Following is the history of KDI from 1953-1975 written by M.G. Karsner, reprinted with permission from Betty Casey’s book “International Folk Dancing”.

Kentucky Dance Institute

by M. G. Karsner

 The Kentucky Dance Institute [KDI] was begun in 1953. There have been many changes during the first twenty-five years. Only one thing has not changed— the philosophy that has dictated the type of program used from the very beginning. It was, and is, to develop more and belter folk dance leaders.

Predating KDI, a New Jersey lawyer named Charley Thomas edited the first American Squares magazine and directed the first American Squares camps. This hobby gradually consumed more and more of Charley’s time until, in April 1952, he found it necessary to pass the editorship of the magazine to Rickey Holden of San Antonio. Texas.

In 1953 Rickey and (the late) Frank Kaltman, at the time the folk dance and music director for Folkraft Records, arranged and conducted four dance camps to complement the last camp conducted by Charley Thomas at Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee. One of the four, held at Branchville, New Jersey, was known as the Stokes Forest Summer Dance School. The faculty for these four camps included Rickey and Frank, with Olga Kulbitsky serving on three camps and Vyts Beliajus and Harold Harton joining the other three for the Stokes Forest Camp. One of the participants at Stokes Forest Camp was Shirley Durham.

By 1954 only the Stokes Forest Camp remained of the four held in 1953 and Charley Thomas failed to schedule any camps anywhere. To keep a camp in the South (and because of Shirley’s influence), Frank Kaltman came to Kentucky to arrange for the first KDI, a joint venture sponsored by the University of Kentucky, Lee’s Junior College, and Folkraft Records. It was held at Lee’s Junior College as a ten-day camp, August 3-13, at a cost of seventy dollars per dancer.

The staff of this first KDI included Frank Kaltman (director), Vyts Beliajus, Shirley Durham, Harold Harton, Rickey Holden,  M. G. Karsner, and Edna Ritchie. The program consisted of much that is included in present KDI offerings: squares, contras, rounds, international dances, calling techniques, teaching techniques, basics of folk dancing, recreation leadership, dancing for children, singing, folklore, and history. Although non leaders were welcome, the purpose of the camp was to develop more and better leaders of folk dancing. Contrary to the belief of today’s western square dancers, folk dance is not a minor part of their activity. Square dancing was an integral part of the folk dance scene. Western square dance was only on the drawing boards at this date.

Some outstanding remembrances: Everyone at tended and participated in every scheduled session. There were no duplicate classes, so there were no crises over choice of material. Readiness to learn and to accept any phase of the program was manifested by all. No teaching or dancing in rat race style. Many wonderful new friendships were formed; some are still going strong, some were sadly terminated by death. Facilities for dancing were terrible in that there was no air conditioning, but it was a good wood floor. Food was adequate in quality and inadequate in quantity. Rosters of those attending were not distributed, but my memory seems to recall between thirty and thirty-five participants in addition to the teaching faculty.

In 1955 KDI consisted of two one-week sessions (August 22-7 and August 29-September 3). held at the Hazel Green Academy, Hazel Green, Kentucky. The faculty was a repeat of 1954. The number of participants was greater than in 1954 but was still not sufficient to prevent the camp from operating in the red. The camp was subsidized for many years by Folkraft Records and the Dance Record Center, both then owned by Frank Kaltman.

In 1956 the length of the camp was reduced from two weeks to one week and was moved to Sue Bennett College, London, Kentucky. In 1957 KDI returned to Hazel Green Academy for the week of August 18- 25. with a staff consisting of Kaltman, Beliajus, Durham, Kulbitsky, and Jerry Hell, who led the square dancing in the absence of Rickey Holden.

Rickey was absent due to the fact that he was in Europe researching traditional dances and collecting music for future record distribution by Folkraft Records. A list of sixty-three participants and staff members was made available for the first time.

Rickey had laid such a good groundwork in 1953 that Frank Kaltman, director of the first four KDIs, personally felt compelled to make further plans for producing and distributing traditional folk dance mu sic and instructions on the Folkraft label. He went to Europe in 1953 for this purpose. Frank requested that this writer and Shirley run the 1958 KDI in his absence. The request was granted, with the stipulation that the change be made permanent. Thus began a second era of KDIs.

At this lime the success of the institute seemed assured, but the continual change in facilities the first four years indicated a need for a permanent home. Because of the co-operation and backing of President Adron Doran of Morehead State College, Morehead, Kentucky, and the availability of necessary facilities at the desired time, Morehead was selected as the site of the 1958 KDI and the hoped-for permanent home for future institutes.

Over the next several years, the facilities moved from building to building and one end of the campus to the other, depending upon the need of certain buildings for college activities and the renovation of others. Everyone in the college community was not as cooperative as President Doran; more than once the president intervened on behalf of KDI.

The permanent teaching staff for the first four years consisted of Vyts Beliajus, Shirley Durham, and M. G. Karsner. In 1962 a fourth member, Stew Shacklette, was added. Other members of the teaching faculty were added over the years, depending upon individual needs; they included: Edna Ritchie Baker, Millie Chrisman, Nancy DeMarco, Harold Harton, and. from Antwerp, Belgium, Huig Hofman, Rickey Holden, Jack Hunter, Arden Johnson, Bob Johnson. David Johnson. Walter Koegler, George Lowrey, Margaret Pantalone,  Pheane Ross. Al Schwinabart, and Paul-Andre Tetreault. Nonteaching staff members during this period included Lanadean Brown, Peggy Dunlap Sue Lucke, Ed Moody, and Nancy Rhea.

Since the Dance Record Center, which prepared the syllabi for the first four years, was no longer involved, the university printed and collated the syllabi from 1958 to 1966. Group pictures were taken for the first time and distributed to each family or individual. In 1959 sixty-eight participants plus staff attended. For the first time that same year we had air-conditioned comfort—but at the expense of giving up a good wooden floor. Parties in the lobby and private rooms continued well into the wee hours. Approximately sixty-seven dancers attended. Paul-Andre Tetreault and his French Canadian dances were featured at the I960 institute. “Kolomania” was beginning to make headway with many dancers and leaders who were willing to sacrifice a well-rounded program, for reasons they deemed valid, in order to overemphasize the place of line dances in the program. Some of these dancers desired to have request dancing for the evening parties. The philosophy at KDI had always been to schedule dances for the night party that had been taught in the day classes and the requested change was therefore denied.

Many dancers requested additional dance sessions. Specialization and overcrowding were beginning to raise their ugly heads. Because of the increase in cost for bed and board, the tuition for I960 had to be increased from sixty to sixty-six dollars. Seventy-five dancers attended in I960 and seventy-one in 1962 In 1962 Stew Shacklette became a permanent member of the staff and Huig Hofman joined KDI for the first of three appearances. Many of the dances he taught have become standbys in any good program.

In 1963 Paul-Andre Tetreault returned and Frank Kaltman was able to attend KDI for the first time since 1957. Eighty-three dancers attended and the tuition was raised another dollar to sixty-seven dollars The largest KDI, numbering 104 participants, opened the 1964 session. From an optimum number of 104 dancers the attendance abruptly dropped to 56 in 1965. At the same time tuition had to be raised again, this time to seventy-two dollars.

The first of three reunion weekends were held during the fall of 1967. The year 1968 was memorable for many reasons. For the first time the facilities were all located on the east side of the campus; Shirley first taught Likrat Shabit, now a KDI tradition; Ed Moody edited the first edition of the KDI Daily Bulletin and was instrumental in organizing the first scholarship auction. The first scholarship to KDI was awarded to Ellen Jump.

In 1969 Walter Koegler and George Lowrey joined the staff, and there were ninety dancers. The next year, 1970, was a year of confusion and inconvenience. Dancers were housed in Regent’s Hall, on the east end of the campus, and had to go all the way to the other end of the campus to dance and eat. Jack Hunter joined the staff. Millie Chrisman brought her organ and talents to lead the singing in the lobby after the evening parties. The third edition of the KDI publication became the Daily News. Eighty-five dancers paid seventy-nine dollars to attend the seventeenth KDI.

In 1971 seventy-nine dancers paid eighty dollars to enjoy the last year of the second era in the history of KDI. The next year this writer found it necessary to leave the staff of KDI. The position of co-director of KDI was reluctantly transferred to the most able Stew Shacklette, and the third era of KDI was begun. Three new names were added to the staff: Shirley Durham Fort, Ya’akov Eden, and Mae Fraley.

This writer returned to the faculty for the 1973, 1974, and 1975 camps. What a pleasure it is to teach without shouldering the burden of administering the program. For those who have never been in the position of running a dance camp, the work and detail involved cannot be comprehended. And the anxiety caused by the concern for each dancer during the week weighs heavily. What a relief it is when Saturday morning arrives, with many congratulations, sad good-byes, and hopefully no maimed or sick dancers. This writer hopes, and expects, that KDI will continue to improve and go on and on and on as it has during the first twenty-five years.