OUR HISTORY   - past to present.

 The Bay Osos Folk Dancers (BOFD) began in 1981 when SAM and SHIRLEY MEDNICK moved to Los Osos and started a folk dance class under the auspices of the "SLO Adult School".  They continued their very successful class until their retirement in 1996.  Sam & Shirley are beloved by all and brought many wonderful dances to BOFD community and to the greater SLO area. 
*2018 Update: our dear friend, Sam Mednick passed away in March, just days before his 103 birthday!   You'll always be our leader and inspiration.  -much love, and godsspeed!
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Shortly after the Mednicks retired from the group in 1996, ANNE TIBER had just moved to Los Osos and was approached by Karen O'Grady to lead the group.  With Sam & Shirley's help and  encouragement, Anne (who had run her own successful folk dance classes in Los Angeles) restarted the BOFD classes here in Los Osos with a sponsorship by the SLO Adult school, and in 2004 the group's sponsorship changed to the South Bay Community Center.. and the rest, as they say.. is history!  Ann, led this group very successfully for 18 years as it's sole leader.  She continues now as the heart of the group, and its BOFD Club Coordinator.
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JEAN WHEELER discovered and began dancing in Long Beach, California where she taught  Geography at California State University Long Beach.  She danced with the Narodni dancers there until she moved to Los Osos in 2003. Jean began teaching in Santa Maria, taking over the late Audrey Silva's folk dance class at the Parks and Rec... then discovered there was dancing in Los Osos after a chance encounter with folk dancers at an event at the Red School House.  In 2014, Jean began leading and teaching the class started by Anne Tiber, and became leader of the Scottish Country classes.  Jean is currently on hiatus from teaching, but still very involved dancing with both the BOFD and the SCD classes.
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ANNE ASCHMANN has always loved to dance, enjoying a wide range of dance genres.  Having lived in South Africa for a great portion of her life, she danced socially, enjoying particularly ballroom dancing and several traditional South African Afrikaans dances. In 1997 her family relocated to the United States.  In 2003 they had the privilege of moving to the central coast of California.  In the same year she felt very fortunate to discover the BOFD class, through it's leader at the time, Anne Tiber... and she's been dancing with the group ever since!  Anne Aschmann is also part of the Scottish Country Dance and Line Dance classes (which precedes BOFD class each Tuesday) since their inception.  In November 2017, Anne took over for Jean Wheeler as it's main leader and teacher, and her wish is to continue enjoying dancing with all three groups for many years to come.  Viva la dance!
Video of those early folk dance classes with Sam & Shirley
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*BILLY BURKE moved to Los Osos in 2016, and quickly became a contributing dance teacher during the International hour of the BOFD.  In March 2017 he was made leader of the BOFD, and is honored to be part of this long-standing community and folk dance club.   Billy brings with him many years of experience in Balkan and International Dance.  A dancer since age 4 in his mother's folk dance classes, Billy has been a long time attendee and director of Mendocino Folklore Camp, lead dancer, director & performer in the AMAN International Folk Ensemble in Los Angeles, Artistic Director Kolo Club's Youth Group at St. Anthony's Croatian Church in Los Angeles, AND their adult club dance teacher. A featured teacher at Kolo Festival in San Francisco, Mendocino Folklore Camp, Camp Hess Kramer , Statewide Folk Dance Festival, Buffalo Gap Camp, Northwest Balkan Festival, TAA's Tamburitza Extravaganza (Pittsburgh, Reno, and LA) and numerous Universities around the USA and Canada. His "day job" was teaching middle school age kids traditional, recreational dance (folk dance) for 37 years in the Los Angeles School District (recently retired).  Billy has many accolades, awards and articles attributed to his years of dance, teaching and performing.  He has published a book teaching other teachers how to infuse the art of ethnic dance into their classrooms.   
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AMAN performance - Rugavo
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Classroom Dance Instruction
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Folk Dance Workshops
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CAROLYN LEMOS started folk dancing in 1950 at the age of 13, tagging along with her parents to dance classes and festivals.  But soon folk dancing got into her blood (totally hooked!) and she's been folk dancing ever since!  Her family danced in Fresno for years with the Central Valley Folkdancers, and they attended many folk dance events and festivals, as far away as San Diego.  Carolyn, also won a scholarship to to Stockton Folk Dance Camp and got to attend Kolo Festival in San Francisco once--it was a great experience for her!   In 2000, she moved to Los Osos and was invited to line dance for the first time with a group from her local mobile home park.  Then some of the ladies wanted her to start a regular American Line Dance class... but where?  Carolyn met with Anne Tiber, head of BOFD,  to see if this new class might be part of her Tuesday folk dance line-up, already well established at the South Bay Community Center.  Well, since Carolyn had the music and a few ready participants... Anne gave her the go ahead and this well loved class has been going strong ever since.
BOFD Club:
*Billy Burke (Program Leader)
Anne Tiber (Coordinator)
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BOFD Club Teachers:
Carolyn Lemos (American Line Dance )
(Swing, Ballroom , Country, Hip Hop, Jazz, top 40, Hustle)
Anne Aschmann (Scottish Country Dances)
(Sets - Individuals welcome, you do NOT need a partner)
Billy Burke (Balkan, Latin & International)
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Additional Volunteer Teaching Contributors:
Tali Freed (Israeli)
Jane Hehnke (Balkan / International)
Anne Tiber (European / International)
Glynis Tinglof (Balkan/Bulgarian)
Joy Tuman (Israeli / European)
Jean Wheeler (Scottish Country)