Plus cameo teaching appearances by

former Laguna Folk Dance Festival teachers:

           Lee Otterholt

Do you play a MUSICAL INSTRUMENT?  Would you like to play along during our rousing sing-alongs?  Then you should bring your instrument to the Laguna Festival and attend either the 10:30-12noon Saturday workshop led by Miamon Miller or the 5-6PM Saturday workshop led by Terry Gucwa, or both!  (Both workshops will be held in a side room.  The earlier workshop goes parallel to Lee Otterholt’s cameo teaching and Yves Moroeau’s first teaching session.  The later workshop goes parallel to the pre-dinner Happy Hour.)  Participating in one or both of these workshops will allow you to play along with Miamon and Michael during the sing-alongs.  You can DOWNLOAD THE SCORES and practice beforehand by clicking the button below.

 LAGUNA FOLK DANCE FESTIVAL – 50 YEARS YOUNG!

     The 2020 Laguna Folk Dance Festival will be held March 6-8, 2020 and it will be the 50th anniversary, so this festival will be a doozy! Legendary YVES MOREAU (who taught at our 25th Festival and will be teaching mostly Bulgarian dances, as usual) is already confirmed as one of the main teachers, as is young and energetic AARON ALPERT who will be teaching Israeli dances.  There will also be CAMEO appearances by former Laguna Festival teachers TOM BOZIGIAN and LEE OTTERHOLT.  And the National Folk Organization (NFO) will be holding its annual conference in conjunction with the festival, so many dance leaders from all over the United States will be there. 

     The Festival will, as always, include dancing to LIVE MUSIC (three bands: Madison Avenue Folk, Sans Frontieres and Zimzala) Friday night, workshops all day Saturday, a very happy Happy Hour (with dancing to 50’s style pop and rock music!) and a gala dinner that evening followed by dancing to live music with MIAMON MILLER and band, then reviews Sunday morning, a concert after lunch (catered meals are available onsite both Saturday and Sunday so you don’t have to leave the beautiful clubhouse where we dance), and again dancing to live music Sunday afternoon.  

     If you are coming from out of town, you can book rooms at the nearby Ayres Hotel at a discounted rate. The Ayres Hotel is a short walking distance from the festival venue. 

     Also, as always, our popular SING-ALONGS will be led by the always-cheerful MICHAEL LAWSON and the Southern California Lifetime Achievement Award will, for the 6th time, be awarded to a worthy recipient who has made an exceptional contribution to the Southern California folk dance scene.

     If you play an instrument, bring it along.  There will be a room set aside for instrumental music workshops and jam sessions, enabling you to play along with Michael and Miamon during the singalongs.

     There will be a display of historic photos from previous Laguna Festivals.  If you have some photos to share, please bring them.

     In honor of our 50^th anniversary every participant will also receive a charming, complimentary souvenir of the event to remember this certainly very memorable event by.

     And, if you can stay an extra day, we will DANCE ON THE BEACH on the Monday after the festival – a very unique experience not many other festivals can offer!  

OPPORTUNITY DRAWING

     Everyone attending the 50th Annual Laguna International Folk Dance Festival is eligible to enter the drawing for a $1000-off Certificate for a Jim Gold International Tour, compliments of Jim Gold. The certificate is fully transferable. You can use it yourself or gift it to anyone else. (Or even sell it if you want!)

     To enter the drawing, ask for a ticket at the Registration table at the Festival. The winner will be announced at the Concert on Sunday and posted on the Laguna Festival website. The winner need not be present to win. While it is 100% not required, you are invited to give a suggested donation of $10. Donation received will be split 50/50 between the Laguna Festival and Folk Dance Federation, South, Inc. Visiting Master Teachers Program Fund.  Donations can be made in person in cash or by check or by Venmo or online on the Festival Registration site.

     DUE TO OVERWHELMING RESPONSE WE CAN NO LONGER ACCEPT REGISTRATION FOR PASSPORTS FOR THE ENTIRE EVENT OR FOR THE SATURDAY TEACHING. THESE EVENTS ARE SOLD OUT. YOU CAN STILL BUY TICKETS FOR THE FRIDAY NIGHT PARTY, THE SATURDAY NIGHT PARTY AND ALL DAY SUNDAY, AND YOU CAN ORDER MEALS UNTIL FEBRUARY 29. AFTER FEBRUARY 29TH ONLY AT-THE-DOOR SALES, AND THEN ONLY FOR THE PARTIES AND THE SUNDAY EVENTS.  NO MEAL TICKETS SOLD AFTER FEBRUARY 29.