Once again returning to the beautiful facilities of the Greene Family Camp, we’ll be delighted by the irrepressible Ahmet Lüleci teaching dances from Turkey, and transported to Scandinavia by the teaching of the wonderful Roo Lester with her husband Larry Harding, with Scandinavian fiddling by Loretta Kelly.

Ahmet Lüleci

Ahmet Lüleci is an accomplished choreographer, dance teacher and performer as well as an award-winning researcher of Anatolian culture.  In 2002 Ahmet was presented with the Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts & Humanities by the Assembly of Turkish American Associations.

Since arriving in North America in 1985, he has taught many workshops and camps throughout the United States as well as Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Holland, England, Switzerland, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Norway, Italy and Australia. He has set innumerable suites of dances for the stage working with dance organizations around the world.

In 2004, his choreography was awarded the gold medal at the Hong Kong Open dance competition (performed by Budlet Dance Company) and in 2005 and 2006 he won first prize at an ethnic dance competition in Germany.  Here in the U.S., he has been the winner of Crash Art’s “Dance Straight Up! 2004 and 2006“, “Ten’s the limit 2005” and Boston Dance Umbrella’s “Boston Moves 2001“ awards for choreography.

Roo Lester

Roo Lester teaches many different kinds of Scandinavian dance but has focused especially on what she calls the turning dances of Norway and Sweden.  Whenever possible she teaches with her husband Larry Harding. Roo and Larry’s hallmarks include clear, positive teaching that incorporates background information, styling, and technique, and the ability to present the basic concepts of Scandinavian dance to dancers in a fun and lighthearted manner.

Since 1983 Roo has traveled extensively in Scandinavia studying dance and participating in dance and music events. She has been the American coordinator for several dance and music camps in Scandinavia. Today she is recognized as one of the foremost exponents of Scandinavian dance in the US.

Currently Roo is a director of Scandia Camp Mendocino, teaches the famous ‘Scandinavian Dance Basics’ class at Nordic Fiddles and Feet on the East Coast and is a consultant for Scandinavian events at Folklore Village in Dodgeville, WI.

Loretta Kelley

Loretta Kelley has been performing on, teaching and writing about the Hardanger fiddle (hardingfele) for more than 25 years.  She is a regular teacher at the Nordic Fiddles and Feet Scandinavian music and dance camp and at the Annual Workshops of the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America, as well as at innumerable local workshops throughout the US.

She has made over 25 study trips to Norway and has placed highly in many fiddle competitions there. Her playing has been featured in an hour-long radio program on Norwegian radio. Her recording with Andrea Hoag and Charlie Pilzer, “Hambo in the Snow,” was nominated for a GRAMMY award in the Best Traditional World Music Album category.

Loretta is currently the president of the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America.