HISTORY

Folk Dance Australia was established in 1990 by graduates of the first Folk Dance Teacher Training Course which was conducted in Australia in 1989/1990.

The course was introduced by Andre van de Plas, a professional dance teacher from the Netherlands and was based on the Dutch Folk Dance Teacher Training Course.

This first course commenced in 1989 with the support of the Margaret Walker Folkdance Centre and the AADE (Australian Association of Dance Education) and with the understanding that AADE would be signing the certificates for the graduates.

Before the course was completed, AADE withdrew and the certificates were then signed by Margaret Walker and Andre van de Plas.

It was then realised that in order to have an organisation totally interested in folkdance we would have to establish it ourselves.

A meeting of the graduates from the TTC was held in July 1990.  Folk Dance Australia was founded with an Interim Committee of Carol Maddock as President, Christine Battisson as Secretary and Kaye Laurendet as Treasurer.

FDA was incorporated in May 1991.

Click here for photo of Andre with students from the first Teacher Training course in 1989/1990