Howdy Dancers, Kalispell International Folk Dancers will yield the floor to the February Kalispell Contra Dance Saturday Feb. 12. Sassafras Stomp will make the music, and Mark Mathews will be the caller. The dance is from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Salvation Army gym, 110 Bountiful Drive. Cost is $7 for adults and teens, $15 for families and free for kids and non-dancers. The Contra Dances have re-gained the sponsorship of Kalispell Parks and Recreation for this year (after previous city budget cuts), and that's very good news! Look for the dance posters around the valley. The following weekend, Feb. 19 & 20, is the Steam & Stomp, the annual statewide (regional) International Folk Dance gathering at Boulder Hot Springs Resort south of Helena at Boulder. Since many Kalispell dancers are planning to take part, the Kalispell International Folk Dance will be cancelled for Feb. 19. Next Kalispell international dance will be Feb. 26, from 7 to 10 p.m., at the Salvation Army gym. Donation is $3 per person to pay for gym rental. The Steam & Stomp announcement is attached again as a pdf document. Sad news. As most everyone has heard, we lost two long-time inspirational folk dancers in January with the deaths first of Marvin Black of Kalispell and then Sam Martinez of Helena. They will be missed and will be remembered fondly by all of us whose lives they touched. Lauren, currently on assignment in Germany, sends greetings and reports that, "I found a square dancing group, Fridays 7-10. It is the funniest thing, a German man calling and singing in English. The group is all German except for two Americans. They were very friendly and I plan on returning again. I can't believe it." Rose & I tried to track down other folk dancing groups on our January trek to visit family and friends around the West, but we seemed to have bad luck (or poor planning) because we landed in various cities on the wrong nights. Otherwise, it was a nice respite from winter. For more information on international dancing and links to upcoming events, free music and other information, visit the Kalispell International Folk Dancers web site, where you can also find playlists from past dances: http://montanafolkdance.org/flathead/ Here are the dances: 02-05-11 Aino Kchume Assyria Setnja Serbia Ivanice Macedonia Ajde Jano Serbia Promoroaca Romaina Tankosava Serbia Djado mitjovata Bulgaria Siriul Romania Gori More Macedonia Be'er Basadeh Israel Miserlou Israel Dance Of Ikaria Greece Be'er Basadeh (Russ taught) Israel Zimushka Russia Dvasti Tristi Bulgaria Armenian Turn Armenia Narino Turkey Mom Bar Armenia Orijent Serbia Dospatsko Horo Bulgaria Satovcensko Horo Bulgaria Snurreboken Sweden Harmonica Israel Raksi Jaak Estonia Troika Russia Tzena Tzena Israel DANCERS 1. Russ 2. Missy 3. Jackie 4. Kathy 5. Sam 6. Ruth 7. Connie 8. Jackie 9. Anne 10. Rose 11. Don Happy dancing! Don