The Folk and Historical Dance Troupe consists of people from the Oxy community--students, faculty, alumni, staff, and their family members--who get together regularly the year around to learn, teach, practice, and sometimes perform ethnic and historical dances from many parts of the world.  We dance for fun!  There are no officers and no auditions, no one gets "course credit", everything from teaching to scenery to scrubbing the costume loft is done by volunteers.

The troupe was founded in January of 1971 by professor of Linguistics and Archaeology Elizabeth Barber (still the director), the then professor of Russian Gilman Alkire, and two students, Laurel Victoria Gray and Betty Schnur.  (Gray now runs her own troupe, specializing in Central Asian dances, in the Washington DC area.)  The troupe's first performance--of dances of the Austro-Hungarian Empire--took place that spring, and we have been running non-stop ever since.

Every year (since 1982) we join with the Oxy/Caltech Orchestra to host a VIENNESE WALTZ NIGHT for the two campuses.  Last year it was at Oxy; this year it will presumably be at Caltech.  Everyone waltzes and polkas all evening to the music of the orchestra--preferably in period dress of tailcoats and long full-skirted ballgowns.  Once or twice during the evening, the Troupe performs a fancy exhibition waltz while the crowd rests.  It takes us several months to prepare these difficult and elegant dances, which are often full of historically researched figures.
 In the last dozen years, we have developed and performed major dance shows entirely of Russian, Irish, Hungarian, Bulgarian, and American dances, built around charming folktales of the country  in question.  Over the years we have also performed suites of Israeli, French, German/Austrian, Scandinavian, English, Scottish, Breton, Polish, Serbian, Romanian, Greek, Turkish, Gypsy, Armenian, Roaring Twenties, and Renaissance dances, in addition to original choreographies by troupe members.  We have a sizable collection of costumes.

This year we are working toward a grand REUNION of all those who have ever been in the troupe. It will be held at Oxy on MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, May 25-28, 2007. The Reunion will include performances, video screenings of past shows, and lots of dancing (with review/reteaching of favorite dances from bygone years), ending with a square dance called in person by alum Paul Waters. We need to hear a.s.a.p. from those alums who think they might come, so as to plan adequately--send news even if you can't come! Use our Questionnaire at the following link: REUNION QUESTIONNAIRE  

QUESTIONNAIRE INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Print out the questionnaire
  2. Write in your answers
  3. Mail the form to:
  4. Dr. Elizabeth Barber
    Languages/Johnson Hall
    Occidental College
    Los Angeles, CA 90041

     

We meet regularly every Sunday afternoon and Thursday lunch hour in the Dance Studio.  Contact us for the exact distribution of rehearsal hours, or come to the Dance Studio on a Thursday at 12 noon.  Wear something cool, loose, and comfortable, and bring non-rubber-soled dance shoes (or dance temporarily in your socks).  The Athletics Dept. does not allow street shoes on the dance floor!  (We ourselves prefer ballet slippers or soft jazz shoes.)

Faculty currently in the group, besides Prof. Barber, include Prof. Emeritus of Physics Stuart Elliott (who has helped run the group since 1972), Prof. Alan Knoerr (mathematics), and Prof. Kimiyo Sasaki Watanabe (Japanese).

CONTACTS:
Faculty: Elizabeth (Betchen) Barber, x2838, barber@oxy.edu; Alan Knoerr, x2912, knoerr@oxy.edu

Student: Alison Eisel, aeisel@oxy.edu
Alumni:  Sharon Sprague Sheffield, punweaver@earthlink.net