So Many Great Reasons…

We know if you’ve ever been to Balkan camp, you will likely agree that it is what has been called “the gold standard.”

We also know that you have a choice when it comes to summer workshops and tours. Many in our community are lucky enough to look forward this summer to attending the festival in Koprivshtica, Bulgaria, an event that only comes ‘round every five years. Make no mistake—we’re happy when we hear that our friends and fellow community members get an opportunity to visit the Balkans. But if you still haven’t made your summer plans, or if your sights aren’t set upon trans-Atlantic travel for whatever reason, consider joining us in the Mendocino Woodlands or the Catskill Mountains this year.

The Balkan Music & Dance Workshops are life-changing gatherings.

But don’t take our word for it. Here is a small sample of comments from last year’s workshop attendees:

“The teachers are all tops in their fields—how do you do it?”

“On the slowest day, I learned more than I would in months of study otherwise.”

“Balkan camp is my annual milestone. I actually think of it as the year marker, more than birthdays or anniversaries or New Year’s. I spend the following year practicing what I learned.”

“I love the age range, the shared love of Balkan cultures, and the way we look for what is common, rather than that which divides us.”

“The instruction and faculty are amazing, but I think the other important aspect is the community building—with people near and not so near our homes. Dozens of new faces become dear friends in just a handful of days.”

“To have the opportunity to be in my music head, unencumbered by my daily life for a whole week in a row, is valuable beyond count.”

“The collective love that we all have for this music and dance is a magical thing. Being able to share it in a multi-generational setting is always a wonderful experience. And the opportunity to learn from tradition-bearers in such an intimate setting is just fantastic.”

“EEFC workshops are incredibly special to me. I feel completely at home, welcomed, embraced, by the whole EEFC community, which is incredibly validating, and I am carried along all week by a huge wave of joy at being with so many other people who love music and dance so much. Even more important to me than all of this, however, are the teachers who share their art with such generosity and love. I am always moved and inspired by their example, and every year I leave camp feeling nourished, refreshed, and ready to give what I have to give over the course of the next year in the context of my own life.”

“Being completely immersed in such musical excellence and variety for an entire week is incomparable. It is the anti-Twitter!!”

Convinced?

Register now for Mendocino or Iroquois Springs.

And NOTE: To encourage you to sign up, we are waiving the after-deadline tuition surcharge! But hey, even if you aren’t joining us this summer, take Craig Kurumada’s 10-Camper Pledge and help spread the word. You, my friends, are EEFC’s best ambassadors.