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Annual Spring Workshop Weekend
Registration is now open for our 2026 spring workshop on the weekend of 25-26 April!
Our guest teacher, Wijnand Karel

IFDO is very excited to welcome back Wijnand Karel to Ottawa as our guest teacher for this year’s workshop.
Dance has been the central thread of Wijnand Karel’s life. As a young boy, he dreamed of becoming a classical ballet dancer, but at the age of ten, his first steps in folk dance were love at first sight and he has never looked back. After graduating from the Rotterdam Dance Academy, he went on to perform professionally with the world-renowned Internationaal Danstheater.
Since 1998, Wijnand has worked full-time as a dance instructor and choreographer, also specializing in dance didactics. In his teaching, he enjoys exploring how dance styles are shaped by their geographical and cultural origins, as well as by traditional costumes, creating a rich and immersive experience for his students.
Wijnand will travel from the Netherlands to teach us some beautiful dances from various countries.
If you would like to know a bit more about Wijnand and his teaching style, check out the video below. The video is spoken in Dutch, but auto-generated captions in English can be turned out by clicking “CC” at the bottom right and then selecting English translation under “settings”.

The weekend
Saturday, April 25
| 9:30 am – 12:00 pm | Session 1 |
| 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm | Session 2 |
| 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm | Dinner |
| 7:30 pm – 8:00 pm | Dance performance by Viva Mexico |
| 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm | Party |

Viva Mexico
Sunday, April 26
| 9:30 am – 12:00 pm | Session 3 |
| 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm | Pizza lunch (shared table, sign-up Sunday morning) |
| 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm | Session 4 (review) |

Wijnand teaching at the workshop in 2023

Location
Churchill Recreation Centre
345 Richmond Road
Ottawa, ON
K2A 0E7

Cost
| Member | Non-member | |
|---|---|---|
| Party | $ 20 | $ 25 |
| Session 1 | $ 30 | $ 35 |
| Session 1 & 2 | $ 60 | $ 70 |
| Session 1, 2 & 3 | $ 80 | $ 95 |
| Session 1, 2, 3 & 4 | $ 95 | $ 110 |
| Session 1 & 2 + Party | $ 70 | $ 80 |
| Session 1, 2 & 3 + Party | $ 90 | $ 105 |
| Session 1, 2, 3 & 4 + Party | $ 105 | $ 120 |
| Dinner | $ 30 | $30 |
Filming during the workshop is not permitted. Music and videos will be availabe for purchase.

Registration
Guarantee your spot by filling out our online registration form.
Final registration date for the dinner: Friday, April 17
Final registration date for the workshop Sunday, April 19
Questions?
Don’t hesitate to contact us at internationalfolkdancersottawa@gmail.com, click the button to chat on WhatsApp or connect on social media.