Programme Fiona Murdoch - Dance
Featuring world class musicians ...
... from New Zealand and around the world, Whare Flat Folk Festival is four days of music, sun, camping, workshops and jams in the idyllic native bush surrounds of Waiora Scout Camp. Just 15 minutes' drive from Dunedin, Whare Flat is the best way to see in the New Year.
Fiona Murdoch - Dance
Tue 31 Dec, Wed 1 Jan, Thu 2 Jan | 10 am | Dance Workshops | Hall
Tue 31 Dec | Ceilidh | Marquee | calling some of the dances |
Fiona Murdoch | Dance Tutor
From the Adriatic to the Black Sea / The Balkan Beat / East of Constantinople
Fiona is a versatile dancer who, while on an extended OE cycling through the Balkan and Eastern European regions, developed a passion for the dynamic rhythms of the village dances from these countries. Over time Fiona has extended her performance and teaching in a variety of dance styles - including ethnic dance styles, classical Flamenco, contemporary dance, international recreational folkdance, Circle Dance, Balfolk, historical dance styles and NZ colonial dance through workshops, master classes and festivals in New Zealand and overseas.
Fiona is Director of Dance Folkus - Hamilton's recreational home of circle, folk and historical dance. She is also a founding member, past-president and life member of Folk Dance New Zealand. Fiona is a recipient of a Hamilton City Civic award for services to Community Arts. Fiona's dance teaching expertise is complemented by her post-graduate studies in physiotherapy and training with Folk Dance Australia to gain the Recreational Folk Dance Teaching certificate.
In demand as a dance caller for community and private events, Fiona regularly delivers recreational folk-dance workshops at folk festivals and dance groups throughout New Zealand and Australia. She has twice been an invited judge for the Auckland Multicultural Society “Ethnic Dance Challenge”, and is a lead trainer of recreational folkdance teachers in New Zealand. An interest in dance history in the Waikato circa 1900 has led her to dance in the steps of our ancestors by recreating the dance programmes of old for today’s dance enthusiasts. A fan of a themed dress-up, Fiona is the dance mistress for the Victoriana-style balls popular at the ‘Costumiers Fantasy Masquerade’ and ‘Steam Punk the Thames’ dance events.
Fiona enjoys collaborating with musicians, singers, dancers and other artists to create opportunities for sharing the joy of dance as a community and recreational activity. She sees traditional folk dance and social ceilidh dance as a means to integrate movement, culture and traditions across all ages, ethnicities and abilities.
