Sviraj Balkan Jam

Yuliyan Yordanov

Miroslav "Bata" Marcetic

Serbian Dance with Miroslav "Bata" Marcetic

Dance instructor Miroslav "Bata" Marcetic is a leading performer, soloist and choreographer for 17 years with the Serbian National Folk Ensemble "Kolo" in Belgrade. In 2004, he established the Academy of Serbian Folk Dancing in Toronto, which includes more than 300 dancers of all ages.

Bulgarian Dance with Yuliyan Yordanov

One of our favorite dance instructors returns to the area with more dances from Bulgaria. Yuli is a dancer, choreographer and musician, originally from north-central Bulgaria, now based in the Midwestern U.S.

Dance Party with Sviraj Balkan Jam

Steelton-based Sviraj Balkan Jam is one of the best known Slavic music bands in the U.S.

The word Sviraj means "Play on!" Pronounced svee-rye with a rolled "r", this is a shout of encouragement when a tamburitza musician is playing with special energy and inspiration. Formed by childhood friends from Steelton, PA (America's tamburitza heartland) and descendants of immigrants from Croatia and Serbia, Sviraj epitomizes the camaraderie, passion, and deep-rooted connection to family, culture and community in tamburitza music.

Tamburitza is the great multi-ethnic instrumental and vocal music tradition of the central Balkan peninsula. This music found its deepest roots among Croatians, Serbians, Roma (Gypsies), and Hungarians and it reflects the deep soul, emotion and melancholy of these peoples. The group also plays music from other southern European countries including Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. Let Sviraj take you to another world!

Ticket Info:

• Prices vary.

  For individual sessions, see pricing below.

• SFMS Member discount on most events.

  SFMS Members Save!
• Admission is at the door. No advance registration required.
• For more information, call Bart at 717-234-3844
  or email bart.carpenter (at) sfmsfolk.org

Friday evening, October 15

at The Movement Center

2134 N Second St, Harrisburg Directions

This Beginners' Workshop, taught by both dance instructors, is for teens and adults. No previous dance experience required.

• 7:30pm :: Beginners

• $16 General Admission,

  $12 members, $10 teens

More for beginners! Capital Area Folk Dancers are offering a 5-week Beginner Balkan Dance course this fall. See our Bulletin Board for more details »

Saturday, October 16

at Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church

5501 Locust Lane, Harrisburg Directions

For Saturday's workshops, some previous dance experience is recommended.

• 9:30 am :: Intermediate I
• Light lunch between sessions is included
• 1:30 pm :: Intermediate II
• Dinner on your own
• 7:00 pm :: Video presentation of material from both instructors' ensembles, followed by dancing

• $16 General Admission,

  $12 members, $10 teens (for each workshop)

Sunday, October 17

at St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church

601 S. Harrisburg St, Steelton Directions

• 1:00 pm :: Dance Party with Sviraj Balkan Jam

• $10 General Admission

About Miroslav "Bata" Marcetic

Dance instructor Miroslav "Bata" Marcetic is a leading performer, soloist and choreographer for 17 years with the Serbian National Folk Ensemble "Kolo" in Belgrade and subsequent founder of the Academy of Serbian Folk Dancing in Toronto. He has attended almost all dance seminars in the former Yugoslavia and was chosen by the Folk Dance Association of Serbia to be a judge at folklore competitions across Serbia & Montenegro from 1980 to 1993. Marcetic created a great number of award-winning choreographies, both in Serbia and Canada. These include the Ensemble "Dom Kulture Banatsko Novo Selo," which placed at the annual Ruma Provincial Folk Dance Competition almost every year under his leadership, as follows: third place (1977, 1975, 1985, 1987, 1983), second place (1989), and first place (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1991).

Marcetic emigrated to Canada in 1993, where he has played an equally prestigious role in promoting Serbian dance. He has worked with and choreographed for multiple dance groups in Ontario: Ensemble Kralj Petar II (Winona, 1993-date), the Serbian Club "Kordun" (2004-date), SCA "Oplenac" (Mississauga, 1993-2004), and the Folk Dance Ensemble "Hajduk Veljko" (Toronto, 1999-2006). In 2004, he established the Academy of Serbian Folk Dancing in Toronto, which includes more than 300 dancers of all ages. The Academy of Serbian Folk Dancing is a long-time winner at multiple folk festivals in Canada. At the Kiwanis Music Festival in both junior and senior categories, they won First Place in 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005. At the CHIN Picnic Canada Day Festival competition, they has won First Place in 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 (junior category) and Second Place in 2008 and First Place in 2006 and 2005 (senior category). Due to his long-term support in promoting Serbian culture, Marcetic was awarded the Golden Plaque by the Cultural-Academic State Association of Serbia in 2005.

About Yuliyan Yordanov

A native of Doyrentsi, a village in the Lovech region of north central Bulgaria, Yuliyan Yordanov was raised by his grandparents and learned dancing at a young age. After graduating from the acclaimed Academy of Music and Dance Art in Plovdiv, he worked professionally as a dance director, choreographer, and Bulgarian folk dance instructor.

Since moving to the U.S. a few years ago, Yuli has taught Bulgarian dancing primarily in the Midwest. In Chicago, he leads the dance groups "Nashencheta" and "Mitronija" of Sveta Sophia Bulgarian Orthodox Church. In Milwaukee, he is a choreographer for the "Na Lesa Bulgarian Folk Dance Ensemble". For two years he served as choreographer of the younger group of "St. Sava Junior Dancers" at the Serbian Cultural Center. He has also choreographed regional Bulgarian dance suites for Ensemble Narodno in Madison, Wisconsin. As a musician, Yuli performs on tupan, tambura, and vocals with Malo Selo folk band in Madison.

SFMS first heard about him from the Nashville and Chicago groups, with a resounding "second" from dancers in Washington, D.C., who attended his classes at Bakanske Igre Spring Festival in Chicago. We co-coordinated his wildly successful East Coast tour in Fall 2006, in collaboration with dance groups in Bethesda and Princeton.

About Sviraj Balkan Jam

Sviraj Balkan Jam is one of the best known Slavic music bands in the U.S. The Steelton-based group includes four extremely experienced musicians:

Lenny Tepsich (celo, dumbek, vocals) first played tambura with the St. Nicholas Junior Tamburitzans in 1970 and has played with a number of other tambura groups including the Balkan Brothers and Jorgovan. He is also nationally recognized as singer/songwriter and children's performer "Mr. Music."

Chris Radanovic (bass, vocals) holds a Master of Arts degree in Performance from the University of Iowa and has been performing for more than 15 years. He also performs with the Central Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra, the Center Stage Opera Company, and the St. Lawrence Adult Tamburitzans.

Mike "Misko" Furjanic (violin, tamburica, vocals) has been performing for more than 25 years. He is currently music director of Kolo Grupa "Marian" of Steelton and has performed with Croatian folk ensembles throughout the U.S., Canada, and Croatia. Mike has played and recorded with groups that perform styles of music ranging from classical to country and folk to rock.

Danilo Yanich (bugarija, accordion, vocals) has performed for more than 25 years. He is a past president of the East European Folklife Center and has served on the teaching staff of multiple Balkan music camps and. He holds a Ph.D. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy and has published articles on Balkan politics; he is director of the Graduate Program at the School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy, University of Delaware.

Fans can also visit them at www.myspace.com/svirajbalkanjam