Joie de Vivre Folk Dancers - Ottawa
Keep community dance traditions alive!
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Folk dancing in Ottawa:


International Folk Dancers of Ottawa  (IFDO) - every Thursday at Jack Purcell Community Centre, 7:30- 10:15; we celebrated our 45th anniversary in October 2013.  50th anniversary in October, 2018 !
IFDO has a class for easier dances, core dances, beginner-level, with beginner-friendly teaching.  on facebook.
IFDO now has an advanced class, for advanced dancers, doing advanced dances! Monday nights. Inquire at the club on Thursday nights.


Ottawa Contra Dance

Royal Scottish Country Dancing

Ardbrae Scottish Country Dancing

Ottawa English Country Dance Club   Jane Austen dancing anyone?

Ottawa Israeli Dance

Abbotsford House 55+ Recreation Centre (8-12 week sessions; check current program calendar)

The Good Companions Seniors' Centre   (seasonal Spanish dance classes)


Hellenic Community of Ottawa  School of Traditional Greek Dance 

Rodina   Bulgarian Dance

​Polanie  Polish Dance Classes

Folk Dance Organizations:

Ontario Folk Dance Association (OFDA)
Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS)
Eastern European Folklife Center (EEFC)
Folk Arts Center of New England
National Folk Organization

Dig deeper into folk dance:

Are you a musician? Then you will find the rhythms of folk dance music very interesting. Look at this rhythms of folk dance chart to see what you can expect.
Unsure if folk dancing is for you? Read this article: What is Folk Dance. This article gives examples of specific dances and the countries of origin.
Read an FAQ here, which tells you more about what to expect if you decide to try folk dancing.
Here is an article describing how dancing makes us smarter. (Of course we knew that, but is that why we dance?)

Expand your horizons:

Jim Gold International Folk Dance Tours: Explore folk cultures of the dances you love to dance, or want to learn!
International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts: An NGO in consultative relations with UNESCO
The Dancing Goddesses: Folklore, Archaelogy, and the Origins of European Dance, by Elizabeth Wayland Barber: A facinating read!

Joie de Vivre Folk Dancers is based in Ottawa, Ontario. Contact Susan:  415susan at gmail.com
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