Elsie Ivancich Dunin

Honoring a Legacy of Dance Ethnology

We are honored to feature Elsie Ivancich Dunin as a distinguished guest of the Eastern European Folk Festival. A trailblazer in the field of dance ethnology, Elsie has dedicated her life to documenting, preserving, and sharing the rich traditions of South Slavic and Balkan communities around the world. Her research has deepened global understanding of folk dance as a vital form of cultural expression, and her work continues to inspire generations of scholars, artists, and cultural advocates.

Elsie’s lifelong commitment to fieldwork, scholarship, and cross-cultural exchange reflects the very heart of our festival’s mission. We are proud to highlight her legacy and contributions to the preservation of intangible heritage.

Elsie Ivancich Dunin: Professor Emerita in Dance Ethnology, 1994 University of California, Los Angeles; closely associated with CCDR in Flagstaff since 1998; continuing as external dance research associate with Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research (IEF) in Croatia. Organizer of dance research congresses with IEF held in Croatia (2000 and 2014) and with CCDR in Arizona (2003 and 2006); fifty years (1967–2017) documentation of Skopje's Romani Erdelezi event displayed in a touring multi-media museum exhibit with award-winning documentary film. Research focus is on dancing continuities and changes of South Slavs compared with their diasporas in California, and countries Chile, Peru, and Australia. Dunin's years of dance research materials are in the CCDR Collections at Arizona State University. Cross-Cultural Dance Resources Vice-President.