly doubled our rent. I was President at the time, so It fell on me to find a new location. I thought I had a place at the congregational church, but when they said we had to quit at 10:30, it was a deal breaker (we were dancing to 11:30 at the time). We finally settled on Holliston Church even though the floor was not wood. Slowly we lost people, eventually Ray Augustine quit coming. This was a serious blow as he and I were the main teachers with Ester Purcell doing beginning. He brought the new dances from Stockton. We dropped to about 15 with Cheryl bringing refreshments, both of us opening and closing and me doing most of the teaching. We started quitting at 11:00. About two years later Phil Gamble found Throop hall with its wonderful floor. Ray returned and we began again to flourish. By 1993 we had good attendance at both the New Year’s Eve party and the Winter Festival.
1990s
Quotes
The job of feet is walking, but their hobby is dancing.
– Amit Kalantri
Hard times require furious dancing.
– Alice Walker
Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.
– Voltaire
If you hit a wall, climb over it, crawl under it, or dance on top of it.
– Unknown