michael's folk dance life

                  Michael Gelman's Folk Dance History

Michael Gelman was the first born, in Munich, Germany, to Morry and Nancy Gelman, both folk dancers. Early on at the age of 14, with the help and encouragement of his parents Michael started folk dancing with the Los Angeles based “Inter-Teens” (International Teen Folk Dancers). By the age of 19 he became the Vorplattler (lead dance teacher) of the Bavarian Trachten Verein “GTEV d'Oberlandler of Los Angeles”. All the while continuing to learn, and teach other east European Folk Dances.

In 1982 he began to study the challenging improvisational couples folk dances of Hungary and Romania. Michael traveled in the US and abroad and studied with both the masters, and the local people; making to so many trips to Europe as to lose count. This culminated with his living in Transylvania for 3 years, from 1995 to 1998, so as to be able to study these dances first hand, and see them done in the village style. Available there still today in Transylvania, like no where else in all of Europe.

Since moving to Maryland in 1980, Michael has shared his love of folk dance with the Washington and Baltimore area International Folk Dance groups, and German & Hungarian Ethnic groups. He has taught workshops in California, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Canada, and Germany. Workshops ranging from the Bavarian Schuplattler, and Austrian Landler, to the Hungarian & Romanian Transylvanian couples dances, to general International line and couples folk dances.

Michael’s dance expertise ranges from Bavaria to Bulgaria. He teaches and enjoys dances from the regions and areas of: Bohemia, Beces (Vienna), Budapest, Bihor, Banat, Belgrade, Brasov, Bistrita, Bucharest and Bulgaria. Michael has been a member and / or dance teacher in the following groups:

GTEV d'Oberlandler - Los Angeles, CA
GTV Immergrün - Baltimore, MD
Narod Balkan Dancers - Baltimore, MD
Zemya Balkan Ensemble - Washington, DC
Tisza Hungarian Dance Ensemble - Washington, DC
Szamos Transylvanian Ensemble - Baltimore, MD
Hargita Hungarian Dance Ensemble - Csikszerda, Romania
Dimitrov Bulgarian Ensemble - Washington, DC

Michael Gelman dressed in Bavarian folk costume