Folk Dancing Opportunity
We have another opportunity for you: Folk dancing!
Joan Oyler is a new member of the Woman’s Club and we think she is going to be an active and interesting person to get to know. She has played Mah Jongg at the Woman’s Club for a couple of years, so several members already know her. From her membership application, we learned something else–She is an International Fold Dancer and the local leader of the group, Topeka International Folk Dancers. We asked her to share more about this activity.
Interested?
Joan has invited all interested Woman’s Club members and vaccinated guests to dance with the group. The group usually meets on Sunday afternoons, 2:30-5:30. I think the dancing looks fun and provides how-impact exercise–probably depends on the music. Here are two videos of the most recent meetings.
No Dance Partner Needed!
“No dance partner is needed as we do line dancing and circle dancing.” Let Joan Oyler know if you have interest in observing or participating: 785-633-6467. Who knows, some of us may be interested in joining the Folk Dance Group! Below is a short history of the folk dancers and the couple who started the Topeka group. Who knew there was a Folk Dance group in Topeka!?
Topeka International Folk Dancers
The “TFID” group was founded by Bob Shapiro and Elaine O’Gara in 2001. (Bob is the man in the videos, and Elaine is in the red-flowered top) Their repertoire includes dances from Bolivia, Bulgaria, Serbia, France, Israel, Romania, Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Hungary, and other countries.
History
Bob and Elaine met in Boston in 1977 at a fok dance. They continued dancing their way across the USA, living in Long Island, Austin, and Berkeley. They found dance groups in St. Louis, Chicago, Omaha, Oklahoma City, Fayetteville, and many other cities. They returned to Elaine’s hometown of Topeka in 2001, started the group of folk dancers, and remained until 2019. While in Topeka, they took fok dance lessons and performances to schools, community events, and senior living centers. They had weekly dances at the Capper Foundation with clients for several years.
Joan Oyler, Elaine’s sister and Woman’s Club member, is the group leader since 2019. Be sure to meet Joan!
You can visit their webpage here.
We will set up a page specific to folk dancing on our website if there is interest for the Woman’s Club, so you can see all the events and videos in one place. This is a great opportunity to learn Folk Dancing!