Folkdancing tradition will change
Clap-clap ... clap!
Dancing and clapping, two dozen people circled musicians as they brought alive the Greek Miserlou, the Israeli Zemer Atik, the Bulgarian Cocek.
For 35 years, the Ashland International Folkdancers have gathered each Friday night in the historic Community Center across from Lithia Park to celebrate the music of the world. That tradition will soon change.
After some research, the Ashland Parks and Recreation Department, which manages the Community Center and several other facilities in town, found it was only recovering 17.5 percent of the cost of running those sites. The Parks and Recreation Commission and the Ashland City Council recently authorized a plan to boost the cost recovery rate to 31 percent.
"For every dollar we don't recover, that's a dollar less we can use in other areas," said Parks Director Don Robertson. "The Parks Commission wants to develop neighborhood parks, continue to expand recreation programs, make improvements at the golf course and replace playground equipment. It's important that we stretch those tax dollars as much as possible."
Under a 1987 agreement, the folkdancers paid $10 per hour and had nearly exclusive use of the Community Center on Friday nights. They could be bumped up to six times a year for community events attended by at least 50 people. Private events like weddings didn't count.
Now, they will still pay that rate. But they must choose between moving next door to Pioneer Hall once a month or moving to The Grove on East Main Street during June, July and August.
Other groups and people attending private events will then have use of the Community Center at those times. They will pay the Friday night rental rate of $21 per hour.
The folkdancers prefer the Community Center for a number of reasons. The wood floor has enough give to be gentle on joints, the size is just right and the acoustics are good.
In contrast, The Grove acts as an echo chamber, said Ashland resident John Hawksley. Hawksley, who learned folkdancing at age 14 at a Quaker School, said it is a community-oriented form of recreation. Like ecstatic or religious experiences, dancing with others has a transcendental quality. Plus it's good for you, he said.
"People who dance stay healthier. You don't have to go to the gym and do Stairmaster or run marathons if you dance a few times a week," Hawksley said.
Sound quality is important to the folkdancers. The first part of the evening is devoted to dance lessons, where people listen attentively as they teach each other simple to intricate steps. Hawksley said that the group collectively knows about 400 dances.
About once a month they have live musicians who are masters of such instruments as the guitar-like mandolin and the Turkish dumbeck, a type of drum. The folkdancers also play music from their collection of about 600 recordings.
"It's very important to be able to hear the music. This is not rock band music," said Ashlander Venita Varga, who teaches Greek dances.
She said the community center's central location is convenient for people who live all over town. Many walk or bicycle to the dances.
Residents and tourists strolling through Lithia Park sometimes hear the music and drop in. The location is also publicized on lists shared by folkdancers around the nation. Friday is the traditional night for groups to meet, members said.
Matt Ross, a Phoenix resident, said the local group would like to attract even more members. The youngest participants are children, while the senior member is 85 years old. He said folkdancing is a wholesome family activity.
Ross said his own mother was a superb ballroom and Latin dancer, but he resisted learning to dance until
he was 30 years old.
"It was too good to miss. There is so much variety and it's so international," he said.
Originally from Croatia, Ashland resident Jasna Pecaric said she heard traditional music while growing up, but didn't learn the dances. She moved to America 23 years ago. In response to a flyer that advertised instruction in Balkan dances, Pecaric learned about the steps and movements of her ancestors.
She has gone on to learn dances from all over the world. When traveling to folkdancing festivals, Pecaric has seen people moving and singing together, even though their countries have a history of violent conflict.
"There's a Croatian saying. 'He who dances and sings does not think of evil and war,'" she said.
The Ashland International Folkdancers meet from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Fridays. For more information, call 482-8249.
Staff writer Vickie Aldous can be reached at 479-8199 or vlaldous@yahoo.com. To post an on-line comment, visit www.dailytidings.com.
