Learn something new. Check out the many opportunities available in Santa Fe to explore a path, develop a skill, speak a new language or delve into a new meditation. If you're planning a special seminar, lecture series or workshop, submit it to the calendar by clicking here.   If you want to add your class or make changes to your present listing, send an e-mail to service@sfnewmexican.com.

Look for classes offered at the Española Fiber Arts Center at the bottom of this directory.


Ageless wisdom: A study and discussion group begins meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. on alternating Thursdays. Emphasis will be on the Alice Bailey books. For more information, call Beckey at 505-473-7774.

Chi-lel Qigong Self-Healing Art:  Free practice sessions, Eldorado practices, 9-10 a.m. Saturday, Eldorado Community Center. Call 438-6258.

Ballet: Classical ballet classes taught by former principal dancer Craig Srebnik. Classes include a complete barre exercise routine; stretching and floor combinations, turns and jumps; the mechanics of ballet movements and proper alignment; musicality; and artistic expression. Through the barre exercises and dance combinations, students also build strength, stamina, suppleness, balance, coordination, grace and poise. Open to dancers of all levels, including beginners. 505-990-6417 or Web site at SantaFeBallet.com
SantaFeBallet.com.

Belly Dance Class: Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m. No previous experience necessary. Chamisa Elementary School Music Room, Los Alamos. Call 662-3100.

Contra Dance: Traditional New England folk dance at 8 p.m., with live music every second and fourth Saturday. Beginners welcome, no partner necessary. Beginners instruction is at 7:30 p.m. at Odd Fellows Hall, 1125 Cerrillos Road. Cost is $6. Call 983-5832.

Dance Station: Free classes in all styles of social dancing — Salsa, country Western, Swing and Tango at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and 4:15 p.m. on Saturdays. No partner or previous dance experience necessary. The Dance Station is at 901 W. Alameda St., in the Solana Shopping Center. Call 989-9788.

International Folk Dancing:  Mostly Balkan, also Greek, Israeli, Middle Eastern line (not belly) and New Mexican dances. Beginners welcome, no partners needed. Tuesdays: teaching from 7-8 pm, dancing from 8-10 pm. Sundays: teaching, especially for beginners, 6:30 - 8 pm followed by Israeli folk dancing 8 to 10 pm. Casual dress - please bring non-stick, non-marking shoes. Cost is $5. Location: Odd Fellows Hall, 1125 Cerrillos Road, Contact SantaFe.folkdance@gmail.com, tel. 505.501.5081 or 505.983.3168. Web site is www. santafe.folkdance.googlepages.com/sfifd_home

Los Alamos Scottish Dancing:  Mondays, Fuller Lodge, across from Ashley Pond, downtown Los Alamos. Instruction at 7:30 p.m. General dancing at 8:45 p.m. Cost is $20 per semester. Call 662-7573 or 662-3476.

Swing Dance Practice: Odd Fellows Hall, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Cost is $3. Call 473-0955.

Rebekah Lodge: Swing dance every first Saturday. Lessons from 8-9 p.m. Dance from 9-11 p.m. Odd Fellows Hall, 1125 Cerrillos Road. Cost is $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Call 983-7493.

Salsa Dance Class: From 7 to 8 p.m. (Level 1) and from 8 to 9 p.m. (Level 2) on Tuesdays at Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, 550-B St. Michael’s Drive Suite, No. 1. cost is $10 per class. Send e-mail to ahous@cybermesa.com, visit the Web site atwwww.SalsaSuaveOnline.com or call 505-204-2988.

German

German-language Conversation Group: A German language conversation group for fluent German speakers, no beginners, every other Monday (5-6:30p.m.) at the Emanuel Lutheran Church, Barcelona Street.  Please call Eliza at 474-5846 for next meeting. 

German Sing-alongs: Learn German easily. Practice or just listen to German in a relaxed, fun atmosphere-sharing Volkslieder ( with lyrics on DVD) and short stories. Singing voice or grammar not required. Free. For information, send an e-mail to marlieslersch@hotmail.com or call 466-8855.

Impact Personal Safety: A nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the cycle of violence by teaching awareness, violence prevention, personal safety and self-defense skills to adults and children. Classes are offered for children and teenagers. For more information, visit the Web site at www.IMPACTPersonalSafety.org or call 992-8833.

Judo Lessons: The Northern New Mexico Judo Club has classes in Judo and Jujitsu at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays at 3208 Richards Lane. The first three lessons are free. Call 473-4000.

Santa Fe Kabbalah Study Group: Contact Steve Russell, the group tutor, at 466-3137.

Ki Aikido: Gentle martial art for self-defense and self-awareness for adults and teenagers. All levels are welcome at this nonprofit club that has affordable dues and black-belt instructor. Practice is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Call the Santa Fe Ki Society, 474-8531.

Gay Bones: A free gay and gay-men friends "readin', writin' and ruminatin' " group is forming. For those interested in dialogue and literary exploration, send e-mail to earthwalks1@yahoo.com or call 988-4157.

Labyrinth Resource Group: Sponsors monthly labyrinth walks. Visit Web site at www.LRG-SantaFe@comcast.net.

El Dorado Community Band: Rehearsal from 7-8:30 p.m. every Thursday. Call 466-4257 or 466-1459.

Santa Fe Concert Band: Open to all musicians high-school level and above. Bring your instruments, music stand and enthusiasm. Salvation Army Hall, 525 W. Alameda St. Rehearsals ongoing Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Saxophones and clarinets especially welcome. Call 988-2550.

Santa Fe Harmonizers:  Four-part harmony singing and men's a cappella group, Zia Methodist Church, 303 Richards Ave., Mondays, 7 p.m. Visitors and new members welcome. Call 983-1981.

Nia Technique: Classes meet regularly — seven days a week — at StudioNia Santa Fe, 851 W. San Mateo Road.  Nia is a fusion of martial arts, dance arts and healing arts.  For more information and schedule, visit www.studioniasantafe.com or call 989-1299.

Santa Fe Score:  Expand its free small business and nonprofit counseling services to a second location in the growing area south of downtown at the Santa Fe Business Incubator offices. SCORE counseling is offered from 9 a.m. until noon on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. SCORE is a national nonprofit organization that provides counseling, mentoring and training to small business and nonprofit organizations free of charge. SCORE counselors have expertise in a variety of business practices, both as generalists and specialists. For a free confidential SCORE counseling appointment or for more information, call 988-6302.

For children and youth: Maria Benitez Institute for Spanish Arts offers Ongoing Classes in Flamenco and Spanish Dance amd Guitar For Children and Youth at ISA Studio in the Armory for the Arts, 1050 Old Pecos Trail Wednesdays and Saturdays. Call 955-8562 for more information, or visit the Web site www.mariabenitez.com. Scholarships available.


Becoming a storyteller: Practice storytelling in a supportive and stimulating group from 7 to 9 p.m. on the last Monday of the month. Call 988-2583.

Tai chi Swordplay: Fun soft-sword fencing. Teens through seniors. Center for Classic Tai Chi Chuan. Free Saturday mornings. Call 466-0750.

Theosophical Society Study Group: Meeting times at 2 p.m. on the first and third Sunday each month. The group is reading Teachings on Discipleship/As Outlined in the Mahatma Letters by S.S. Varma. The Theosophical Society is dedicated to the comparative study of religion, philosophy, and science; to fostering religious and racial harmony without distinction of race, sex, color, or creed; and to viewing each religion as an expression of divine wisdom adapted to the particular time and place. The theosophical tradition affirms that we live in a purposeful universe; that there is a guiding intelligence at the heart of the universe;  and that all things are interrelated. For more information, or to visit the Theosophical Study Group, send an e-mail to genaroandcat@gmail.com or call Gene at 986-9034.

Shakti Whole Life Center: 1505 Llano St. Free community service kundalini yoga from 5 to 7 a.m. Sundays. Visit the Web site at www.yogasantafe.com or call 982-6369.

Yoga Classes for Seniors:  Two classes: "Inspire the Voice Within" and "Yoga with Frea Rosen" at the Kingston Residence, 2400 Legacy Court, from 11 a.m. to noon. Call 471-2400.

YOGA: From 9 to 10:15 a.m., on Tuesday and Thursday and from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday at Eldorado Community Center, moderate all-levels class. Call 466-1657.

All of these classes require pre-registration except the Free Friday Talks.  Call 505-747-3577 or email education@ evfac.org <http://evfac.org>  to register.  http://www.evfac.org/classes.html for more information.
DOUBLE DIVERSITY with Jennifer Moore - $215; $10 materials fee.
Learn all about the magic of doubleweave!  In this workshop, participants will weave a sampler that explores weaving two independent layers of cloth, double-width cloth, tubular weaving, color-and-weave effects, pique, quilting and doubleweave pick-up.  Graphing designs and working with multiple colors will be introduced.  These techniques can then be taken home to create clothing, sculptural pieces, decorative hangings and whatever else the imagination can dream of.   Jennifer Moore received her MFA in Fibers from the U of Oregon, where her area of specialization was exploring mathematical patterns and structures of music in doubleweave wall hangings.  She exhibits throughout the country and overseas and has received numerous awards for her work. 
Friday – Sunday, July 22, 23 and 24; 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
 
Free Friday Talk
Marketing 101 - Do Your Homework, July 29, 6:00-7:00 PM
Gerry Cerf  has 25 years of experience in the home furnishings industry.  She served as VP of Design & Marketing for textile designer and weaver, Jack Lenor Larsen in New York; established and ran a U.S. sales and marketing company for a Swiss bed linen manufacturer in New York; and in the last 5 years, established her own company (Gerry Cerf Home) marketing bed linen from Germany and Switzerland to high end linen stores and designers.
In her talk, Gerry will present an overview of her experience in the textile industry and talk about her work in the studio of Jack Lenor Larsen, master weaver.  She’ll also give tips on how to stay abreast of color and design trends, the importance of knowing your customer and telling your own story—e-commerce.  She’ll follow up with a presentation of fabrics and knowing what’s hot and what’s not!   The two companies Gerry represents are www.luiz.com <http://www.luiz.com/> and www.fischbacher.com <http://www.fischbacher.com/> .
 
MIX IT UP! WARP & WEFT BLENDING CLASS w Trish Spillman - $150, materials extra.
This class will emphasize unusual yarns. We will each design and wind one warp approximately 4 yards long. We’ll learn to create a lively warp that blends unexpected colors, textures, and fiber contents, using our own “stash” of threads and/or yarn available at the Center. Students can make two scarves using different weft yarns, or explore yet other ways to experiment and “mix it up.” Trish Spillman is EVFAC’s founder and a longtime, enthusiastic hand weaver and teacher. She has never met a loom she didn’t like, and her love of experimentation in the fiber arts is positively contagious!
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, July 29, 30 & 31, 12:00-5:00 PM
 
August
Free Friday Talk Introduction to Color Principles, August 5, 6:00-7:00 PM
Barbara Arlen studied color theory and painting with John Opper (a student of Josef Albers) at NYU.  She facilitates the Color Certificate at the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Center for Professional Studies and teaches several color courses and workshops.  She is a global home fashion design consultant for textiles, new products and sourcing.  Barbara has consulted for long periods in India, Korea and China both commercially and with artisans.
Discover the aesthetics and love of color taught at the Bauhaus and practiced today in a visual lecture to introduce Color Principles. Teachers and painters Josef Albers, Paul Klee and Johannes Itten influenced many generations of artists, fiber artists and craftspeople with their teaching techniques. We will see and hear about their color concepts and theories and how we can learn from them.
 
COLOR PRINCIPLES with Barbara Arlen - $150; $50 materials fee.
Learn the color principles of Bauhaus Masters including Albers, Klee and Itten.  This color workshop will be one of personal and creative discovery rather than just theory.  Students will go through a series of exercises using screen printed colored papers and collage techniques. Participants will learn the dynamics and interaction of colors and how to see color with a different awareness.  This is for all fiber artists and color lovers.  Any skill level is appropriate – love of color is the pre-requisite.  Learn how to use color in practical applications.  See Free Friday Talks description above for teacher bio.
Saturday & Sunday, Aug. 6 & 7; 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM.
WET FELTING FOR BEGINNERS with Lise Poulsen - $70; $10 materials fee.
Felting is the hot new trend in fiber arts. In this introductory workshop, you’ll learn the principles of felting, including what fibers to use, how to turn wool into felt, and you’ll come away with at least one beautiful felted piece.  No experience necessary.  This class is recommended before you take classes in more advanced felting techniques (e.g. hat-making, sculptural felting, etc.)  Lise Poulson comes from several generations of knitters and tatters from London, England.  She has been felting for over ten years, and is a skilled paper and book maker.
Saturday, August 13th,  9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
 
RIO GRANDE STYLE WEAVING with Karen Martinez - $392.00; materials extra.
UPDATE—This 8 week class (Mondays & Wednesdays  from 8:30AM-2:30PM) will be held  August 19th through October 19th.  Students must register directly through Northern New Mexico College; call Cecilia Romero to register at 575-581-4117. Karen will cover the  shuttle techniques of Wave, Double Shot, Beading, and Pick and Pick, plus how to draft and weave several Dovetail patterns.  Sign up soon - space will be limited! EVFAC is very pleased to welcome back Karen Martinez as a teacher.  Registration is through NNMC’s Continuing Education, but classes will be held at EVFAC.
Mondays & Wednesdays, August 19 - October 19, 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM
INCREASING YOUR LOOM POWER:  Finding your inner mechanic! with Ted Hallman - $80
Back by popular demand, Ted Hallman will offer this one  day workshop.  Topics will include: 1. Loom types  2. Tightening, balancing, increasing the shed, the race plate  3. Treadle adjustments: walking, treadling, direct ties,  converting drafts/counterbalance to jack. 4.  Warp information: appropriate warp and weft yarn, warp takeup and weft shrinkage.  5.  A brief discussion of warping techniques. Your body comfort will be considered as you get under and inside the loom.   Bring your questions,  work clothes and gloves.  This class is appropriate for anyone who owns a loom or is considering buying one – really, appropriate for anyone who weaves!  (Bring a lunch!) 
Saturday, August 20th; 10 AM - 4:30 PM
FROM BATTS TO HATS with Nancy Crowley - $150; $50 materials fee.
Learn the step-by-step processes needed to create a hat (Western, Fedora, Gambler, Downtowner, Classic Dom, Amish Dress, Padre, etc.) from batts of alpaca, including wet felting, moving from shaping dome to chosen hat form, and through all the professional finishing techniques plus a basic hat band!  Students with no wet felting experience will benefit from taking Lise Poulsen’s Wet Felting class on Saturday, Aug. 13, although this is not necessary.  Basic hand sewing skills needed.  Hat forms will be available for purchase, but notrequired for the class.  Students must register by Friday, Aug. 5 for this class because instructor needs 2 weeks to order correct hat forms for class.  (Teacher will have extra hat forms for last minute sign-ups.)
Nancy Crowley says that fiber arts have been a big part of her life since her early 20’s.  From sewing, smocking, embroidery, quilting, knitting, spinning, appliqué and now felting, she has practiced them all.  About 3 years ago she got interested in wet felting and started to raise alpacas.  After numerous tries at hatmaking techniques, she came up with “Batt to Hat”, a method that results in a very professional looking structured felted hat with a smooth finish that can hold its shape. She lives in Madera Canyon, AZ along with her husband, four dogs, four cats and twelve alpacas. 
Saturday & Sunday, August 20 & 21; 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
 
BEGINNING WEAVING ON THE CRICKET RIGID HEDDLE LOOM with Trish Spillman – $90; materials extra.
Learn to weave on Schacht’s sturdy, portable, and user-friendly Cricket rigid heddle loom. Trish will lead you through the basics of selecting yarns, dressing the loom, weaving a piece, and removing it, with tips for easy finishing techniques. Bring yarns you’d like to weave with or come early and buy a small amount of yarn at EVFAC. This class is for those new to weaving, or those who have done some weaving and want to explore the rigid heddle. Note: if you wish to purchase the loom, please make arrangements to acquire and assemble your loom before the first class meeting.  A limited number of looms available for class rental.  Tues., Weds., & Thurs., August 23, 24 & 25, 5:30-8:30 PM
COLCHA EMBROIDERY with Beatrice Maestas Sandoval - $70, materials extra.
Textile enthusiasts use the word colcha to identify an embroidery stitch or a finished piece of embroidery in which the colcha stitch is extensively employed. Sabanilla labrada, or wool-on-wool colcha embroidery work, is distinct because it may be one of the few textiles developed in New Mexico during the Spanish colonial period. Join us at EVFAC to learn the basic colcha stitch and absorb the history of this uniquely New Mexican fiber art tradition from one of its master practitioners. Yarns for class are supplied, and you can purchase colcha yarn and for a future project at EVFAC. Making her home in Las Vegas, NM, Beatrice is an accomplished spinner, dyer, weaver, embroiderer, and tinsmith whose work has won many prestigious awards. She is passionate about preserving New Mexico’s fiber traditions, and her warm and encouraging teaching style has made her a favorite with many EVFAC students.
Saturday, August 27, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
 
RAG RUG WEAVING with Sandy Voss - $210; materials extra.
Rag rug weaving is a time-honored traditional craft that has been practiced throughout the world for eons. Delve into this noble tradition with professional rag weaver Sandy Voss in this 3-day rag-weaving extravaganza. This is a wonderful opportunity to create rugs with the help of a teacher who has a practiced eye for what makes a rag rug both beautiful and durable. You can expect to come home with 2 to 5 finished pieces, using weft materials of your choosing. Bring precut rags (or buy them here at EVFAC) and/or fabric you’d like to use to cut up in class. While beginning-level weavers are welcome, students do need to have looms warped ahead of time. Sandy Voss is an extremely prolific and successful handweaver who has been weaving and selling rag rugs for more than 30 years.
Friday-Sunday, August 26, 27 & 28; 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.

September

Free Friday Talk   Woven Shibori, September 9, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Dottie Weir studied at the University of Hartford, Connecticut;  the Hartford Museum of Art, and the California Institute of Arts in Valencia, California.  Her studies have been with a variety of well-known teachers and artists.  Her love of weaving, spinning and dyeing resulted in abandoning a successful interior design business so she could weave, teach and study.
Weavers have the unique opportunity to design every aspect of cloth to be used for surface design, from the thread choice, the fabric density, to the woven structure and finishing process. Weavers are often hesitant to alter or work with the cloth after its woven, instead accepting the finished piece as it comes from the loom. However, the possibilities of applying dyes, paints, resists or other finishing processes to the cloth reveal opportunities to personalize the fabric and set it apart. This power point will explore the use of woven shibori to create beautiful, unique pieces, either for clothing, wall art, or pieces for the home. We will explore Inspiration, Weaving, Shaping (dimensional texture), Dyes and Dyeing, Designing the “Layers” and Design Concepts.
 
MIDORI ORI: "SHIBORI ON THE LOOM” Part I with Dottie Weir - $235; $10 materials fee.
An introduction to the ancient art of “Shibori” - you will create a one-of-a-kind permanently pleated scarf.  Learn how to weave woven weft shibori, dye paint with procion MX fiber reactive dyes and permanently pleat your scarf.  Woven shibori uses the loom to make fabric as well as to make a resist for dyeing or shaping.  It is a true joining together of weaving and surface design.  Participants will use a variety of woven structures to weave their scarves. After the cloth is woven, we will explore ways in which the woven image can be applied to the cloth by dyeing and shaping.  Woven shibori introduces the hand weaver to unlimited possibilities for designing.  Students must be able to warp and thread a loom and weave a simple project. See Free Friday Talk description above for teacher bio. 
Saturday, Sunday & Monday, September 10, 11 & 12;  9:30 AM - 4:30 PM.


COLOR GRADATION TECHNIQUES FOR TAPESTRY  with Rebecca Mezoff - $200; $25 materials fee.
In this three-day class, students will weave a small  sampler exploring color gradation techniques in  contemporary tapestry.  You will learn different forms of  hatching and hachure along with various methods of  grading color in every direction.  Color mixing techniques  along with some color theory will be investigated.  Handdyed wool yarn in a large range of hues suitable for  gradation will be provided.   Basic knowledge of tapestry  weaving is recommended, a desire to learn and have a  great time is a requirement! Students will need to warp  their loom before the class begins.  Instructions will be  sent out the week before.  Rebecca Mezoff was a  student and apprentice of James Koehler for 6 years; as  part of this class she will offer a presentation about their  Bauhaus project which included his last shows, photos of  some of his work as it relates to color gradation  techniques, and discussion about how James used the  gradation techniques you will be  studying in his  work.  James was an avid supporter of EVFAC and this  class is offered by Rebecca as a benefit for the center  with all proceeds going to help EVFAC keep its doors open.
Friday-Sunday, September 16-18; 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
DOUBLE WINE BASKET CLASS with Irene Smith - $70;  $20 materials fee.
In this unusual variation on the basic market basket, you’ll create a lovely, functional basket that carries two bottles of wine in style, and with the basket’s woven-in divider, safely. You’ll have the option of weaving in a decorative color border or leaving your basket “au naturel”. Pre-requisite: must have made a market basket. See Egg/Melon Basket description above for teacher bio.  
Saturday, September 17; 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
 
NATURAL DYEING WORKSHOP with Robin Reider - $125; $25 materials fee.
Students will dye wool using local plants, including onion skins, marigolds, chamisa, & cota.  Imported plant dyes such as indigo, madder root, cochineal, brasilwood, and logwood will complete the color range.  Students will create a recipe file, learn to use alum mordant to fix the color and additives to change the colors.  Students will leave with about 5 pounds of dyed wool and an understanding of the dye process from start to finish.   Wool can be purchased from instructor (in 3 shades of white and 3 shades of grey – 3 ply/113 gr. per 4 oz. skein) or brought from home in 4 oz. skeins.  **Class will be held at instructor’s house. Recently returned from Africa & South America, Robin has won numerous awards for her tapestries using hand-dyed yarns. 
Saturday & Sunday, September 24 & 25; 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.