Patsy Gregory - our fabulous dance teacher and dance leader, discovered the fascinating rhythms and tricky footwork of Balkan dancing as a teenager when she was active in her hometown international folk dance club in the late 1950's. Since that time, she has participated in recreational and exhibition Balkan dancing as a dancer, teacher and choreographer in Utah, Florida and New Mexico. In recent years, Patsy has concentrated on promoting Balkan dance in its more natural setting: THE DANCE PARTY WITH LIVE MUSIC. She had been attending Balkan-American ethnic music and dance events, both public and private, and found dancing to live music to be infinately more satisfying than executing choreographed dances to recordings. Feeling that dancing is the natural way to appreciate traditional dance music, she has developed methods of teaching basic dances quickly in party settings to allow both ethnics and non-ethnics to enjoy Balkan music to its fullest. European and American Balkan ethnics alike often comment that Patsy "dances like our best."
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