Welcome to Mike's Dance Net!

This website reflects my personal passion for the dances and music of the Carpathian region of

eastern Europe.

See the next page for information on workshops in Carpathian dances. See the pages following for links to historical

and cultural information on this region, posted videos and instructions for dances I teach, and for CD recordings of

music I have compiled to aid your knowledge. ALSO, a new feature is the article page where my thoughts and research

are posted (I urge interested folks to write me regarding these items - dialog that corrects or enhances the posting will

be added!

Who Am I?

I am an Eastern European mutt  -  Ruthenian (the proper term is "Rusyn") & Hungarian on my fathers side, Slovenian,

Croatian, and a bit Turkish on my mother's. There was Yugoslav and Romany music in our household constantly, and

both my parents were very good dancers. In college, I was introduced to recreational folk dancing, and have taught

various groups since. As I was a student in Anthropology, I like to situate dancing in its cultural surroundings, as dance

is a reflection of the rest of life. You simply cannot dance or speak another "language" unless you learn by throwing

yourself into it.

See the following page for my dance history, as well as upcoming events by other teachers I admire and respect.