Balkan Music &
Dance Workshops

Every summer the EEFC presents two week-long summer camps, which we’ve revved up again after the long pandemic drought. The 2023 camps are over, but you can read all about them as you plan for next year! Mark your calendars for 2024.

June 15-22, 2024
More info…

August 10-17, 2024
More info…


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Stay in Touch

There’s more than one way to stay connected to the EEFC throughout the year. Subscribe to our email Newsletter for monthly updates. Join the Discussion List (an active email group with searchable archives since 1993). Send us a message.


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Get the FAQs

Find out almost everything you always wanted to know about the EEFC’s in-person Balkan camps.
FAQs


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Kids at Camp!

Our in-person workshops are a great experience for families. Get the scoop to ensure everyone has a blast!


Scholarships

We award full scholarships to our in-person workshops.
Find out more


Partners

The EEFC is proud to partner with sister organizations, including the Bulgarian Folk Music & Dance Seminar.

Benji Rifati

Brass Band

Benji Rifati is an American-Rom who has spent years studying trumpet from Romani masters of Eastern Europe. His teachers include legends such as Zahir Ramadanov and Demiran Ćerimović, as well as contemporary masters, namely Džambo Agušev. He and his bandmate, Eleni Govetas, visited Šutka, Macedonia, three years in a row starting in 2015, where they immersed themselves in the style and culture of Romani brass wedding bands. There they were given the opportunity to lead processions accompanied by the local bands. Benji now plays in two Romani-style bands in Seattle, Washington: The Minor9, a full Romani brass band, and Melez Band, a contemporary Romani wedding-style four-piece. Through these projects he hopes to spread the intricate artistry of Romani brass music throughout the States and beyond, while educating American/non-Balkan populations on Romani culture, history, and traditions.