Learning Folk Dances Together.
Friday evenings, once a month from 7 - 10 pm (Nov 7, Dec 5, Jan 9, and Feb 6)
Join Kryva Kosa and friends for lively and collaborative evenings of fun footwork all winter long! The music will include a selection of traditional folk dance tunes from Ukraine, Lithuania, Finland, Rezija, and beyond. Dances will be called and led by a facilitator. Arrive early to participate in a focused learning session to practice the dances before the social event. No prior experience is required and no partner is needed!
There is a long, immeasurable tradition across cultures of gathering to dance, socialize, and connect through the seasons in ceremony. There are many wonderful members of the Kosa community who have helped keep the spirit of European village dance an active, living tradition within the organisation, including folks of Balfolk Toronto, Csango Unchained, and members of Kryva Kosa folk band.
Dance socials have been an especially important element of Ukrainian folk revival and preservation not only in Ukraine, but across the diaspora. It's part of Kosa’s community lineage in Toronto!
Schedule
Dance Learning Session | 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Dancing to Live Music | 8:00 – 10:00 pm
As Kosa Kolektiv continues to spin and lengthen this cultural thread from within their collective, they thank and acknowledge those who have enthusiastically shared their research in Ukrainian village dance and taught them, including Stephania Woloshyn of the Lemon Bucket Orkestra from Toronto and Anastasia Fyk of the Steppe Kolektyv from Winnipeg.
Cash will also be accepted at the door. We urge you to buy your tickets in advance, to avoid disappointment, as events may sell out. Plus, early birds and Kosa members enjoy a discounted rate!
If you are a University of Toronto student, you can sign up for free! Follow this link.
This workshop is part of the Talking Walls series connected with the Kosa exhibition at Hart House, running Nov-Feb. For the full program listing see the Hart House website.
Hart House, a centre for experiential learning at the University of Toronto, has served as a gathering place since 1919. Located in a historic neo-Gothic building, it offers space for arts, dialogue, wellness, and community engagement, welcoming students and the broader public year-round.