Richard "Rich" Duree, new to Sacramento in 1960, worked for the Department of Justice. A colleague invited him to go to a dance concert on a Sunday afternoon at the Memorial Auditorium. They were late, and the first thing he saw when they entered was a performance of the Ukrainian Hopak. It took his breath away because he knew that these were not professional dancers and that he could do that, too! Richard became "hooked

He'd been active in martial arts for many years and was very interested in human movement. That and the music made him an instant convert. He joined the Dionysian Dancers and performed with them for a couple of years, then joined Bruce Mitchell's Camtia Folk Ensemble and danced with them for several years. He also studied with Wee Steuber, who still is one of the best teachers he ever worked with, because she instilled in him a sense of value in folk dance.

In the late 1960s Richard enrolled in the Dance Program at San Francisco State University with Anatol Joukowsky and studied with him for two years, receiving his BA degree in Dance in 1969. Three years later, he enrolled in the graduate program in dance at Cal State University, Fullerton, and taught four undergraduate courses in folk dance there. After receiving his MA in Dance Ethnology, he taught dance and physical education as an Adjunct Associate Professor (for over 20 years).

Richard's other academic activities and interests include dance ethnology and history, folk arts, dance theater, dance technique, holistic approach to dance, fitness and health, multicultural education, instructional design, and curriculum development. He has taught fencing, bowling, outdoor recreation, fitness and aerobics, weight training, self-defense, firearms safety, personal defense, regional geography of Europe and North America, cultural geography, physical geography, and travel geography.

Richard and his lovely wife and dancing partner, Ruth Levin Duree, live in Southern California. With a dance background in physical education, theater, history, and anthropology, Richard and Ruth impart an in-depth knowledge of dance technique and an appreciation of dance history to their teaching.

Above is abridged from Richard Duree’s online biography: http://www.phantomranch.net/folkdanc/teachers/duree_r.htm