2026 Teachers

Staff listings are subject to update and change.

Dance

Stoyan Getsov

Bulgarian Dance

Stoyan Ivanov Getsov, born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, was so captivated by learning Bulgarian folk dances and music in elementary school that, in third grade, when he had to choose between gymnastics...Read More

Janetta Redžić

Balkan Dance

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Janetta's Bosnian roots have always been a central part of her identity. She began folk dancing at the age of six with the group Sevdah, where Bosnian folk dance...Read More

Danny Staveris

Greek Dance

Danny Staveris was born in Lodi, California, and began Greek dancing at the age of five. His first performance took place at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, where his mother made him a...Read More

Instruments & Ensembles

Angel Dobrev

Gadulka

Angel Dobrev was born in the town of Omurtag in Bulgaria. He plays the gadulka (Bulgarian: гъдулка), which is a traditional Bulgarian bowed stringed instrument. He expressed an interest in...Read More

Valeri Georgiev

Bulgarian Kaval

Valeri Georgiev is from the Bulgarian Danube town of Ruse. He studied kaval in Kotel with Stoyan Chobanov and Georgi Penev, and graduated from the Plovdiv Academy of Arts with a BA degree in...Read More

Bobby Govetas

Beginner Ensemble; Tapan/Daouli

Bobby Govetas is an accomplished percussionist, performing on daouli and drum kit. He is equally at home playing the subtle rhythms of Macedonia and Thrace as he is rocking out with his friends....Read More

Christos Govetas

Greek Clarinet

Christos Govetas was born in the village of Proti, in the province of Serres in Greek Macedonia. After emigrating to Boston in 1978 he joined the Rebetiko band Taxími as a bouzouki and baglama...Read More

Eleni Govetas

Greek Ensemble

Eleni Govetas was born into the musical Govetas family, and has been immersed in the music from day one. She began performing with her family at the age of nine, and has continued to pursue...Read More

Greg Masaki Jenkins

Beginner Ensemble; Rebetika Ensemble

Greg Masaki Jenkins is a second-generation American Balkan folk dancer who grew up at the Balkan Music & Dance Workshops. He gigs regularly throughout the San Francisco Bay Area with the...Read More

Jerry Kisslinger

Tapan/Daouli; Ensemble Percussion Coach

Jerry Kisslinger has played tapan/daouli for Balkan and folk-dance community events, concerts, and festivals throughout the United States for many decades and has taught regularly at EEFC camps...Read More

Stoyan Kostov

Bulgarian Tambura

Stoyan Kostov has been playing Bulgarian tambura for over 50 years. He graduated from the folk music school in Kotel and the Plovdiv Academy of Music and Dance. Stoyan performed with Ensemble...Read More

Ari Langer

Greek Violin

Ari Langer grew up in Ashland, Oregon, where he studied classical violin, performing in solo competitions and with local string quartets and orchestras. He took a sharp left turn to attend the...Read More

Mark Levy

Macedonian Village Ensemble

Mark Levy created the first week-long Balkan Music & Dance Workshop in 1974, and co-founded the East European Folklife Center in the early 1980s. He recently retired from the faculty of the...Read More

Nick Maroussis

Greek Strings; Rebetika Ensemble

Nick Maroussis is a musician based out of Seattle, Washington, where he grew up playing strings in various rock bands in the greater Seattle area. His involvement in the Greek community and...Read More

John Morovich

Tamburica Ensemble

John Morovich grew up in Seattle's sizable Croatian community. Since 1973, he has studied, taught, and performed traditional music and dance of Croatia and other parts of Southeastern...Read More

Benji Rifati

Brass Melody; Brass Band Ensemble

Benji Rifati is an American-Rom who has spent years studying trumpet from Romani masters of Eastern Europe. Immersed in Balkan music since he was a toddler, Benji was first inspired to play by the...Read More

Ali Yağız Şen

Makam Theory

Ali Yağız Şen, whose stage name is Jarolim Gayri, hails from the vibrant musical landscape of Istanbul, Turkey, and is a multi-instrumentalist, pedagogue, and scholar deeply rooted in the rich...Read More

Evan Stuart

Brass Band

A second-generation Balkan enthusiast, Evan was introduced to Balkan folk music as a teenager while attending EEFC's Mendocino Balkan Music & Dance Workshop. He became infatuated immediately...Read More

Sean Tergis

Doumbek

Drawing on a music base in folk music from the Middle East, Turkey, Greece and the Balkans, Sean Tergis brings a unique element to his drumming through many different influences. Since 2002, Sean...Read More

Ivan Varimezov

Thracian Gajda; Bitov (Bulgarian Village) Ensemble

Ivan Varimezov was born in Bulgaria, studied folk music at Kotel High School for Folk Music and received a M.A. degree in folk instrument pedagogy and choral conducting from the Plovdiv Academy of...Read More

Singing

Christos Govetas

Greek Singing

Christos Govetas was born in the village of Proti, in the province of Serres in Greek Macedonia. After emigrating to Boston in 1978 he joined the Rebetiko band Taxími as a bouzouki and baglama...Read More

Ruth Hunter

Ipirot Songbook Favorites

Ruth Hunter began her musical career singing and playing Bulgarian folk music, but immersed herself in Greek music and culture after marrying Christos Govetas in 1995. She sings and plays...Read More

John Morovich

Croatian Singing

John Morovich grew up in Seattle's sizable Croatian community. Since 1973, he has studied, taught, and performed traditional music and dance of Croatia and other parts of Southeastern...Read More

Eva Salina

Beginning Balkan Singing

Eva Salina is a mother, gardener, and a passionate interpreter and instructor of Eastern European vocal traditions. Eva was born and raised in California, spent 14 years in Brooklyn and now lives...Read More

Carol Silverman

Romani Singing Beg/Int

Carol Silverman has been involved with Balkan and Romani music and culture for over thirty years as a researcher, teacher, performer and educational activist. An award-winning professor of...Read More

Michele Simon

Balkan Vocal Technique 101; Balkan Vocal Technique Master Class

Michele Simon has been involved with music all of her life, and with Balkan folk music for most of it, as a dancer, singer, drummer and teacher. She was raised surrounded by music of all kinds,...Read More

Tzvetanka Varimezova

Bulgarian Singing

Tzvetanka Varimezova was born in Pazardzhik in Bulgarian Thrace, and started singing and playing accordion at age 9. She went on to master tambura and piano, and studied folk music at Kotel High...Read More

Culture

Carol Silverman

Balkan Music, Dance, & Culture Through the Lens of Gender

Carol Silverman has been involved with Balkan and Romani music and culture for over thirty years as a researcher, teacher, performer and educational activist. An award-winning professor of...Read More

For the Kids

Darina Drapkin

Children's Activities

Darina Drapkin is a native Russian speaker, having immigrated to the U.S. over 45 years ago. Her enthusiasm, curiosity, and musical interests have led her into many genres and traditions of...Read More

Janetta Redžić

Balkan Dance for Kids

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Janetta's Bosnian roots have always been a central part of her identity. She began folk dancing at the age of six with the group Sevdah, where Bosnian folk dance...Read More

Eva Salina

Children's Music Collective

Eva Salina is a mother, gardener, and a passionate interpreter and instructor of Eastern European vocal traditions. Eva was born and raised in California, spent 14 years in Brooklyn and now lives...Read More

All About Camp Work Exchanges

The Mendocino Workshop runs smoothly thanks to a hard-working crew of work exchange campers, who receive a partial tuition waiver (and a few full waivers) in exchange for their work.

Work exchange folks have a job at camp, like washing dishes or cleaning bathrooms. In exchange for their hard work, they pay reduced tuition (in most cases 50%) to come to camp. Some jobs require special skills, experience, or knowledge of the workshop environment, others requiring lifting or standing, etc. Others are great for first-timers or require no special skills.

The Site Manager fields work exchange requests and helps manage the work exchange crews during camp, along with crew leaders who manage the larger crews.

What’s the difference between a work exchange and a workshop scholarship?
A work exchange job means that you get assigned some work/duties at camp and in exchange some or all of your tuition costs are waived. A scholarship is different—with a camp scholarship, some or all of your tuition costs are paid by generous donors and you do not have any work duties at camp. If you have applied for and end up receiving a scholarship, you may withdraw your work exchange request. Please note that the Mendocino scholarship application period has already ended, and that scholarship decisions will be announced in April.

About the work and jobs:
Workers are required to arrive at camp by 4:00 p.m. the first day of camp and stay until 11:00 a.m. the last day. Note that we cannot accommodate part-time campers for work exchange. Work exchangers are also expected to be timely and responsible throughout the week (that means arriving to your shifts on time, getting the work done, etc.)

At Mendocino, the majority of work exchange positions are on the Dish Crew. Folks on the Dish Crew work two 90-minute shifts per day. There’s a swap meeting the first night to trade around shifts and optimize your schedule, but it’s still possible you may have to miss a class or two. Lots of the people on Dish Crew enjoy being part of a team, making friends, and having some additional structured time. (And everybody loves using the sink sprayer!) This is a great crew for first-timers, as no prior skills or knowledge of camp are required, and making new friends is quick and easy.

Other crews include Bath Crew (cleaning bathrooms/washhouses, taking out trash, some auxiliary setup of chairs/benches); Donation Store Crew (setting up, running, and closing down the Donation Store. Often includes pre-camp organizing get togethers in the Arcata area for those available); Kafana Crew (setting up, running, and closing down the Kafana. Includes lots of late-night shifts.) Other specialty jobs include the Gofer (town runs everyday for supplies), Wellness Advisor, Stage Manager and Sound Techs in the Dance Hall and Kafana, Housing, Rides, Bedding, and other admin help. Many of these positions require special prior experience at camp or in a similar role.

How to apply:
Requests for work exchange will be collected on a rolling basis through May 1st. We encourage you to make your work exchange request early to ensure we have a spot for you. Jobs may run out, and date of request is strongly considered when assigning jobs to applicants. Please note that we can only accommodate full-week campers for work exchange, and that application for a work exchange position does not guarantee a work exchange position. Applicants who are offered work exchange jobs are expected to accept the commitment and register for camp within a timely manner. We look forward to having you on the team!

Application for the 2027 work exchange team will open when general registration opens in the spring of 2027. Stay tuned!

Mendocino Woodlands Camp 1 Map

Use this map to help you decide which cabin or cabin area to request on your registration form. Please note that the central section (Cabins 17-31) is generally reserved for staff.

Click here to download a full-size PDF of this map.

Getting to Mendocino

Mendocino Woodlands Camp One is in Jackson State Forest about 175 miles north of San Francisco, roughly 12 miles inland from the coastal town of Mendocino.

From the south, take Hwy 101 North to Cloverdale. Highway 101 bypasses Cloverdale, so take the Hwy 128 Fort Bragg/Mendocino exit (after a couple of Cloverdale exits). Some 60 miles later (twisty road, but gorgeous vineyard, redwood, and coastal scenery), take Hwy 1 North to Mendocino.

From the north (Oregon), take I-5 South to Grants Pass, then Hwy 199 to Crescent City. From there, take Hwy 101 South to Leggett. From there take Hwy 1 South (insanely twisty road to the coast, with the reward of breathtaking ocean views) to Mendocino.

From Mendocino, go east on Little Lake Road (Co. Rd. 408) from Hwy 1
(at stoplight) for 5.6 miles, then turn right on Co. Rd. 700 (winding dirt road). Drive for 4 miles to Camp One. Please drive slowly and carefully on this dusty road!

If you’ve never been to the Woodlands, plan to arrive before dark. Registration will be located just outside the dining hall.

NOTE: If you are driving an electric vehicle to camp, note that the Woodlands does NOT have EV-charging capabilities on site. Be sure to locate appropriate charging stations before you enter and after you exit the Woodlands. There are apps that will help you find stations, for example ChargeFinder and PlugShare.

Dine & Dance—Bed & Breakfast

Come for early evening activities, the dance party and the late night kafana. Then spend the night and enjoy breakfast before you hit the road!

Here’s how it works:

• 6:00 p.m.: Arrive at our lovely redwoods site (see Directions tab above). Check in at the Kafana and set up your bunk. Join us for a delicious dinner, starting at 6:30.
• Then take in a folklore presentation, singalong, or join in our auction. Dancing to live music begins in the main hall generally around 9:00.
• Our Kafana in the woods is a bar and a club, and a place where much music and merriment happens into the wee hours. Stay as long as you like!
• Sleep in a bunk with the bedding you brought from home.
• Roll out of bed, have breakfast by 9:30 a.m., and hit the trail by 10.

All this can be yours for $150. A cheap hotel in Ft. Bragg (forget the town of Mendocino), easily runs twice as much and provides no options for gajda, ouzo, čočeks, or çiftetelli!

HOW TO REGISTER

Registration for the B&B option will be available when general camp registration is open in spring 2027. Stay tuned!

Evening Schedule 2026

Schedule is subject to change.

Culture Corners and Group Sings begin at 7:45 p.m.
Dance parties, unless noted, begin at 9:00 p.m.

Saturday

Dance (10:00-)

• Brass—Fanfare Zambaleta
• Greek—Drómeno

Sunday

Group Sing (7:45-8:45): “Northern” with John Morovich

Dance (9:00- )

• Bulgarian—Bulgarian Staff
• Greek Brass—Mendocino Hálkina Collective

Monday

Culture: Camp Kids: Legacy & Community

Dance

• Macedonian Village—Michele Simon, Mark Levy & Jerry Kisslinger
• Zournadhes/Daouli—Govetas Family
• Greek: Grevena, Island & Pontic—Ari Langer

Tuesday

Auction Night (dance party begins around 10:00 p.m.)

Dance

• Rhodope Sing-Along—Mark Levy & Gaida Mafia
• Bulgarian—Bulgarian Staff feat. Tzvetanka Varimezova

Wednesday

Group Sing: “Southern” with Michele Simon

Dance

• Tamburica—John Morovich
• Turkish—Kara Üzüm

Thursday

Group Sing: Ipirot with Ruth Hunter

Dance

• Bulgarian—Bulgarian Staff
• Romani—Benji Rifati

Friday

Student Ensembles play for your dancing pleasure (dance party begins at 8:00 p.m.)

Daily Schedule 2026

Schedule is subject to change.

CLASS LEVELS

• Beginner (B): You are new to this instrument/singing style.
• Intermediate (I): You have some proficiency: can match pitches, accurately replicate phrases heard by ear, and play at speed.
• Advanced (A): You have technical mastery: you are focused on stylistic details and self-expression.

If you are interested in a class that is not at your level, you can always audit! Please remember that the pace of instruction will not be geared to you, and hold your questions till the end of each session. If a class does not have a designated level, all are welcome!

CLASS SCHEDULE 2026

SLOT 1 (9:30-10:45)
Dance: Bulgarian—Stoyan Getsov

Sing: Vocal Technique Intro—Michele Simon

Instrumental:

• Vioin—Ari Langer
• Bulgarian Tambura A—Stoyan Kostov

Kids: Children’s Activities—Darina Drapkin

SLOT 2 (11:00-12:15)
Dance: Greek—Danny Staveris

Sing:

• Balkan Singing Survey—Eva Salina
• Croatian/Klapa—John Morovich

Instrumental:

• Tapan B/I—Jerry Kisslinger
• Doumbek A—Sean Tergis
• Brass Melody—Benji Rifati

Ensemble:

• Bitov (Bulgarian Village)—Ivan Varimezov
• Rebetika—Greg Jenkins & Nick Maroussis

Kids: Children’s Dance—Janetta Redžić

SLOT 3 (2:00-3:15):
Dance: Balkan for Everyone—Janetta Redžić

Sing:

• Bulgarian I—Tzvetanka Varimezova
• Greek—Christos Govetas

Instrumental:

• Tapan/Daouli I/A—Bobby Govetas
• Bulgarian Kaval I—Valeri Georgiev
• Gadulka A—Angel Dobrev

Ensemble: Greek—Eleni Govetas

Culture: Balkan Music, Dance, & Culture Through the Lens of Gender—Carol Silverman

SLOT 4 (3:30-4:45):
Dance: Greek—Danny Staveris

Sing:

• Greek Ipirot—Ruth Hunter
• Vocal Technique Master Class—Michele Simon

Instrumental:

• Gadulka B—Angel Dobrev
• Bulgarian Kaval B—Valeri Georgiev
• Greek Clarinet—Christos Govetas
• Bulgarian Tambura B—Stoyan Kostov

Ensemble:

• Beginner Ensemble—Greg Jenkins & Bobby Govetas
• Tamburica—John Morovich

Kids: Youth Music Collective—Eva Salina

SLOT 5 (5:00-6:15):
Dance: Bulgarian—Stoyan Getsov

Sing:

• Bulgarian A—Tzvetanka Varimezova
• Romani B/A—Carol Silverman

Instrumental:

• Greek Strings—Nick Maroussis
• Makam—Yagiz Sen
• Thracian Gaida—Ivan Varimezov
• Doumbek B—Sean Tergis

Ensemble:

• Brass Band—Benji Rifati & Evan Stuart
• Macedonian Village—Mark Levy