2023 Boulder Balkan Bash

TICKETS

• Adults – $30 advance, $35 at the door
• Seniors Who Need A Break – $25 advance, $30 at the door
• Students over 12 – $20 advance, $25 at the door
• Children 6-12 – $12 advance, $15 at the door
• Children under 6 – Free

Get tickets here…

ABOUT

The Boulder Balkan Bash is an epic, all-evening event at the Avalon Ballroom that combines live folk music from five local bands specializing in Balkan styes, with wonderful dancing, food and a fabulous feeling of community. Also, the performing dance group Balkanika will present short demonstrations of Bulgarian dances. Dozens of musicians will perform music for live dancing in genres ranging from village-style Bulgarian folk band to scintillating Serbian and Roma brass music, from Greek taverna-style tunes to belly dance grooves.

Many of the dances are easy enough to learn on the spot. Not a dancer? Not a problem; the Avalon ballroom has plenty of room to sit, watch and listen. Grab a table with friends and enjoy the evening!

FOOD

In Eastern Europe, live music and dancing are always accompanied by food . . . and with five and a half hours of dancing, we will need refueling! So roll up your sleeves, make a great dish to contribute to the heavy hors d’oeuvres and dessert potluck and come celebrate! All guests and performers are kindly asked to bring a dish to share. Don’t know what to bring or don’t like to cook? Contact Mary Ann at maesaussotte@comcast.net for ideas. Bottles of wine will be available in exchange for a donation.

PROGRAM

The dance music program will feature tunes from Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, and Roma (Gypsy) traditions. While the majority of dances will be danced holding hands in a line or solo-style, a few waltzes and other couple dances are included.

The bands are: The Bitovniks, Barbelfish Balkan Band, Gora Gora Orkestar, Planina – Songs of Eastern Europe and Sherefe. The performing dance group Balkanika will present short demonstrations of Bulgarian dances.

Live music begins at 5:30 p.m. Around 10:55, following the last band’s performance, all the musicians will return to play a few numbers together for final dances, and everyone is welcome to sing along, with lyrics provided.

5:30-6:20 Bitovniks
6:25-7:20 Planina
7:25-7:35 Balkanika 1st set – 10 min.
7:40-8:35 Barbelfish
8:40-8:50 Balkanika 2nd set – 10 min.
8:55-9:50 Sherefe
9:55-10:50 Gora Gora
10:55-11:15 Finale

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

If you’d like to exchange a couple of hours of work for free admission, we have a limited number of volunteer work-exchange positions, such as shifts doing setup, tear-down, box office, kitchen (keeping the potluck snack tables orderly), and more. Please contact Mary Ann Saussotte, 720-936-5055 or maesaussotte@comcast.net, to volunteer.

JOIN US!

Join us in celebrating Eastern European traditions of live music, dancing, and food.

Planina and friends have produced eight Boulder Balkan Bashes since the early 1990s – the most recent one being in 2019. After that, as you may recall, there was a big disruption preventing all kinds of parties. Now it’s time to do it again!

This is one of Boulder’s most exciting music and dance events and, for Balkan music and dance aficionados, THE event of the year (or several years). Your buying tickets in advance really helps us plan and there is a discount for advance purchase.

Hope to see you there!

                                                                     * * *

ABOUT THE MUSICAL ENSEMBLES

Barbelfish Balkan Band

Barbelfish (named after a freshwater fish likened to a pretty girl in some Macedonian songs) plays soul-stirring music for dancing from Eastern Europe and beyond, especially from Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece. Village and urban music from the Balkans offers some of the most exquisite melodies, soaring harmonies and driving rhythms on the planet and Barbelfish expertly delivers them. Jesse Manno (percussion, vocals), Steve Mullins (tambura, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin), Amy Self (clarinet, kaval, vocals), James Hoskins (gudulka, cello, zurna, vocals), Julie Lancaster (accordion, tambura, vocals), Loren Uecker (vocals). https://www.facebook.com/BarbelfishBand/

The Bitōvniks

Although all the members of the Bitōvniks are experienced multi-instrumentalists in a variety of traditions, this band features traditional Bulgarian village instruments only (no modern instruments). The repertoire consists of exciting dance tunes, often in uneven rhythms, such as 5/8, 7/8, 9/8 and others. Brett Bowen (tapan / bass drum), James Hoskins (gudulka / folk fiddle), Steve Mullins (tambura / long-necked lute), Varol Saatcioglu (gajda / bagpipe), and Amy Self (kaval / wooden flute).

Gora Gora Orkestar

This brass band powerhouse Gora Gora Orkestar has been bringing the sounds of the Balkans to the Rockies with high-energy performances, infectious rhythms, and feel-good music since 2009. Think of Dixieland Brass Band with eastern modes, and you have an idea: it’s hot and smoky party music for line dancing or your global groove. Tung Pham, Alice Hansen (trumpets); Jon Hegel, Michael Windham (saxes); Jon Kenney, Bryan Powell, Caroline Siegel (trombones); Scott Johnson, Jesse Factor (sousaphones); and Kevin Dykstra, Vic Stauffenberg (percussion). http://goragora.org   

Planina – Songs of Eastern Europe

Planina (the word means “mountain” in several South Slavic languages) is a mixed chorus of 16 members. The group has been performing in Colorado since 1988, presenting a cappella and accompanied music from many parts of Eastern Europe, including the Balkans, the Baltics, the Caucasus, Poland and Russia. Members are: Valerie Brown, Kell Coulter, Laima Haley, Alexis Halkovic, Sharon Kermiet, Dina Kriakova, Julie Lancaster, Laura Osterman, Maitreyi Prajna, Thorn Roby, Leslie Root, Galina Siergiejczyk, Sallie Smith, Olga Spiridonova, and Janelle Treibitz. The group will be joined by guest instrumentalists Paul Brown (bass) and Varol Saatcioglu (gaida/Bulgarian bagpipe). https://www.planina.org/

Sherefe

Sherefe, named after the Turkish drinking toast, “to your honor,” is a group of mostly Boulder-based musicians dedicated to performing traditional music from the Balkans and the Middle East. At the Bash they will play dance tunes from Greece, Turkey and elsewhere in the Balkans. Brett Bowen (doumbek, tupan), Paul Brown (bass), James Hoskins (cello, gudulka, bouzouki, guitar, vocals), Jesse Manno (baglama, bouzouki, saz, oud, flutes, vocals), Julie Lancaster (accordion, vocals), and Beth Quist (vocals, percussion). http://sherefe.org

ABOUT THE DANCE PERFORMERS

Balkanika Folk Dance Group

Balkanika Folk was founded in 2012 in Denver, Colorado, by a few enthusiasts of Bulgarian folklore. Over the years the group has actively studied and presented folk dances from Bulgaria and the Balkan region. The majority of the dancers are from Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova but, throughout the years, people from other nationalities have also participated. The group is well recognized in the Denver/Boulder area at international festivals and charitable events. Currently, Balkanika is made up of 12 dancers and is working with professional choreographers to enrich its repertoire and to bring more authentic and original folk dances to the audience. Neli Petrova, George Petrov, Darina Sweeney, Natasha Maxim, Adrian Ionescu, Hristina Stoyanov, Natalia Mendik, Christina Turcan, Carolina Nenita, Rossi Doshkova, Gergana Vlasseva, and Beatrice Morea.