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Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc.
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Vytautas "Vyts" Finadar Beliajus was nationally known as Mister Folk Dancer. He travelled all over the United States teaching recreational international folk dancing.
In 1952, Vyts had tuberculosis and was presumably dying from it. Ivan "John" Filcich put on a festival (later named the first Kolo Festival) to raise money for him. The festival was just one night, Saturday, at a hall on Castro Street in San Francisco where John taught. All profits went to Vyts.
At this festival there was no teaching, just a Saturday night party with live music by a genuine ethnic Yugoslav orchestra. John's mother cooked Croatian pastries.
During the party, an accordionist played Igra Kolo (also known as the Pillow Dance). Traditionally, Igra Kolo is done to raise money for the bride's dowry, but for this event, it was done to raise extra money for Vyts.
In the center of a circle of dancers, there's a host with a table with a special loaf of bread, wine and bouttoniéres, and one person with a pillow. This person selects a partner, brings the partner into the inside of a circle, then both people kneel on the pillow and embrace (there is a version of Igra Kolo in which the partners kiss). They then dance a short polka together. The pillow passes to a new partner, who goes on to select another partner.
The original partner goes to the table where the bread has been cut horizontally, the upper half tied with colored ribbons, and the lower half hollow. The dancer puts a donation of money in the hollow and then receives a drink of wine and a red, white, and blue buttoniére from the host.
The Second Kolo Festival was held in 1953 in the California Hall in San Francisco. Vyts had survived the year and had recuperated to such an extent that he was able to teach. At the Festival he taught Lithuanian dances as well as introducing the still-popular Macedonian dance Makedonka to California. Vyts taught Friday night and Saturday afternoon, two sessions.
The Filcich family provided ethnic foods for the event.
Many people, including the ethnic community, came to the Friday and Saturday night parties dressed "to the nines," suits and ties for the men and high heels for the women – yes, they danced circle dances (kolos) in high heels. The orchestra played kolos, waltzes, and Dalmatian-style polkas (which have no bounce, just step-step-down).
The Kolo Festival as of 1994 is now in its 43rd year. Vyts had survived all of this time, and the Kolo Festival this year is dedicated to his memory. Vytautas Finadar Beliajus passed away on September 24, 1990.