67th Annual San Antonio Folk Dance Festival

For 67 years, the SAFDF workshops have been San Antonio’s beloved tradition of international folk dance teaching, music, parties, and camaraderie. They are part of Heritage Festivals of San Antonio.

The 2025 workshops are an in-person event in our traditional dance space — the Multicultural Activities and Recreation Center (MARC) on the campus of the beautiful Our Lady of the Lake University.

Workshop:

Schedule:

9:00 - 9:30 am:Registration, continental breakfast, warmup dances
9:30 - 10:20 am: Teaching: John
10:20 - 10:30 am: Break
10:30 - 11:20 am: Teaching: John
11:20 - 11:30 am: Break and stretches with Andy
11:30 am - 12:25 pm: Teaching: Franklin
12:25 - 2:00 pm: Break for lunch (at MARC or on your own)
2:00 - 2:50 pm: Teaching: Andy
2:50 - 3:00 pm: Break and stretches with Andy
3:00 - 3:50 pm: Teaching: Franklin
3:50 - 4:00 pm: Break
4:00 - 4:50 pm: Teaching: Andy
4:50 - 5:00 pm: Stretches with Andy
5:00 - 7:00 pm: Dinner (carpool or on your own)
7:00 - 8:00 pm: Party: Recorded music
8:00 - 8:20 pm: Party: Live music with Slavadillo
8:20 - 8:35 pm: Party: Csardas performance
8:35 - 8:55 pm: Party: Reminder and dancethrough of Franklin's dances
8:55 - 9:15 pm: Party: Reminder and dancethrough of Andy's dances
9:15 - 9:35 pm: Party: Recorded music
9:35 - 9:55 pm: Party: Reminder and dancethrough of John's dances
9:55 - 10:20 pm: Party: Recorded music
10:20 - 10:40 pm: Party: Live music with Slavadillo
10:40 - 11:20 pm: Party: Recorded music
11:20 - 11:40 pm: Party: Live music with Slavadillo
11:40 pm - 1:00 am: Party: Recorded music

Teachers

Andy Taylor-Blenis (international dances and dance stretches)

We are delighted to welcome back a beloved SAFDF legend and friend! Andy holds a B.F.A. in dance with a minor in social anthropology. She is well versed in modern, jazz, and folk dances of Portuguese, Scottish, French, Hungarian, Armenian, Mexican, and Balkan origins. She holds a teaching certificate in Scottish Country Dance and is registered in St. Andrews in Scotland. Andy is also currently artistic director at the Boston branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. She is also a former performer of the modern dance company Prometheus. Andy has contributed endless teaching, choreography, and inspiration to SAFDF over many years. This year she again brings us her one-of-a-kind stretches between teaching sessions!

Franklin Houston (Balkan and “golden-oldie” dances)

Franklin is one of those rare individuals who “grew up” in folk dancing. He started taking square dance lessons at the age of 8 from George Lowrey, a long-time folk and square dance leader. Franklin learned folk dances from many eminent teachers around the country and brought back to Texas many dances that became part of Austin International Folk Dancers‘ regular repertoire. He is known for his ability to present dances with tricky footwork, syncopated rhythms, and challenging patterns so that everyone can learn them, and has been told on a number of occasions, “you’re the first person who taught that dance so I could understand it!”

John Rodi (international dances)

John Rodi is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. John has a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Tulane University and a Master of Arts Degree in economics from the University of New Orleans. After college, John was employed by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of the Interior as an economist, and retired in 2015 after 45 years of service. John has always pursued training in and performance of dance in a variety of genres. In early years (beginning at age 5) he concentrated on numerous social and ballroom dance styles. In 1981, as a member of the Komenka Ethnic Dance Ensemble of New Orleans, he began an intense study of ethnic/folk dance styles from throughout the world. In the course of this endeavor, John has traveled to over 20 foreign countries, and has studied with numerous dance experts from throughout the world. John’s intense attraction and love for international ethnic/folk dance was very much inspired by his personal diverse mixed race family heritage, significant portions of which include ancestors from Croatia, England, France, Ireland, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, West Africa, and native America. In 1983, John assumed the role of Komenka’s manager and principal dancer and has very successfully held that position since that time. John has won numerous choreography awards throughout his tenure with Komenka. In addition, he has appeared as a guest artist and choreographer with every major arts organization in New Orleans as well as numerous others in other parts of the United States and beyond.

Registration:

Entire festival admission for 1 person, including all teaching sessions and parties:

$200 if you register on or before March 14
$250 if you register after March 14

Admission for 1 person to all events on Saturday - $100

Dance review materials for onsite registrants, including syllabus, music, and video, distributed digitally after the festival - $40    
Dorm rooms for Friday checkin and Sunday checkout (see below for rules and details):
Shared room, SAFDF provides linens - $115    
Shared room, you bring your own linens - $85    
Private room, SAFDF provides linens - $230    
Private room, you bring your own linens - $170

Click Here for Registration Form