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Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc.
Statewide: 42 Years and Counting |
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The 22nd Annual Statewide Festival would be held in 1967 in Long Beach. The time, date, and place had been announced at the 1966 San Jose Festival, so we had a year to plan and were ready for three days of fun, May 26, 27, and 28, dancing at the seashore in Long Beach's fine Convention Auditorium.
There would be no Concert this year but plenty of exhibitions at every Festival, arranged by Exhibition Chairperson, Avis Tarvin.
The front piece of a fine program, created by Dick Oakes (his daughter's name is upside down at the bottom of the cloud), carried a welcome to President Eldon Kane and other Northern California dancers from the president of the South, Jessie Oser.
The Lafayette Hotel was our headquarters for registration and here would be held the Sunday Morning Installation Brunch.
The Friday night, May 26th, Pre-Party took place at the Municipal Recreation Center but the Saturday afternoon and night Festivals were held in the Seaside Arena and on Sunday afternoon we met in the Municipal Auditorium.
In charge of costumes and the Sunday afternoon Costume Parade, was Elsa Miller. A good show, Elsa, but we expected that!
After Parties for both kolo and general dancing was at the Lafayette, with live music for the Balkan dancing by the Hajduk Tamburitza Orchestra.
Everything ran very smoothly as to be expected with General Chairpersons such as Ed Feldman and Alice Gabrielson in charge. Some folks we should not forget were Dance Program, Dave Slater; Decorations, Bob Bowley, Masters of Cermonies, Valerie Staigh; Equipment and Sound, Ralph Miller, Installation, Harmon Mayo and Alice Hauserman; Publicity, Pearl Bleadon, and many others.
And speaking of the Installation Brunch, for the second time a special program covered the event, with a special listing of all Statewide's to date, both outgoing and incoming officers, and, hold your breath, a list of all Past Presidents, totaling 36 of us. We have arrived. We have also started holding parties, usually from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on either Saturday or Sunday night. I have no official record of exactly when the first party took place although a few of us had been getting together for some time but its now programmed. The most recent Past President at the Host Festival usually throws the party.
And so, good bye Long Beach for now. We love you.