Joining a dance through history

Christine Carrillo

The Laguna Folkdancers transformed the gym at Ensign Intermediate

School in Newport Beach Saturday into a stage for strangers, friends

and families to gather hand in hand and dance.

From Balkan to Turkish dances and a number of other international

dances in between, the Laguna Folkdancers welcomed people from

neighboring cities, counties and states to the 33rd annual festival

to showcase their folk dancing talents and even acquire some new

ones.

As part of the three-day event, which ends today, participants get

the chance to delve into a variety of cultures.

“It brings so many different types of people together ... sharing

different cultures and different experiences,” said Ahmet Luleci,

who, now in his early 40s, has been teaching Turkish folk dancing

since the age of 15. “Folk dancing is different than what people

think. It’s just a matter of opening people’s minds.”

Once opened, people can’t seem to help but become enamored.

“The music is so good and so different,” said San Diego resident

Donika Colten, who has attended the festival for the past five years.

“You can’t even describe [the feeling]. That’s why you do it.”

Due to the stigma that folk dance equates to square dance, Luleci

has found people are often surprised to discover that widely-popular

dances like Tango and Samba actually fall under the folk dance

category. As they learn more about what folk dancing is, however,

they quickly become more open to being a part of the folk dancing

scene as a whole, he said.

And even that scene incorporates much more than just dancing. It’s

also about culture.

“It’s not just museum pieces, these are traditions that are alive

and still being passed on,” said Rosind Didyk, artistic director of

the folk dancing group Aman that will perform today. “Everybody

brings a unique view to it ... it’s about the way music and dances

are passed on from generation to generation.”

By interweaving different dance workshops, taught by master

teachers Luleci and Steve Kotansky, with live folk music at the dance

parties and a number of booths selling clothing, shoes, music and

books, this year’s festival continued the tradition of presenting the

eclectic tradition of folk dancing.

“This year is the same thing it’s been since the beginning --

though I think it’s evolved,” said Michelle Sandler, Laguna

Folkdancers festival chair. “[It’s about] the music and the dancing.”

For more information about today’s events, call (714) 891-0788 or

(949) 494-7683.

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at christine.carrillo@latimes.com.