ZoukFest is thrilled to announce the return of the ZoukFest Irish Traditional Music Weekend, June 7-10, 2012, at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design! (formerly the College of Santa Fe)

More exciting announcements coming shortly!

If ZoukFest is to grow beyond its current size and strengths, and to weather this tough economy, it will be because of your financial support. Your dollars can help us market ZoukFest to a wider audience and make the world aware of what we offer. Your gift can help ensure that we keep getting top-drawer
instructors on our staff.

Please give $100, or $50, or $25. That´s a tax-deductible contribution for you,
since ZoukFest is a nonprofit organization.

Donate to ZoukFest here »

Thank you for your support!

NOTE: News items below ↓ are from ZoukFest 2011, provided FYI only!

Steve Baker of New Lenox, Illinois is the happy winner of the beautiful Crump raffle instrument! ZoukFest congratulates Steve and thanks everyone for entering! It’s been another wonderful ZoukFest! Stay tuned for photos, etc! Thanks to the outstanding staff, students and volunteers for making ZoukFest 2011 a success!

June 11-12th, 2011 in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Set Dancing is the traditional Irish social dancing danced to jigs, reels, slides, polkas and hornpipes. Irish “Sets” are now danced throughout Europe, North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Set Dancing evolved from the French Quadrilles which came into Ireland in the early 1800s, the first quadrille being danced publicly in Dublin in 1816. Sets are usually danced in groups of eight—four couples forming a “square.”

Instructor:
Anne McCallum
Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, the daughter of an Irish mother and Scottish father, music, singing, dancing, and a love of the history and culture have always been an integral part of Anne McCallum’s life. She learned her Set Dancing on numerous trips to Ireland, dancing in country pubs and homes with local people to the music of local musicians. This heritage enriches her classes and gives her students a more complete experience. Anne has been teaching Set Dancing since 1993. In addition to weekly classes and many workshops and Ceilis, Anne has taught at many festivals and summer schools including London, Goderich, Milwaukee Irish Fest, Catskills Irish Arts Week, Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp, and Augusta Heritage Week. Her classes are appreciated by beginners as well as more experienced dancers.

Class:
Anne will teach sets from many different counties but particularly reel sets from County Clare and jig and polka sets from Kerry and Cork. Attention will be paid to the step and style of each set. For anyone new to set dancing—and beginners are always very welcome—wear comfortable shoes, preferably with leather soles. No partner necessary. If there are any sets that you would particularly like to learn or review and/or if there are any figures of any sets that you would like to review: amccallum@stclaircollege.ca

Details (note venue changes!):
Saturday, June 11th Set Dancing Workshop
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Hayden School of Ballet, 4139 Prospect Ave., followed by a Ceili (w/live music!) from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Maple Street Dance Space, 3215 Central Ave. SE.

Sunday, June 12th Set Dancing Workshop
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., followed by a Mini-Ceili (w/live music!) from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., at Hayden School of Ballet, 4139 Prospect Ave.

Cost:
$60 adults
$45 students (with active registration)
To reserve your space RSVP to: rwlandes@clear.net
Registration will open Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. at Hayden School of Ballet.

Lodging:
Discounted lodging (tell them you’re with ZoukFest) is available for $55/night at the Plaza Inn, 900 Medical Arts Avenue NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102 (Toll Free: 800-237-1307) Note: you must call to make your reservation. The ZoukFest discount is not available online.

We know everyone is anxious to get details and plans worked out so here is some necessary information to help you. Registration is now open, too, so please see the ZoukFest Info page for even more specifics!

Tuition Prices

Tuition price is $480. This price includes classes Monday-Friday with the same schedule each day, i.e. you will have the same classes each day for the entire week. Student tuition price is $250. If you are a high school or college full time student, you will receive full tuition at this discounted price. For those unable to attend all day each day, the single class price is $195. You will be attending one class at the same time each day, Monday – Friday.

NOTE: Tuition does not include the Friday & Saturday night concert tickets! Please see below.

Lodging Options

Lodging nights are Sunday, June 5th through Friday, June 10th. The UNM Dorm Room price is $330 for six nights ($55 per night). This includes linens and full breakfast each morning. Each dorm room is a private room with a single bed. Four of these rooms share a small living space and bathroom. Wifi and Ethernet cables are provided at no charge. We are also able to offer a block of rooms at the Plaza Inn at the same rate, or $330 per room for six nights. Plaza Inn is located about one mile from the UNM campus and offers a continental breakfast and free daytime shuttle to the UNM campus.

NOTE: You can also reserve Sunday-Saturday (5th through 11th) rooms at the UNM Dorm and the Plaza Inn if you plan to stay for the Saturday night concert (see below). At $55 per night, the Sunday-Saturday total would then be $385 in either location for seven nights. The registration form only allows registering for the UNM Dorm, however.

PLAZA INN DETAILS: You can have a look at the Plaza Inn website here, but don’t make your reservation online! The rate is $55 per night for a single king or double queen room. In order to get this rate, you must call rather than reserve online, AND you must tell them you are with the ZoukFest group at UNM.

Classes

Class descriptions as well as other details will be posted in the next few weeks. The class schedule will be available in early May. Those already registered will be contacted via email so they may sign up in the order they registered.

ZoukFest Concerts

In addition to nightly sessions, there will be two evening concerts featuring the ZoukFest staff on Friday and Saturday nights, June 10th and 11th. Concert lineups to be announced. Tickets may be purchased online and at the camp and are not included in the tuition price.

We’re very pleased to announce the following confirmed staff members for ZoukFest 2011! (The three above are included.) And a big welcome to special guest artist Alec Finn!

Randal Bays, Blayne Chastain, Alec Finn, Laura Flanagan, Douglas Goodhart, Eliot Grasso, Stanley Greenthal, Ana Guia, Roger Landes, Paddy League, Brian McGrath, Luke Plumb, Moira Smiley, and Steve Smith!

We are very sorry to announce that due to unforeseen circumstances Enda Scahill will not be with us at ZoukFest this year. Enda sends his regrets and looks forward to joining us at a subsequent camp.

We are thrilled that master pianist, banjoist, and mandolinist Brian McGrath will be joining us this year. Many thanks to Brian for agreeing to come on short notice!

Visit our ZoukFest 200 Staff page for photos and bios!