Support Staff
2012
Workshop Support Staff
topHelen Stuart
Mendocino Site Manager
Mendocino Site Manager
Lives in Santa Cruz, CA
I started attending Friday night folk dance classes at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz, CA, in the mid-seventies at what was the height of the "international folk dance" craze. A few years prior, a friend of mine dragged me out to a "folk dance cafe" in Los Angeles, as a relief from a more structured form of dance we were studying. I fell in love with the dancing after that first night out! Also during that same time, Aman Folk Dance Ensemble was renting rehearsal space at our dance school. Little did I know that I when I stayed after my classes watching their rehearsals I was witnessing a part of my future. It was during this time that I developed my love for Balkan music and dance.
So that I could afford to attend these camps, I worked on the kitchen crew from 1978 to 1983. In the years after 1983, I didn’t attend the camps as often, as I was involved with starting a family, finishing my teaching credentials, and supporting my husband as he helped start a business. I did however continue to dance and attend Balkan music events around the San Francisco Bay Area.
I returned to what was now known as the Balkan Music & Dance Workshops in the early nineties, this time with one or more child in tow. For the next several years I participated in several work exchange positions, including the dish crew, late night snack provider and assistant housing coordinator. As you can see, even though 2011 was my first year as Site Manager for the Mendocino workshops, I’ve had a long history with Balkan dance and the EEFC. I am happy to work for and give back to the organization I have for so long been involved with. My family is also a reflection of my longtime association. One of my sons, Evan Stuart, is a musician who has embraced Balkan music and plays with several groups in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I continue to live in Santa Cruz, where I have worked as a special education teacher for the last 25 years. Recently, I’ve taken on additional responsibility as the Special Ed Compliance Coordinator for our school district. I study yoga, my other lifelong habit, and I love to cook and garden. And most especially I love to spend time with my husband Jon, our now grown children, and our large extended family.
topNancy Butowski
Iroquois Springs Site Manager
Iroquois Springs Site Manager
Lives in Maryland
I have loved dancing all of my life and spent my early years through high school taking dance lessons two to three times a week. I took every kind of dance class that was offered. In college, I switched my dance energy to karate and it wasn’t until I moved to Pensacola, Florida, that I was introduced to international folk dancing. After my first night at the University of West Florida’s folk dance group, my thoughts were, "where has this been all of my life?" I was immediately hooked! Since then, it has been a long, wonderful journey exploring music and dance. I’ve had fantastic opportunities to dance on the West coast in the early 80s, enjoying Aman, Mendocino and many other California workshops. Moving to the East coast provided additional fun and learning at Buffalo Gap, Ashokan (the first East Coast Balkan camp) and a long history of attending East Coast Balkan camp. There were many years when career and family were the top priority and folk dancing took a backseat, but once my daughter turned 4 years old we started attending camp annually.
I’ve been lucky to have worked over the years in a variety of work exchange positions at East Coast Balkan camp starting in the kitchen then working as the Ride Coordinator, Administrative Aide, Site-Manager-in-Training and finally as Site Manager. These opportunities gave me important insights into how camp runs and grows and changes. Although overseeing the day-to-day logistics of East Coast camp is a big responsibility, I’m always amazed at how everyone works together to ensure a wonderful week-long music and dance experience. I’m thankful for the amazing gathering of folk dancers, singers and musicians…such talent! It’s no wonder it gives you the energy to learn and dance and play from morning till the wee hours of the next morning and continue on for a whole week!
In my everyday life, I work as a fishery biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and as a reading and math tutor. I love the outdoors and nature and I spend many happy hours a week walking my two dogs along the Chesapeake Bay. Besides dancing, I enjoy playing the pennywhistle and trying my best at the fiddle (not an easy instrument to pick up at an adult). I swim, take yoga classes and quilt as often as I can.
top