Koleda 50th Anniversary Party-Dromeno Playing Balkan Dance Music

Bulgarian Šop dance at the FIUTS International Show at the University of Washington. From this enthusiastic beginning Koleda was born and soon Dennis Boxell, already a well-known Balkan dancer and researcher who moved to Seattle took on this vision of a Balkan dance ensemble. The corner of 50th and Roosevelt in Seattle’s University District was converted into Koleda’s home – Kafana (coffee house), which indeed had a coffee house in the front and rehearsal space in the rear. Learning and rehearsing a variety of dance suites from various parts of Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Greece was pursued intensively. In November of 1967 the ensemble traveled to San Francisco to perform at the Kolo Festival, and in 1968 they put on 2 full length Seattle concerts. Soon they departed for Europe, where they toured from Holland to Turkey and back, giving many performances along the way. Over the course of the next several years there was an on-going change in the membership as people moved to and away from Seattle, got married, had families, or left for other personal reasons, but a core group always remained. Some 145 people were members as dancers, singers or musicians over the years. Some of the nationally better known alumni are Mark Morris – dancer and choreographer, Chad Henry – author and playwright, Mark O’Conner – fiddle champion, Alex Eppler – musician and instrument maker, Yves Moreau – Bulgarian dance expert, and Mary Sherhart – singer and teacher. By 1974, because of financial and personal issues Dennis left Seattle and Koleda disbanded, but it still lives on in the hearts of many devoted former members, who still value greatly their Koleda “family”.