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Dick Oakes grew up in Washington state, where he excelled in trampoline and diving. Dick folk danced a few times at the International Folkdancers group in his hometown, but it wasn't until several years later, while in the U.S. Navy stationed in San Diego, California, that he really got "hooked." He danced in San Diego at Cabrillo Folk Dancers with Vivian Woll and at the San Diego Folkdancers (learning styles and teaching techniques from Louis & Nancy Denov), and did his first performing there with John Hancock's Dolina Cigany and Vyts Beliajus' Viltis Dancers.

Following his honorable discharge from the Navy, he moved to Los Angeles, then the major center of folk dancing in the Southland, where he married and fathered a daughter.

He received a scholarship to the Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference. Later that year, he was asked to teach a Federation Workshop in Long Beach, which was the beginning of his folk dance teaching "career." He has also received the Elizabeth Sanders Scholarship, the Gandy Dancers Scholarship, Research and Standardization Committee Scholarship, and the Westwood Co-op Scholarship. He went on to teach Federation Institutes in Long Beach, San Diego, Garden Grove, and Los Angeles.

Along with his friend Alex Wilson, Dick put on two Floating Kolo Party sessions in Boulder, Colorado.

Dick taught at many folk dance coffee houses in both Northern and Southern California, such as

• Aitos
• Ashkenaz
• Café AMAN
• Café Ami
• Cafe Danssa
• Cafe Shalom
• Calliópe's
• Finjan
• Gypsy Camp (Sunset Blvd.)
• Gypsy Camp (Motor Avenue)
• Horo
• The Intersection
• Mandala
• The Museum
• New Hadarim
• The Plaka
• The Open Circle
• Red Mill House
• Scorpio's
• The Source
• O Theos
• The Threshing Floor
• Veselo Selo
• Zorbas

Dick and Vilma Matchette contributed to a show titled "A Decade in Retrospect" for The UCLA Museum of Cultural History in Los Angeles at the Frederick S. Wright Art Gallery, where works from Asia, Europe, The Near East, Africa, North and South America, and Indonesia and Oceania were drawn mostly from museum collections.

Some of the many instructors from whom Dick has learned dances are

Frances Ajoian Don Allen Don Armstrong Pece Atanasovski Ed Austin Schlomo Bachar Glen Bannerman Vyts Beliajus René Besné Louise Bilman Sunni Bloland František Bonuš Dennis Boxell Iliana Bozhanova Tom Bozigian Vonnie Brown Billy Burke Chang Ching-shan Hazel Chung Eugene Ciejka Gary Coyne Dick Crum Andor Czompo Dani Dassa Alexandru David Mihai David Ciga Despotović Sonia Dion Jimmy Drury Nelda Drury Jerry Duke Elsie Dunin Gretel Dunsing Richard Duree Ada Dziewanowska Jaś Dziewanowski Peter Eccles Ya'akov Eden Gordon Engler Fred and Mary Enholm Moshe Eskayo

Robin Evanchuk Vincent Evanchuk Fay Feree John Filcich Christian Florescu Joan Friedberg Ghanima Gaditana Bora Gajicki Ned and Marion Gault Morry and Nancy Gelman Merilyn Gentry Michael Ginsburg Barry Glass Ed and Carol Goller Jim Graham Joe Graziosi Madelynne Greene Moshiko Halevy John Hancock Alma Hawkins Germain and Louise Hébert Jerry Helt Graham Hempel David Henry Mary Ann Herman Shalom Hermon Nicholaas Hilferink Rickey Holden Ron Houston Thea Huijgen Dale Hyde Stan Isaacs Anthony Ivancich Daniela Ivanova-Vayan Per and Margareta Jennische Bruce Johnson Nick Jordanoff Anatol Joukowsky Gurit Kadman Cavit Karagöz Athan Karras

Chris Kermiet Paul and Pauline Kermiet Ercüment Kılıç Martin Koenig Atanas Kolarovski Steve Kotansky Ed Kremers Jaap Leegwater Monique Legaré Bob Leibman Lisa Lekis Roo Lester Morley Leyton Jerry Joris Lindsay Dean Linscott James Lomath Laris Lucaci Paula Luv Kálmán Magyar Vicki Maheu Tom Masterson Vilma Matchette Joe Miller Carolyn Mitchill Yves Moreau Marcus Holt Moskoff Sonny Newman Sean and Una O'Farrell Lee Otterholt Margalit Oved Bora Özkök David Paletz Csaba Pálfi John Pappas Bernardo T. Pedere Ted Petrides Albert Pill Bill Pillich Eugenia Popescu-Judetz Richard Powers Emilio Pulido

Mikki Revenaugh Dave Rosenberg Nikos Savvidis Jim Schlesinger Anthony Shay Paul Sheldon Diki Shields Katina Shields David Shochat John Skow Dave and Fran Slater C. Stewart Smith Alison Snow Ingvar Sodal John Sofios Ted Sofios Nena Šokčić Rivka Sturman Chris Tasulis Bonnie (B.J.) Thomas John Tiffany Tibor Toghia George Tomov Gordon Tracie Donna Tripp Rudy Ulibarrí Elizabeth Ullrich Richard Unciano Theodor and Lia Vasilescu Millie von Konsky Rubi Vučeta Larry Weiner Alex Wilson Ron Wixman Lucy Wnuk Vivian Woll Israel Yakovee

Dick completed two national / international teaching tours in 1976 and 1977 through Instructours, which was coordinated by Diki Shields. Dick's unique teaching style, humorous presentation, ability to accurately convey not only the steps but, more importantly, the style of many varied nationalities, and feeling for the learning process, made him a much sought after teacher for camps, workshops, institutes, seminars, and conferences.

The sound movies and stereo slides he took in Bulgaria, Romania, and Yugoslavia are an entertaining source of folkloric research material -- especially those of the Koprivštica Festival during Bulgaria's 1300th anniversary and Romania's Tismana Festival. Dick's dance notes, maps of various countries, folk dance songs, pronunciation guides, and teaching resources also are helpful tools.

As one of this country's fine folk dance performers, Dick has been seen on television in California, Colorado, and Oklahoma -- at times directing his own groups for these shows. Dick appeared as a Greek dancer in the Hollywood film for television "Star Maker." He was a member of Anthony Shay's Village Dancers and later a performer with Shay's famed AMAN Folk Ensemble, dancing in Croatian, Bulgarian, and Romanian suites.

His list of performing credits includes such groups as

• AMAN (Croatian, Bulgarian, Romanian)
• Betyárok (Hungarian)
• Boulder International Folk Dancers (Macedonian - Dick played the dumbek and tŭpan)
• Dolina Cygany (Polish, Russian, and Serbian)
• Gandy Dancers (Hungarian, Ukrainian, and Scandinavian)
• Gitmek Ensemble (Turkish)
• G.T.E.V. D'Isartaler (Bavarian Schuhplattlers)
• G.T.E.V. D'Oberlandler (Bavarian Schuhplattlers)
• Village Dancers (Persian)
• Viltis Dancers (Lithuanian)
• Westwind International Folk Ensemble - Los Angeles (American Breakdown)

VIDEO: Reit im Winkl Schuhplattler

Dick Oakes and Lynn Callahan, G.T.E.V. D'Isartaler
IN SLOW MOTION

He also has choreographed suites for the Hungarian performing group Betyárok and the Gandy Dancers.

His other activities and accomplishments are numerous. Active in a leadership role, Dick has held office in several folk dance groups, such as Treasurer of Dolina Cigany, Vice President of Westwood Co-op, and Treasurer of the Gandy Dancers, as well as in the Folk Dance Federation of California (South) as President, Director of Extension, Director of Membership, Parliamentarian, and chairperson of several committees, including Costume, Directory, Finance, Nominating, Special Publications, and Standard Operating Procedures. He was active on the Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference and San Diego State University Folk Dance Conference committees, the Beginner Class Committee, the Beginner Festival Committee, the Costume Committee, and the Research and Standardization Committee of the Federation. With Paul Pritchard, Dick was the first co-editor of Folk Dance Scene Southern California's folk dance news magazine and was a staff artist for the Viltis Folklore Magazine (he designed a cover page header, some other graphics, and the cover of Vyts Beliajus' Ave Maria titled "Sveika Marija). He also edited the California Folk Dance Directory and the Rocky Mountain Folk Dance Directory. He wrote the chapter on Yugoslavian Folk Dancing in the book from Doubleday, International Folk Dancing U.S.A., compiled by Betty Casey.

He taught a dance conference in Seattle, Washington, at Camp Long called the "Summer Dance Camp" (July 26-31, 1971), teaching along with Sonny Newman, who directed the camp, and Joan Englander.

Dick organized several folk dance functions and was co-director, with Diki Shields, of the successful Holiday Camp folk dance conference in the San Bernardino mountains of Southern California. (In 1984, Dick and Diki also collaborated by producing the Holiday Weekend of folk dancing in Idyllwild, California.) In addition, he served on judging committees for the Greek Orthodox Folk Dance Festival for the Western Diocese of the Greek Orthodox Church of America. Dick was also elected to the position of Membership Chairman of the Colorado Folk Arts Council, serving with Vyts Beliajus, was on the Advisory Board of the California Traditional Music Society (CTMS), and the advisory board of the AMAN Folk Ensemble. Dick was a contributor to the UCLA Museum of Ethnic Arts Gallery Showing of "The Balkans, Costume and Folk Art." He also was director of the Simi Valley Folk Dancers (Simi Valley, California), the Fort Collins Folk Dancers (Fort Collins, Colorado), and co-directed the Hungarian Ídiom Dancers with Sandi Wodicka.

Dick has taught at many venues, among them

• Akron Folk Dance Workshop
• Annual New Year's Folk Music & Dance Residency Camp
• Cabrillo College Folk Dance Weekend
• Camp Hess Kramer
• Corvallis Hoolyeh Festival
• Detroit Folk Dance Club Workshop
• Edmonton Interntional Folk Dancers Workshop
• Five Cities Folk Dance Teacher's Dance Workshop
• Hillel Extension Folk Dance Weekend
• Holiday Camp
• IDIMO Folk Dance Festival
• Idyllwild Folk Dance Workshop
• Kansas Folk Dance Workshop
• Lighted Lantern Folk Dance Camp
• Mad Hatter Weekend (Santa Cruz)
• New Mexico August Camp
• Oglebay Fall Folk Dance Camp
• Ojai Folk Dance Festival
• OSU Folk Dance Camp
• Richland Festival and Workshop
• Roberson Folk Dancers Fall Weekend
• San Buenaventura Folk Dance Festival
• San Diego University Folk Dance Conference
• Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference
• Seattle Summer Dance Camp
• Summer Solstice Annual Dulcimer & Traditional Music and Dance Festival
• Tchaika Folk Dance Weekend
• Texas Camp
• University of California (Riverside)
• VCJCC Family Camp
• Viltis 36 Founding Party

Some of the Southern California folk dance clubs at which Dick taught are

• Balkan Co-op
• Betyárok
• Cabrillo Folk Dancers
• Caltech International Folk Dancers
• China Lake Desert Dancers
• Compton Folk Dance Co-op
• Conejo Valley Folk Dancers
• Folk Dance Center
• Gandy Dancers
• Garden Grove Folk Dancers
• International Folk Dance Club
• Interteen Folk Dancers
• Laguna Folk Dancers
• Long Beach Folk Dance Co-op
• Monday Night Kolo Class (Alphabet Dancers)
• NFO Annual Conference
• Ojai Folk Dancers
• Pasadena Folk Dance Co-op
• Riverside Folk Dancers
• San Diego Folk Dancers
• San Pedro Balkan Folk Dancers
• Santa Barbara Folk Dance Club
• Santa Monica College Folk Dancers
• South Bay Folk Dancers
• Westwood Co-op

He has taught in more than 75 cities in the United States and Canada and taught Balkan dances to hundreds of Chinese folk dancers in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. Among these cities are

ARIZONA Phoenix Tucson CALIFORNIA Anaheim Berkeley China Lake Claremont Conejo Valley Crestline Hollywood Irvine Laguna Beach Long Beach Los Angeles Malibu Oak Glen Oakland Ojai Palo Alto Palos Verdes Pasadena Reseda Ridgecrest Riverside San Bernardino San Diego San Francisco San Jose San Luis Obispo San Pedro Santa Barbara Santa Cruz Santa Maria Santa Monica South Bay Ventura West Los Angeles Yucaipa

COLORADO Boulder Denver Durango Fort Collins Golden Pueblo FLORIDA Miami HAWAII Honolulu IOWA Des Moines KANSAS Kansas City Lawrence LOUISIANA Baton Rouge MASSACHUSETTS Boston MARYLAND Baltimore Columbia MICHIGAN Detroit MISSOURI Kansas City

NEW JERSEY Paramus NEW MEXICO Albuquerque Los Alamos Montezuma NEW YORK Binghamton Buffalo Manhattan New York City Queens OHIO Akron Cleveland OKLAHOMA Lawrence Tulsa OREGON Corvallis Eugene Portland TEXAS Arlington Austin Comfort Dallas El Campo Houston Kernville Midlothian San Antonio Waco

PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia Pittsburgh UTAH Salt Lake City VIRGINIA Harrisonburg Virginia Beach WASHINGTON Richland Seattle Tacoma WEST VIRGINIA Wheeling WYOMING Laramie

BRITISH COLUMBIA Edmonton ONTARIO Kitchener Ottawa Toronto TAIWAN Kaoshiung Taichung Taipei HONG KONG Hong Kong Kowloon

Traveling with his wife, Carol, Dick also taught folk dances on one of Rae Tauber's OPA! Folklore Tours through Bulgaria, Romania, and Yugoslavia, and on one of Mel Mann's Dance on the Water cruises to Alaska. Dick and Carol moved from Southern California to Colorado's front range where they currently make their home.

Dick dropped out of the teaching and eventually the dancing scene in the late 1980s after his left knee gave out. He had surgery to replace his left and right knees and is now dancing and teaching again.

In 2008, Dick donated hundreds of his folk dance records and most of his folk dance notes and books to the Society of Folk Dance Historians in San Antonio, Texas, run by Ron Houston.

Among Dick's publications and articles are:

• "Chain Dance Positions." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Checklist for Folk Dance Teachers." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Club Organization." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Control in Ukrainian Dance." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Couple Dance Positions." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Folk Dance Bibliography." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Folk Dance Etiquette." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Folk Dance Movement." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Folk Dance Rhythms." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Forms of Dance Notation." Compiled by Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Hobbies." By Dick Oakes, The Westerner, a publication of the IBM Club, May 1964.
• "Improving Your Club's Business Meeting." By Dick Oakes.
• "Improving Your Folk Dancing." By Dick Oakes.
• "Pronunciation Guides." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Some Hungarian Dance Terms." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Special Characters for International Folk Dance Descriptions." By Dick Oakes, self-published. Characters with Diacritic Marks.
• "Standardized Abbreviations for International Folk Dance Descriptions." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Suggestions for International Folk Dance Programmers." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Teaching Folk Dance: An Overview." By Dick Oakes. Folk Dance Scene. Laurie and Mitch Allen, Editors. Folk Dance Federation of California, South. Pages 2-3, 8.
• "Writing Folk Dance Descriptions." By Dick Oakes, self-published.
• "Yugoslavian Folk Dancing." International Folk Dancing U.S.A. by Betty Casey. Doubleday & Company, Inc.: Garden City, New York. Photograph. (Photos in "Lexicon of Folk Dance Definitions." Pages 309-319.)

Dances that Dick has taught at camps, workshops, seminars, institutes, and conferences include 16-Count Tsamikos, A Ja Zo Šariša, Ais Giorgis, Alunelul ca la Sadova, Alunelul de la Cerna, Ampuieţii, Appalachian Big Circle Clog, Apat-Apat, Arkan, Bakmes från Transtrand, Baltă II, Băltăreasca, Bashana Haba'a, Bat Tsurim, Bătrîneasca din Vicov, Bătută, Bavno Oro, Bela Rada, Biserka-Bojarka, Brâul lui Ioşca, Brâul lui Zbîrcea, Brâul Oltenesc, Brâul pe Opt, Brâul Românesc, Bre Devojče, Bučimiš, Ca la Uşa Cortului, Čačak, Čarlama, Čerešna, Čerešničky, Čérni Potök, Chindia, Ciganski Orijent, Cimpoi, Ciocârlanul, Cioful de la Vatra Dornei, Cîrligul, Ciuleandra, Cotton-Eyed Joe, Čukaričko Kokonješte, Dabke Ba'albakia, Dajčovo Horo, Davoljike Dajke, Denjovo Horo, Der Schlederer, Divčibarsko Kolo, Dobrudjanska Pandela, Dobrudjanska Rŭka, Dorčolka Kolo, Doudlebská Polka, Dramskoto Horo, Drmeš iz Zdenčine, Dunda Kolo, Dura, Džingurica, El Ginat Egoz, Ententanz, Familijevalsen, Fatiše Kolo, Fjäskern, Floricica Oltenească, Gammalhambo, Gammalpolska, Gammalschottis, Gjuševska Râčenica, Glamoć, Ha'eer Beafor, Hambopolska, Hasapiko, Hasaposerviko, Highlife, Hora Boerească, Hora de la Însurăţei, Hora de la Medgidia, Hora din Goicesti, Hora Fetelor, Hora Olteneasca, Hora Ploii, Hora Spoitorilor, Învârtita din Luna Turda, Iţele, Jianul, Joc de Leagăne, Joshua, Jovinata, Kačerac, Kalamatianos, Kalendara, Karsilamas, Katerena, Katia, Kiša Pada, Kjustendilska Râčenica, Kokonješte, Kopačka, Kostursko Oro, Kriči Kriči Tiček I, Krumovo Horo, Kūbilas, La Bastringue, Lach Yerushalayim, Lesnoto Oro, Ličko Kolo, Lipa ma Marýca, Makazice, Makedonikos Horos, Malo Kolo, Maloj Mome, Maričensko Pravo Horo, Mayim, Milanovo Kolo, Misirlou, Miteritsa, Mureşanca, Nama Drmeš Medley, Našlys, Neda Grivne, Niška Banja, Noriu Miego, Novozagorsko Horo, Oee Naze, Oh Johnny!, Oláhos, Orlovskaya, Ovčepolsko Oro, Păhărelul, Pajduška, Palóc Csárdás II, Pandalaš, Pasarelska, Pentozali (Two-Figure), Pentozali (Six-Figure), Pidichtos Tsamikos, Pinosavka, Pinosavka II, Piperana, Plovdivska Râčenica, Pokupski Plesovi, Politiko Syrto, Polka Wengierka, Pongauer Waltzer, Pookie, Pop Goes the Weasel, Posavski Drmeš I, Pravo Horo, Prekid Kolo, Preplet, Prorupta, Râčenica, Radomirsko Horo, Reit im Winkl Schuhplattler, Roata din Bihor, Robin Ddiog, Rokoko Kolo, Rørospols, Rustemul, Sandansko Horo, Sarajevka, Sârba pe Bătaie, Sârba pe Loc, Savila se Bela Loza, Sedi Donka, Šestorka iz Bela Palanka, Šetnja, Sev Acherov Aghcheek, Šilovačko, Sitna Zborenka, Skudrinka, Skuizkâ Râčenica, Slängpolska från Skåne, Slavjanka, Snoa, Sojanca, Šokuc, Sønderhoning, Šopsko Horo, Srbijanka, Staro Planinsko, Staro Ratarsko, Strandžansko Horo, Strumička Petorka, Sukačica, Suktinis, Svrljiški Čačak, Syrtaki, Syrtos, Széki-Lassú, Szökkenós, Talima, Ţărăncuţa, Ţărînă de la Abrud, Teško Oro, Tetovsko Oro, Texas Star, Tin Tin, Tokyo Dontaku, To Ting, Trŭgnala Rumjana, Trakijska Râčenica, Trava Trava, Trei Păzeşte din Bîrca, Tresenica, Trite Pâti, Trojanac, Tsamikos, U Šest Koraka, Vari Hasapiko, Vėdaras, Vetter Michel, Virginia Reel, Vlaško Oro, Vossarull, Vranjanka, Vranjsko Kolo, Vrni se Vrni, Western Trio Mixer, Wrth Fynd Hefo Deio i Dydyn, Yehoshua, Žabarka, Zaječarka, Zajko Kokorajko, Zdroboleanca, Zeybekiko, Žiogelis, Zizaj Nane, Zonaradikos, and Zwiefacher.

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