Youth Ensemble
Eleni Govetas
Eleni has been performing at Balkanalia for practically her whole life with Dromeno, but this year she makes her debut at teaching the young ‘uns how to jam to some Balkan tunes. (She’s doing the same at the “big camp” in Mendocino, so she’ll bring experience and tricks up her sleeve!) Those of us who have watched her grow up have lost count of how many instruments she has mastered. Aside from playing with Dromeno, she has started her own band, Eleni Govetas Kompanía.
Kids Activities
Fiore Grey
Fiore brings her priceless creativity back to teach a kids class at Balkanalia. In past years, she has helped Balkanalia kids build Kukeri (traditional Balkan masks) for a parade on the final day of camp, and choreographed songs and dances for the children to perform on Sunday night. In addition to sharing music and dance with the kids, her classes typically involve arts, crafts, theatre games, face painting, nature activities, storytelling, and imaginative play. Fiore strives to make her classes accessible to a range of ages, meeting kids wherever they’re at developmentally. She loves the multi-age aspect of the kids class, and takes particular delight in nourishing friendships and mentorships between the children during their time at Balkanalia—the kids class becomes a village within a village. Parents who enroll their children can expect to have childcare for the majority of each day at camp, meaning they’re freed up to attend workshops while the kids are busy having fun together!
Fiore is a mother of two wonderfully creative children, whom she homeschooled in the past. In addition to a background in vocal pedagogy, Fiore has training in child development and attachment theory, and has studied a range of approaches to education, including Montessori, Waldorf, unschooling, nature schooling, and project-based learning. A lifelong lover of performance studies, ethnomusicology, and folk art traditions, in 2014 she began singing with Dunava, a Seattle-based women’s choir specializing in the folk harmonies of Eastern Europe. The group performs regularly throughout the Northwest, often collaborating with other music and dance ensembles, and has recorded three CDs.