Click below to access pages of photos for each workshop.
Trees and tapans
Mendocino
Drew Harris (in oven mitt) and Varol Saatcıoğlu hitting high notes, gustatorily and musically.
2018 Workshop Photos
2018 Workshop Photos – Iroquois Springs
Click on a photo to see a larger image and access a slide show.
All photos on this page are by Margaret Loomis.
In the dance hall.
Serbian singing teacher Ljuba Živkov (second from left) plays brač and sings in an informal porch gathering.
Elizabeth Harris, Niko Long and Katherine Harris raise their voices.
Joe Graziosi leads the dance line while three Govetas family members play.
Polly Tapia Ferber surrounded by her doumbek class.
Gajdas bleat for Rhodope sing-along.
Playing brass in the kafana.
Playing ball on the lawn.
Yianni Roussos (fourth from left) and his santouri class on porch.
The occupants of cabin 16 celebrate the lamb roast together.
Marlis Kraft and her kids’ class reach for the sky.
Čoček Nation on the march.
Determined drummer Mia Frumin.
Matt Moran and Raif Hyseni.
Late-night dancing in the kafana.
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Drew Harris (in oven mitt) and Varol Saatcıoğlu hitting high notes, gustatorily and musically.
The rumble of tapans at student ensemble night.
Trumpet teacher Nizo Alimov and his backup singers.
Čoček Nation at student ensemble night.
All-star band backing up Merita Halili.
Raif Hyseni and his Albanian / Kosovar ensemble.
Bitov ensemble led by Nikolay Kolev.
Čoček Nation.
Beth Bahia Cohen (far right) and her Greek ensemble.
2018 Workshop Photos – Mendocino
Click on a photo to see a larger image and access a slide show.
All photos on this page are by Biz Hertzberg.
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Trees and tapans
Can I get a little space, here
Bulgarian accordion and Bitov ensemble teacher Milen Slavov with dance teacher Petur Iliev.
Svetlana Spajić, teacher of Serbian singing; Jerry Kisslinger, tapan/dauli teacher; and Site Manager Corinne Sykes.
The annual Canadian-hosted pre-lamb-roast party on the road.
Impromptu gathering in a welcome moment of sunlight.
Angel Dobrev and his gudulka class.
Ari Langer (second from left) and his violin class.
Violin teacher Ari Langer, Board President Melinda Russial, and house bassist Paul Brown.
Clarinet teacher Catherine Foster and trumpet/brass band teacher Nizo Alimov.
Nizo plays in the dance hall . . .
. . . along with the brass band student ensemble . . .
. . . there were a lot of players.
To the delight of dancers Lacey Cope, Susan Reagel and Sara Klak.
Jenavieve Kachmarik and dance teacher Jessaiah Zuré work out a move.
At the swimming hole.
The Fetatones’ annual appearance, with “The Big Cheeze, Kefalograviera” . . .
. . . “Fetoula,” and the whole band. (Note: They promise some “fresh” new tunes for Mendocino 2019!)
Heading down the hill to the student concert.
And they’ve arrived.
Kaval teacher Valeri Georgiev with student Maria Noël.
Petar “Usmivkata” Aleksiev’s gajda class performs at the student concert.
2017 Workshop Photos
Dancing to brass band in the dance hall.
Mendocino
Kids/youth band Čoček Nation on the move. Photo: Ira Gessel.
Iroquois Springs
2017 Workshop Photos – Iroquois Springs
Click on a photo to see a larger image.
Greek ensemble with Beth Bahia Cohen usually only had one or two tapans, but Jerry Kisslinger’s tapan class (16 tapans) joined us one afternoon! Beth liked it, so on Friday night, when we played for dancers in the main hall, we all played. What fun! Photo and caption: Sandy Ward
Comfortable cabins, with porch space for music and socializing. Photo and caption: Sandy Ward
Melinda Hunt singing on stage with Demiran Ćerimović and and Zlatne Uste. Photo and caption: Sandy Ward
Dragi Spasovski croons, accompanied by Mark Levy on Macedonian gajda. Photo: Sandy Ward
Kids/youth band Čoček Nation on the move. Photo: Ira Gessel.
The future of Balkan Camp seems secure, as so many young musicians participate with enthusiasm. Čoček Nation played and we danced. Photo and caption: Sandy Ward
Rhodope singing accompanied by the “Gajda Mafia” and their sheep. The sheep kept wandering away, and were herded back by eager youngsters. Photo and caption: Sandy Ward
And a close-up of the gajda players from the Rhodope sing. Photo: Ira Gessel.
Christos Govetas, Ruth Hunter and Adam Good
It’s 3 AM, and we’re loving the music at Kafana, as Demiran Ćerimović, master trumpet (truba) player from Serbia, plays and sings with Zlatne Uste Brass Band. Photo and caption: Sandy Ward
Drew Harris and Ernie Williams serve up some good eats at the grill. Photo: Sandy Ward
Alex Marković teaching his class to dance like no one’s watching. Photo: Ira Gessel.
Alex Marković leads the line, followed by Helen Marx, Erin Kurtz and Matt Moran. Photo: Ira Gessel.
Čalgia masters Husref Said (kanun), Raim Baki (džumbuš) and Sonia Tamar Seeman (clarinet).
Ljubomir Živkov and Mensur Hatić grace the “Northern” Group sing with their soulful sounds . . . Photo: Ira Gessel.
Plinkin’, strummin’ and singin’ at the “Northern” Group Sing. Photo: Ira Gessel.
See more photos from the 2017 Iroquois Springs Workshop:
By Sandy Ward: Sandy Ward photos
By Ira Gessel: Here
2017 Workshop Photos – Mendocino
Click on a photo to see a larger image.
All photos by Biz Hertzberg unless otherwise noted.
Steppin’ out at an evening party in the dance hall.
Zournadhes and daouli: Eleni, Christos and Bobby Govetas take over the dance hall.
Valeri Georgiev directs the Bitov ensemble class in the meadow.
Carol Silverman, cofounder of Balkan camp and longtime teacher of Romani singing, takes a break.
Alex Marković teaches in the dance hall.
It’s not just the redwoods that make the Mendocino Woodlands so beautiful . . . these ferns and grasses were photographed along the path to the meadow, next to the pond.
Sharing secrets of truba or just gossip? Left to right: Michael Ginsburg, Billy Giaquinto, Demiran Ćerimović, Alex Marković and Catherine Foster.
Dancing to brass band in the dance hall.
Janie Cowan, Ava Davidson, Darcy Noonan and Greg Jenkins (and many others not pictured here) play a rebetika set in the kafana.
Paul Beck and Brent Geary playing Romanian music in the kafana.
Captivated by remetika music in the kafana.
Late-night spread for hungry revelers.
Stopping at the dining hall on the trek to the student concert, while the kitchen staff dances on the counter . . .
. . . and arriving at the student concert in the amphitheater.
Rebetika ensemble performance with teacher Christos Govetas at the Student Concert.
At the Student Concert: what will they do next?
Chef Nysether sets out dishes for the lamb roast.
A lot of heart goes into prepping for this event.
A work-exchange job, such as a position on the dishwashing crew, has been the entrée for many folks into the EEFC workshops. At right, above, Katie Delgado.
Work-exchange students Charlotte Finegold and Honna Steissberg.
See more photos from the 2017 Mendocino Workshop:
2016 Workshop Photos
Jerry Kisslinger’s tapan class makes a din in the dance hall.
Mendocino
Michael Ginsburg’s brass band ensemble can be enjoyed from all positions.
Iroquois Springs
2016 Workshop Photos – Iroquois Springs
Click on a photo to see a larger image.
All photos by Margaret Loomis.
Tzvetanka Varimezova coaxes ever-better ornaments out of her Bulgarian singing students.
Beth Bahia Cohen leads Greek ensemble class with a smile.
Grill scene at the Kafana on Tuesday night, with grillmeisters being serenaded by friendly musicians.
Cathie Springer’s kafana Turkish coffee station, with help from the late-night younger generation.
Becky Ashenden’s auction item resulted in a community effort to weave a beautiful blanket in a traditional Rhodope pattern for Vassil Bebelekov’s family.
The blanket for Vassil’s family is finished, woven by Becky and friends.
Memorial gathering for Vassil, featuring wine and a ritual wheat dish called kolivo. Many people spoke, sharing their stories and memories.
Remembering and honoring Vassil at Thursday night’s Rhodope gaida singalong.
Elitsa Stoyneva’s young folks perform at the student concert, delighting the audience.
Michael Ginsburg’s brass band ensemble can be enjoyed from all positions.
Brass band ensemble’s shiny mid-brass section.
One wing (about one-third) of Raif Hyseni’s Albanian ensemble, with Merita Halili and half of her singing class visible on stage behind.
2016 Workshop Photos – Mendocino
Click on a photo to see a larger image.
All photos by Biz Hertzberg unless otherwise noted.
Jerry Kisslinger’s tapan class makes a din in the dance hall.
Synching up steps in the dance hall.
Husref Said and Raim Baki play kanun and džumbuš in the amphitheatre.
The same scene as the one at left, viewed from above. The amphitheatre is one of the treasures of the Mendocino Woodlands.
Jessaiah Zuré leading her Turkish Roman class in the dance hall.
Impromptu dance party on the road. (photo: Steward Hartman)
Alex Marković dancing köçek and playing zills at the lamb roast with Jessaiah Zuré playing zills, Polly Tapia Ferber on tapan, Lise Liepman (hidden) on wooden spoons and Bob Beer playing kemençe.
Alex Marković and Erin Kurtz dancing.
Peter Bonos, Paul Beck, Mattias Kaufmann and Naomi Zamir play a klezmer set in the kafana.
Dancing in the kafana: Craig Kurumada, Carolyn Spier, Biz Hertzberg. (photo: Steward Hartman)
Colorado contingent singing in the kafana: Thorn Roby, Jessica Bondy, Rose Fuller, Mary Ann Saussotte.
Solo tapan practice in the meadow.
2015 Workshop Photos
Mendocino
Low brass and tupan line up the beats at brass band class. (Arlene Imagawa)
Greek musical treats accompany the EEFC Welcome Reception. (Sanna Rosengren)
Brassy boogie in the kafana. (Arlene Imagawa)
Dancing in the kafana to the Fetatones. (Arlene Imagawa)
Vassil Bebelekov’s Thracian gajda class at the student concert. (Arlene Imagawa)
Bob Beer’s kemençe (Pontic lyra) class at the student concert. (Arlene Imagawa)
Kukeri costumes evolved during the week and made their wild debut in the parade. (Sanna Rosengren)
Kinship of kukeri. (Sanna Rosengren)
Iroquois Springs
Milo Destanovski, Jessica Ruiz and Matt Moran drive the music, while Steve Kotansky leads the footwork. (Margaret Loomis)
Rediscovering one another while snaking around the room in long lines. (Margaret Loomis)
Students from Milo Destanovski’s zurla class, Jessica Ruiz’s zurla class, and friends rock out at the Lamb Roast. (Margaret Loomis)
Matt Moran’s tapan class lays down the beat for Milo’s zurlas. (Margaret Loomis)
Second-line brass on the move. Resististance is futile. (Margaret Loomis)
Yianni Roussos’ santouri class. (Margaret Loomis)
Mark Levy delights dancers with his rare Serbian gajde. (Margaret Loomis)
Eva Salina’s kids’ singing class, backed by all-star lineup of accompanists. (Margaret Loomis)