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What people are saying about Dancing on the Off Beat...
"Its emphasis is on the country's music, but the book also investigates other, deeper aspects of Greek life ... in this deftly-written, instructive and deeply-felt memoir."
Willard Manus, The Hellenic Journal and
Lively Arts.com Read the entire review
"I just finished reading your book. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. It is very engagingly written. I felt transported to the place. It should be a must read for any serious folk dancer."
Andrew Carnie, Associate Professor, Dept. of Linguistics, University of Arizona
"I enjoyed your book very much. It is marvelous that you have traveled and experienced so many things in my country. It is an honor for us as Greeks to have people like you. Many many thanks for your wonderful book."
Anna Mavrou Bouzianis, lead singer and dancer, Lykeion ton Hellenidon of Kalamata, Greece
"Loved your book! I just finished your fascinating book. Your travelogue made the area alive for me."
Jerry Duke, Ph.D. , Professor, Dance Ethnology and History, San Francisco State University
"I just wanted to thank you for your wonderful book. It is very interesting and beautifully written, and I am enjoying it very much."
Diane Pomerance, Ph.D., Communications
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About the author...
In 1993, 1995, and 1999, the author traveled to Greece in order to document village dances and record traditional musicians. The focus of her research work was the Florina region in Northwestern Greece, but her travels covered many remote, rural areas of the Greek mainland. She has made a total of six trips to Greece.
Joan Carol Friedberg graduated with a B.S. in Communications, School of Journalism, from Southern Illinois University. She worked as an advertising copywriter as well as a public relations writer for many years. Her published writing credits include essays in the Los Angeles Times, L.A. Weekly, In These Times and several local publications.
She began her professional career as a travel writer when she became the first editor of the United Airlines Mileage Plus newsletter as well as editor of a frequent flyer newsletter for British Caledonian Airways.
In 1971, she spent seven weeks traveling through Southeastern Europe and Greece. In 1982, she again traveled independently for three months throughout the Balkans and Turkey, observing dance events in the Yugoslav Republics of Macedonia and Kosovo, Bulgaria and in Greece.
Eventually her interest and involvement in Greek music, dance, and modern Greek history led her to pursue more serious study of the traditional folk culture of Greece.
In 1995 and 1996, she served as a contributing editor of The International Greek Folklore Society's Laografia. Her research work in dance ethnology has twice been published in Greece in the Proceedings of the International Organization for Folk Arts (I.O.F.A.) – UNESCO, in 1997 and 2000.
Contact the author...
Joan Carol Friedberg Home Page