Photos from Recent Conferences
Italian Folk Art Federation of America, Inc.
To jump to a specific conference, follow these links:
2004 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2003 in Canton, Ohio
2002 in San Francisco, California
2000 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1999 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
THE 2004 CONFERENCE
IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Vivaci!, the host troupe from Philadelphia, performs the lively Tarantella Tasso.
To encourage increased participation in IFAFA Conferences from children in Italian dance groups, scholarship awards were offered to participants through high school age. Children created poster displays based on Italian and Italian-American folk themes. Here are two examples of submitted projects:
Folk Costumes
Italian Christmas Traditions
Eight young IFAFA members received awards. They received recognition at the Saturday evening Festa Folcloristica, below, from left to right: Chiara Maggiore (CT), Darcy Haddox (OH), Emily DeMeo (OH), Antoinette Wharton (CO), Christina Tecce (PA), Joseph Maggiore (CT), Miranda Romeo (IA), and Stella Lucia Brennan-Romano (NJ)
Participants at the Festa Folcloristica join in La Pizzica, an improvisational dance in which couples show off their dance skills, encouraged by the remaining circle of dancers.
All ages love to dance!
Here, Chris Civitate of Il Trattenimento Italiano from Des Moines, Iowa,
invites Helen Payne from Philadelphia, PA, to join him in dancing a tarantella.
THE 2003 CONFERENCE
IN CANTON, OHIO
Dancers from throughout the United States learn the proper way to wind and unwind the ribbons while learning Il Laccio d'Amore.
At a craft session, Aaron DeSanctis of Milwaukee and Patrick Capurro of Chicago demonstrate their palm-weaving skills.
Maria Reiter, from the Canton host group, teaches participants how to make rosaries.
Diane De Gasparis and Gabriel Pelosi of I Gagliardi Italiani offer accompaniment on the accordion while the choir rehearses.
At the Festa Folcloristica, I Gagliardi Italiani, the host group from Canton led by Tom Cunningham, sing traditional Italian folk songs.
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THE 2002 CONFERENCE
IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
Two examples of the plates created in the Piatti di Buon Ricordo workshop.
THE 2002 FESTA FOLCLORISTICA
Members of various choral troupes form the IFAFA Choir, shown here singing Italian folk songs for the appreciative crowd.
Co-Host troupe Il Quartiere Italiano of San Francisco performs la Tarantella Palermitana, a lively dance from Palermo, Sicily.
Lo Sciotis di Lucignano, performed by Il Quartiere Italiano in authentic reproductions of the costumes from Lucignano, a town near Arezzo in Tuscany.
Members of Balliamo! co-hosts from Sacramento, California, dance la Tarantella Siciliana.
The dancers of Philadelphia's I Ballerini e le Voci d'Italia lead la Tarantella Montevergine.
Conference participants and the local San Francisco community join in the dancing for an evening of fun.
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THE 2000 CONFERENCE
IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
In a handicrafts workshop in Pittsburgh in 2000, Anna Marie Fiori (second from left) and Gene Fedeli (third from right) teach participants to weave palm fronds into a variety of designs, an Italian Palm Sunday/Easter tradition.
Federica Calvino Prina, specialist in Italian Folk Dance, and Beppe Gambetta, folk musician, both from Italy, shared information about their specialties.
Members of Pittsburgh's I Campagnoli performing the Sicilian Whip Dance
at the Festa Folcloristica.
Beppe Gambetta favors the Festa Folcloristica guests with beautiful music played on an ancient Italian instrument which is part guitar, part lyre.
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THE 1999 CONFERENCE
IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
Participants learn a lively tarantella in a dance workshop.
Banners of the twenty regions of Italy are displayed at the Festa Folcloristica, after being paraded around the ballroom by costumed dancers. The banners were created by Gene and Shirley Fedeli of Rockford, Illinois.
Members of Tradizione Vivente The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee perform before an enthusiastic audience at the Saturday evening Festa Folcloristica.
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Return to the IFAFA Conference page.
Continue to the next page for information on Membership in IFAFA.
Return to IFAFA Table of Contents Page.
Questa pagina in italiano.
IN CANTON, OHIO
Dancers from throughout the United States learn the proper way to wind and unwind the ribbons while learning Il Laccio d'Amore.
At a craft session, Aaron DeSanctis of Milwaukee and Patrick Capurro of Chicago demonstrate their palm-weaving skills.
Maria Reiter, from the Canton host group, teaches participants how to make rosaries.
Diane De Gasparis and Gabriel Pelosi of I Gagliardi Italiani offer accompaniment on the accordion while the choir rehearses.
At the Festa Folcloristica, I Gagliardi Italiani, the host group from Canton led by Tom Cunningham, sing traditional Italian folk songs.
Return to the top of the page
THE 2002 CONFERENCE
IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
Two examples of the plates created in the Piatti di Buon Ricordo workshop.
THE 2002 FESTA FOLCLORISTICA
Members of various choral troupes form the IFAFA Choir, shown here singing Italian folk songs for the appreciative crowd.
Co-Host troupe Il Quartiere Italiano of San Francisco performs la Tarantella Palermitana, a lively dance from Palermo, Sicily.
Lo Sciotis di Lucignano, performed by Il Quartiere Italiano in authentic reproductions of the costumes from Lucignano, a town near Arezzo in Tuscany.
Members of Balliamo! co-hosts from Sacramento, California, dance la Tarantella Siciliana.
The dancers of Philadelphia's I Ballerini e le Voci d'Italia lead la Tarantella Montevergine.
Conference participants and the local San Francisco community join in the dancing for an evening of fun.
Return to the top of the page
THE 2000 CONFERENCE
IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
In a handicrafts workshop in Pittsburgh in 2000, Anna Marie Fiori (second from left) and Gene Fedeli (third from right) teach participants to weave palm fronds into a variety of designs, an Italian Palm Sunday/Easter tradition.
Federica Calvino Prina, specialist in Italian Folk Dance, and Beppe Gambetta, folk musician, both from Italy, shared information about their specialties.
Members of Pittsburgh's I Campagnoli performing the Sicilian Whip Dance
at the Festa Folcloristica.
Beppe Gambetta favors the Festa Folcloristica guests with beautiful music played on an ancient Italian instrument which is part guitar, part lyre.
Return to the top of the page
THE 1999 CONFERENCE
IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
Participants learn a lively tarantella in a dance workshop.
Banners of the twenty regions of Italy are displayed at the Festa Folcloristica, after being paraded around the ballroom by costumed dancers. The banners were created by Gene and Shirley Fedeli of Rockford, Illinois.
Members of Tradizione Vivente The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee perform before an enthusiastic audience at the Saturday evening Festa Folcloristica.
Return to the top of the page
Return to the IFAFA Conference page.
Continue to the next page for information on Membership in IFAFA.
Return to IFAFA Table of Contents Page.
Questa pagina in italiano.
Members of various choral troupes form the IFAFA Choir, shown here singing Italian folk songs for the appreciative crowd.
Co-Host troupe Il Quartiere Italiano of San Francisco performs la Tarantella Palermitana, a lively dance from Palermo, Sicily.
Lo Sciotis di Lucignano, performed by Il Quartiere Italiano in authentic reproductions of the costumes from Lucignano, a town near Arezzo in Tuscany.
Members of Balliamo! co-hosts from Sacramento, California, dance la Tarantella Siciliana.
The dancers of Philadelphia's I Ballerini e le Voci d'Italia lead la Tarantella Montevergine.
Conference participants and the local San Francisco community join in the dancing for an evening of fun.
Return to the top of the page
THE 2000 CONFERENCE
IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
In a handicrafts workshop in Pittsburgh in 2000, Anna Marie Fiori (second from left) and Gene Fedeli (third from right) teach participants to weave palm fronds into a variety of designs, an Italian Palm Sunday/Easter tradition.
Federica Calvino Prina, specialist in Italian Folk Dance, and Beppe Gambetta, folk musician, both from Italy, shared information about their specialties.
Members of Pittsburgh's I Campagnoli performing the Sicilian Whip Dance
at the Festa Folcloristica.
Beppe Gambetta favors the Festa Folcloristica guests with beautiful music played on an ancient Italian instrument which is part guitar, part lyre.
Return to the top of the page
THE 1999 CONFERENCE
IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
Participants learn a lively tarantella in a dance workshop.
Banners of the twenty regions of Italy are displayed at the Festa Folcloristica, after being paraded around the ballroom by costumed dancers. The banners were created by Gene and Shirley Fedeli of Rockford, Illinois.
Members of Tradizione Vivente The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee perform before an enthusiastic audience at the Saturday evening Festa Folcloristica.
Return to the top of the page
Return to the IFAFA Conference page.
Continue to the next page for information on Membership in IFAFA.
Return to IFAFA Table of Contents Page.
Questa pagina in italiano.
IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
Participants learn a lively tarantella in a dance workshop.
Banners of the twenty regions of Italy are displayed at the Festa Folcloristica, after being paraded around the ballroom by costumed dancers. The banners were created by Gene and Shirley Fedeli of Rockford, Illinois.
Members of Tradizione Vivente The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee perform before an enthusiastic audience at the Saturday evening Festa Folcloristica.