PIFD - Phoenix International Folk Dancers

Member Spotlight

Get to know our members in this newly-added section as we turn the spotlight on individuals to learn what brought them to international folk dance.

April 2008 Featured Member
Lois Postel

I grew up loving to dance. I took tap and ballet classes and some ballroom and swing classes. In school we learned the schottische, polka, Virginia reel, and some simple square dances. In high school, even though I couldn't really carry a tune, I got into the Girls Glee Club and stayed in it just so I could dance in the yearly operettas. In the summertimes we had a "junior light opera" organization, and I danced in three of those productions.

In college I took tap, dance pantomime, ballet, and modern dance classes. I got my first taste of social folk dancing at a party in the women's gym, and the first folk dance I learned there was "Cotton-Eyed Joe."

Dancing faded into the background for quite a few years (marriage, kids, teaching career, etc.) Starting about 1980 I discovered Tempe Parks and Recreation belly dance classes and later clogging classes. My love for dance was reawakened. I began going out dancing on Friday nights with some colleagues of mine, but I didn't enjoy the loud music and smoke-filled atmosphere. One of my friends knew of a teacher in our district who went folk dancing at Encanto Park on Fridays, so I got in touch with him and started coming to Encanto. I think it was 1991 when I started to participate.

Eileen Hug was teaching then, but soon after I started, she moved to Las Vegas. There were also other changes at Encanto, and the folk dancing was moved to Thursday night, which was my belly dance class night. For a time, I could only attend Encanto folk dances on the weeks between belly dance class sessions. Eventually my belly dance classes changed nights, so I was able to become a regular dancer again and could participate in the organization. I became a member-at-large in 1994, secretary in 1995, and have been president since 1997.

In 1992, I retired from Tempe School District No. 3. In my 15 years there, I had served as director of bilingual and funded programs, elementary school principal, and supervisor of various district level programs. Dance took over my life, my house, my computer, and my travel. I go out my back door to tap classes and dance exercise at Pyle Center. I am a member of Egyptian Cartouche, a belly dance fusion performing group, and Tap Dance Arizona.

My dance travel with dance teachers and to dance camps started with belly dance: Amaya's "Shake and Bake" in New Mexico, Delilah's belly dance retreats in Hawaii (six times); Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camp at Mendocino, Calif. (with Morocco and Cassandra as teachers and our troupe leader Morgiana as room mate); travel to Turkey with Morocco, Kenya with Mesmera, Egypt with Delilah, and Morocco with Cassandra. I have hosted in my home Laurel Victoria Gray, Artemis, Aradia, and others when they came to Arizona to teach workshops.

My folk dance travel: California Statewide several times, Camp Hess Kramer four times, Branson with Beverly and Irwin Barr, "Dance on the Water" Mississippi River Cruise, Balkanfolk and Koprivshtitsa in Bulgaria. Along with others from Arizona, I'll be on the Volga River Russian folk dance cruise this summer. I host folk dance master teachers in my home when they come through Phoenix on tour: Wim Bekooy, Daniela Ivanova, Daniel Sandu, Ljupco Manevski, Goran Alacki, Adriana Alacka, Lee Otterholt, etc.

Folk dance has opened up my world to networking with IFD groups in Arizona and California as well as individuals overseas and in EEFC (Eastern European Folklife Center). This brings information, opportunities, visitors, and workshop teachers to our PIFD "village."

Folk dance is friendship in motion.
See you at Encanto Park!
Let's get acquainted and let's dance!

Member Spotlight Archives

March 2008 Featured Member - Joyce Story
February 2008 Featured Member - Jo-Anne Clemens
January 2008 Featured Member - Joyce Himes