Benoit Bourque presents dance workshop

The Bates Dance Festival presents a French- Canadian Step Dancing Workshop with Benoit Bourque, renowned Quebecois step dancer and musician, July 28 at 7:30 p.m. in Chase Hall. Admissions is $5, and the fun-filled workshop is open to all levels of experience.

Energetic and enthusiastic, the Montreal-based Bourque is a musician and dancer who has been thrilling audiences for 25 years. Known as an expert step dancer, caller and bones player, Bourque also plays guitar, accordion, recorder and mandolin. Performing first as a member of the famed ensemble Eritage, he later performed and taught extensively throughout the United States and Canada, made many appearances on television and radio and produced five recordings plus a cassette and book aimed at teaching French-Canadian step dancing. Bourque has won prizes from the Moscow International Folk Dance Festival and Kolobrzeg Folk Festival in Poland. He currently tours and performs with Gaston Bernard and Simon LePage.