Ethnorobics (tm)

Dance your way to fitness with exciting live, acoustic music. Active, educational fun for all ages; from 2nd Grade up to Seasoned Citizens

“All ages” means we are delighted to invite everyone aged eight to eighty to join in!

Ethnorobics is a bit like Jazzercize set to an ethnic beat played live on acoustic instruments. You’ll have so much fun that you won’t notice you’re learning about the world and burning calories!

Over the course of an hour, participants learn line and circle dances from many different cultures.

The fast-paced Gypsy and Klezmer dances as well as great traditional party dances from Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, French-Canada, and elsewhere will, for sure, work up a real, honest sweat!

Tempo is everything and so slower paced dances are also done giving dancers some breathing space without bringing the heart rate down to resting levels.

Gorgeous musical scales like Hijaz and Sabach ride on the asymmetrical rhythms of the Balkans while the Hi-Dukes play traditional ethnic instruments, like the Bulgarian end-blown flute, Greek baglama, Middle-eastern drums, and world-famous ocarina alongside the violin, mandolin, and guitar.

Experienced

Jutta & the Hi-Dukes, Earwig Music label recording artists, have taught traditional ethnic dance since 1990 in Europe and across America including classes for the Evanston Homeschool Community as well as for the Chicago Waldorf School.

Currently, musicians / dance leaders Jutta Distler and Terran Doehrer (the band’s core members) teach ethnic dance at the Arcturus Teacher Training Program for Waldorf schools and taught dance classes at the Chicago Waldorf School for six years and at the Wauconda Da Vinci Waldorf School for four years.

In 2003, LACONI YSS (Library Administrators Conference of Northern Illinois Youth Services Section) included the Hi-Dukes in their “Best of the Best” list.