EEFC Online Workshops

In keeping with the virtual demands of our modern times, EEFC is excited to sponsor a changing selection of live online class series, taught by our beloved workshop teachers. All classes are held on Zoom and require one-time pre-registration. Zoom meeting information will be provided upon registration (see FAQs below).

Unless otherwise noted, each 4-week course costs $50, or $15 per class. We also offer low-income tuition choices as well as a Pay It Forward option in case you have the means to throw in a little extra to keep our online programs thriving. See each series’ registration form for details.

Check the EEFC event calendar for latest event information.

Not the right time to join a class? Consider a donation of any size to EEFC to help keep our programs running during these challenging days. Thank you!

May 2022

Greek Dances of Spring with Rena Karyofyllidou & Kyriakos Moisidis

Greek dance instruction direct from Thessaloniki, with a thematic emphasis on the Spring season. We will start with the Kozani/Grevena region of West Macedonia, then the Serres/Drama region of East Macedonia. The third week will feature the East Romylia and Evros regions of Thrace, and we will finish with dances of Asia Minor and Pontos. Dance levels will be of varying difficulties, and we will cover men’s and women’s styling and aspects of improvisation. Dancers of all levels are welcome!

Sundays, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22, and 5/29/22 – 11:45 a.m. Pacific, 12:45 p.m. Mountain, 1:45 p.m. Central, 2:45 p.m. Eastern

Register here, at least 2 hours before start time. Access to class materials will be made available to you upon registration. See the registration form for full info.

Gems of Bulgarian Song Series 2 with Lauren Brody

We’re thrilled to welcome Lauren back for a second Bulgarian song series with all-new material! Join her for a fascinating vocal survey of many of her favorite solo, two-voiced songs, and ballads from across Bulgaria’s rich folklore regions. This class is open to all singers, but comfort with learning by ear is a plus. Texts, translations, musical transcriptions, and audio sources will be provided.

Tuesdays, 5/10, 5/17, 5/24, and 5/31/22 — 5:00 p.m. Pacific, 6:00 p.m. Mountain, 7:00 p.m. Central, 8:00 p.m. Eastern

Register here, at least 2 hours before start time. Access to class materials will be made available to you upon registration. See the registration form for full info.

June 2022

Tapan/Daouli for Beginners/Refreshers with Jerry Kisslinger

Jerry is offering four consecutive classes introducing or reacquainting you with the tapan/daouli/tupan, the pulse-giver of so much Balkan dance music. We’ll cover drum positioning and stick technique, practicing to build facility, and fundamental Balkan rhythmic patterns in 2-, 4-, 7-, and 9-count meters. We’ll base ourselves in Macedonian dance rhythms, with some reference to Bulgarian dances. We’ll focus on fundamentals and creating the right dance space, with a dash of syncopation and variation. Jerry will provide notation as a learning and practice aid, but will not assume you can already read music.

Depending on enrollment, we may limit the live online class size to 12 to allow for individualized interaction and feedback. All who enroll can work with the class videos posted after each class.

As a bonus, on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, Jerry will emcee an audiovisual presentation by photographer Jasna Bogdanovska on the famous annual Galičnik wedding festival (see below). Participants in Jerry’s class will receive free admission to this event.

Thursdays, 6/2, 6/9, 6/16, and 6/23/22 — 4:30 p.m. Pacific, 5:30 p.m. Mountain, 6:30 p.m. Central, 7:30 p.m. Eastern

Register here, at least 2 hours before start time. Access to class materials will be made available to you upon registration. See the registration form for full info.

Special Event: Galičnik – Wedding, History, Music, Folklore, Beauty. An audiovisual presentation with Jasna Bogdanovska

Every July, the village of Galičnik in Macedonia is the center of Europe’s most traditional wedding festival. The wedding, which lasts for three days, combines unique and rare traditional rituals, costumes, music, and dances that have been passed down for centuries. Photographer and educator Jasna Bogdanovska will talk about her experiences photographing the famous Galičnik wedding, and exploring its history, customs, folklore and music.

At the conclusion of the audiovisual program, Jerry Kisslinger will host a live Q&A/discussion with Jasna.

Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (5:00 p.m. Pacific, 6:00 p.m. Mountain, 7:00 p.m. Central)

Register here, at least 2 hours before start time. This event has sliding-scale payment options—see the registration form for details.

Serbian Singing with Ljubomir Živkov

We are thrilled to bring Ljubomir straight from Belgrade to you! He is offering a wide variety of Serbian songs from all over Serbia. His repertoire contains something for every voice and every combination of voices: from solo to duet to polyphonic, in a variety of characteristic rhythms. He will spend time on common ornaments, accents and musical phrases, while demonstrating the incredible diversity of music in a relatively small country. Ljuba has selected songs that he considers beautiful in melody and text—easily remembered songs with natural scales that can be sung spontaneously, in the car, in the woods, by the sea…

Ljubomir will provide lyrics, plus melody, part, and instrumental recordings for each song as appropriate.

Saturdays, 6/4, 6/11, 6/18, and 6/25/22 — 10:00 a.m. Pacific, 11:00 a.m. Mountain, 12:00 p.m. Central, 1:00 p.m. Eastern

Register here, at least 2 hours before start time. Access to class materials will be made available to you upon registration. See the registration form for full info.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

When will I receive the Zoom link?
To maintain cybersecurity, a new Zoom meeting number and password will be sent each week at least two hours before each class starts. Please begin to sign into the meeting no earlier than 15 minutes before our start time. Volunteers will be available to assist you. If there is a sound/lighting check with the teacher in progress, please wait until we’re finished to unmute and begin your greetings and salutations!

Do I need a Facebook account to participate?
No, all classes are conducted via Zoom, and essential information will always be sent out via email.

Will music and video be provided?
Each teacher has the option to make source materials available on password-protected pages. Password access to class materials pages will be provided in your registration confirmation and in the emails sent out at least two hours before each class. Password-protected links to streaming videos of each completed class will be provided to students separately via email.