The Komenka Ethnic Dance Ensemble and Crescent City International Dancers invite New Orleans area international folk dance enthusiasts to join them for camaraderie and celebration on Mardi Gras Sunday (February 19, 2023) in the world-famous French Quarter.

This event will take place in the Courtyard at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. 

This “free” outdoor and family friendly event will include:

1 PM-45-minute international folk dance medley cardio class

2 to 4 PM-Recreational and social folk dances from around the world

There is a large smooth and level slate flagstone area for dancing. There is also an adjacent large grass lawn area for rest, relaxation, people watching, etc. So, bring your chair, blanket, picnic basket….and enjoy the outdoors with us. And, of course, costumes (folk and/or Mardi Gras) are welcome and encouraged!

Komenka Ethnic Dance Ensemble

Komenka Ethnic Dance Ensemble was established in 1979 as a New Orleans, Louisiana, USA non-profit arts organization with the purpose of portraying international folk cultures through dance and music. The forty-plus member ensemble includes professional and semi-professional artists from throughout the New Orleans community. Training with internationally recognized choreographers and musicians is highly stressed and reflected in program repertoire. Costumes are replicas or carefully designed adaptations of authenticated regional folk dress. The ensemble has been featured throughout the United States, and has performed on many television/radio stations. Komenka is also very active in educational institutions of all levels. Komenka has often performed internationally since 1988 in areas such as Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, the Caribbean, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Russia. Presented were such U.S. styles as Cajun, Appalachian, and New Orleans Jazz / Mardi Gras traditions.  Komenka was the recipient of the first ever Big Easy Classical Arts Award for Best Ethnic Dance Presentation in 1993, and has received that prestigious award on numerous occasions since that time. Komenka was the recipient of the prestigious Community Arts Award bestowed by the Arts Council of New Orleans in recognition of outstanding contribution to the arts of New Orleans for 30 years. Financial support for Komenka comes from performances, private donations, and public/corporate grants. Komenka is greatly indebted to Loyola University New Orlean and the New Orleans Dance Academy for their generous provision of rehearsal facilities during the 2021-2022 performance season.

Crescent City International Dancers

Crescent City International Dancers are a voluntary village. They strive to be like the hundreds of geographical villages in dozens of countries, where their 900+ dances come from. They get their dances from teachers who learned them from immigrant communities or collected them from the villages where they have been danced for centuries. Their dances are typically not choreographed for spectators -- they survived because they feel so good to do. Join them to learn and do some of the dances listed on their page. You will find perhaps 12 to 40 dancers at all skill levels. Some of them have been doing these dances for 30-40 years. Crescent City International Dancers joyfully pass their dances on to guests and new members.