Michael Gelman
Folk Dance Teacher
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.
 Michael with Ivan Dimitrov Bulgarian Dance Ensemble | 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