HIFD is a recreational group that dances a wide variety of ethnic folk dances from
around the world. Come dance with us!

Your donations to HIFD now gratefully accepted via a secure website! There are still expenses to be met, and no income from dances. If you would like to contribute to HIFD, please click below.

All in-person dances suspended until further notice.
Virtual dances by HIFD/AIFD are planned every Friday. Except Mar 12.

Doors open at 7:15.  Dancing from 7:30 to 9:30 

Mar 12-14 is the San Antonio Laguna dance weekend - SpringFestival.    

8 great teachers  ( Lee Otterholt, Jaap Leegwater, Roberto Bagnoli, Franklin Houston, Caspar Bik, Genci Kastrati, Bata Marcetic, Andy Taylor-Blenis)

Sign up at https://springfestival.us/

An introduction to using Zoom can be found here.   PC-performance tips here.

In addition to the wonderful Friday night dances described above,  a calendar full of many other wonderful events can be found on Dale Adamson's site

Regular locations for in-person dancing

Friday Night Request Dancing
suspended until further notice

First Lutheran Church at 1311 Holman. Visitors welcome, no partner needed. Admission is $5 (age 25 and under free). Park on the street or in the lot on the corner of Holman and Austin.

Monday Night Introductory Dancing
suspended until further notice

Oddfellows Hall, 115 E 14th St.
Beginning and intermediate level dances taught. Newcomers welcome, no partner needed. Admission is $4 donation.

Oddfellows Hall is a two-story brick building; entry is on right side of the building, dancing is on the second floor (may not be handicap accessible). Park on 14th St, Heights or Harvard.

HIFD Code of Conduct

Calendar of Folk Dance Events

Contact HIFD: houstonfolkdance@yahoo.com
or write to Houston International Folk Dancers, P.O. Box 542322, Houston, TX 77254
Phone 713-723-6332

Related Items of Interest

Some interesting videos

Special dances

 - Dance Notes

Other recreational dance groups:

Austin area contra dances

Austin International Folk Dancers (AIFD)

Hellenic Professional Society of Texas

Houston Area Traditional Dance Society
- Contra Dances every second and fourth Saturday
- English Country Dances on first and third Thursdays

Houston Swing Dance Society

San Antonio Folk Dancers

Scottish Country Dancing

Texas International Folk Dancers (TIFD)

Links for ethnic dance resources:

Romanian Costumes

Dance notes and links to videos

Featured HIFD Videos

Dance Potpourri

Vintage  American dance

Dance Workshop  Bulgarian

News Story featuring HIFD Monday Night dancing which aired on Houston Public Radio 88.7 FM

About HIFD

Founded in 1947, HIFD is a not-for-profit (501c3) organization dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of ethnic dance from around the world. Primarily a recreational group that meets twice weekly, HIFD also stages folk dance performances for events and festivals throughout the calendar year. 

HIFD membership is open to all, and currently numbers about seventy-five, including a pool of approximately 20 dancers who are active in public performances. The group’s repertoire includes more than 300 dances from 39 countries, with emphasis on those of Europe, the Middle East, and Mediterranean areas. While some performances present a mixture of dances and costumes from various countries, others focus on a single ethnic theme.

Local folk dance teachers well-versed in many ethnic traditions provide teaching at the occasional HIFD folk dance workshops, in which participants can request what they would like to have taught or reviewed. In addition, our statewide counterpart, Texas International Folk Dancers, sponsors a four-day workshop each year during the Thanksgiving holidays, and the weekend-long San Antonio Folk Dance Festival in March at Spring Break. These give HIFD members even more exposure to internationally known folklorists, teachers and musicians. 

HIFD welcomes the opportunity to bring song, dance and music from other cultures to interested parties, and hopes that by so doing, we help preserve the uniqueness of the individual cultures as well as promote peace among all ethnicities.