AUTUMN LEAVES XXXVIII
November 3-4, 2023
Marcie Van Cleave
Marcie Van Cleave wears many hats (or tiaras!). She is the Executive Director of the Folk Arts Center of New England, dance teacher for FACONE’s Cut a Rug Zoom dance series, as well as a contra dance caller, English dance leader, and tour organizer for dance-themed trips to the Czech Republic.
Marcie began her dance journey in the 1980s, soaking up all the opportunities for dancing in and around Boston and dancing almost every night of the week--International, English, Contra and Square, Morris, Rapper Sword. She began to apprentice with Marianne Taylor and then taught dance collaboratively with her until Mariane’s death some 25 years later.
In 1988, Marcie took on the role of Executive Director of the Folk Arts Center of New England (FAC) a non-profit organization established in 1975 and dedicated to promoting the traditional folk arts, particularly music and dance, and supporting other individuals and organizations with the same goal. She is still at the helm of the FAC and is as excited about the possibilities for the organization, its programs and the people who enjoy them as she was 35 years ago!
Marcie divides her time between directing the FAC and teaching here, there and everywhere. She has taught international, English country and New England contras and squares at various sessions at Pinewoods Camp in Plymouth, MA; she is on staff at the Bannerman Thanksgiving Camp in Black Mountain, North Carolina every Thanksgiving; and she has taught at local dances, schools, and festivals in Czech Republic, Italy, Armenia, and The Netherlands, among other places! In addition, she leads scores of community and family dances around New England, including running and teaching the same Friday night international folk dance she walked into all those years ago!
Having undergone bilateral knee replacement, Marcie, with her bionic accoutrements, still enjoys dancing and teaching to the utmost. She looks forward to sailing through the TSA airport screening with impunity en route to a fabulous weekend of dance and camaraderie this November with the NIFD folks at the Autumn Leaves weekend!
At this year's Autumn Leaves, Marcie will teach a wide variety of dances, primarily from the Balkans. NIFD is delighted to host her for our 38th annual Autumn Leaves international folk dance workshop.
Casa Azafran Global Education’s Studio South
2195 Nolensville Pike, Suite 3 | Nashville, TN 37211 | Phone: 615-291-4672
We’ll hold our thirty-eighth anniversary Autumn Leaves at Casa Azafran in Nashville, just a quick hop off interstate I-24. Please join us at Autumn Leaves XXXVIII for a fabulous weekend of dance, music, fellowship, and FUN! In the interest of cutting down on plastic waste, we encourage participants to bring a reusable water bottle or cup. Thanks.
Parking: If the parking is full in front of Casa Azafran on Friday night, there is a back parking lot. Access to it is on Nolensville Road, just past Casa Azafran if you are traveling towards downtown (North). There is a driveway on the left, just past the building and before the sign that reads Park at Melrose Place. I am told the back lot is well lit and safe. If that lot is full, there is additional parking on Nolensville road going away from town (South) on the same side of Nolensville as Casa Azafran. It is a little grassy lot, just past Payless Auto Sales, we are advised to pull all the way in and around to face out at the front of the lot.
Below is a map to the dance site:
Schedule and Fees:
Cost: Registration for all sessions and dance party: $70 ($85 if paid after Oct.14)
Individual Sessions are prorated as follows:
Session I, $20; Session II, $30; Session III, $30; Dance Party, $10
Two options will be available for purchase: either a video DVD or MP4 video download of the review.
To register in advance, click on the PDF registration file, print out and mail the payment and registration form.
PDF registration forms: Front page Back page (registration form)
Send your check payable to "NIFD" or "Nashville International Folk Dancers" and the above PDF registration form (or equivalent info) to:
Cynthia Verbinski
418 Prestwick Ct.
Nashville, TN. 37205
Autumn Leaves XXXVIII Schedule
(Times below are Central Daylight Time)
Friday, November 3
7:00pm - 8:00pm Registration & Request Dancing
8:00pm - 9:30pm Session 1: Teaching ($20 if you are a walk-in)
9:30pm - 10:30pm Extra Request Dancing
Saturday, November 4
9:30am - 12:30pm Session II: Teaching ($30 if you are a walk-in)
12:30pm - 2:00pm Lunch Break (On your own)
2:00pm - 4:30pm Session III: Dance review session and possibly more dances ($30 if you are a walk-in)
4:30pm - 7:30pm Dinner Break (On your own)
7:30pm - 10:30pm Dance Party ($10 if you are a walk-in) with live music from Tantsova Grupa
Note: This year there is no Sunday session, as the review will be done on Saturday afternoon
Also: Full-time students with IDs pay half price
Requesting Dances for Saturday night dance party: We have around 700 dances in our MP3 collection with which to play your requests. If you have a particular favorite request dance, consider checking our updated dance list at the following link: NIFD Playlist. If you don't see it there, we probably don't have it, so please bring a CD or MP3 of your request and we will be glad to play it and also add it to our collection.
Nearby Hotels
Nearby Restaurants
Past Autumn Leaves Teachers
Contact information:
For more information, email NIFD at nifddance@gmail.com