2012 - Stockton Folk Dance Camp

Cristian Florescu and Sonia Dion (Romanian)
Cristian Florescu was born in Bucharest, Romania.
He started dancing in 1982 with different Romanian folk
ensembles and studied with various specialists, including
Theodor Vasilescu. Cristian was principal dancer with the
National Ensemble Cununa Carpatilor. In 1990-91, he
received his certificate as a recognized solo dancer and
choreographer in the field of folklore from the Romanian
Ministry of Culture and the ACAFR. In 1993, he joined Les
Sortilèges, a professional folk dance company based in
Montreal, as a dancer, teacher, rehearsal director and
choreographer. During his time in Canada, Cristian has
acquired multiple skills in various dance forms, including modern dance, ballroom, jazz and tap, as well
as French-Canadian and Irish step dancing.
Sonia Dion was born in Quebec and has been a professional dancer for over 20 years. She was
lead dancer and choreographer for Les Sortilèges dance company, Canada’s oldest folk dance ensemble,
with whom she developed several new productions. Sonia has toured worldwide and has been exposed
to a wide range of dance techniques including Romanian folk dance, Scottish Highland dancing, French-
Canadian step dance and ballroom dance.
In recent years, Cristian and Sonia have developed a specific interest in working with recreational folk
dance groups in Canada and the United States to share their love of Romanian folk traditions. They have
taught workshops in Canada and the United States and choreographed Romanian suites for performing
groups, including the world-renowned BYU Folk Dance Ensemble in Utah. In 2006, they did a teaching
tour of Taiwan and Japan.
Christian and Sonia’s prior appearances at Stockton were in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2010, the last
of which had the special distinction of featuring their wedding as part of camp.
Miroslav “Bata” Marčetić (Serbian)
Miroslav “Bata” Marčetić, a native of Pančevo, Serbia, was a leading
performer, soloist and choreographer with the Serbian National Folk
Ansembl Kolo in Belgrade, Serbia, and Montenegro (former Yugoslavia) for
17 years and is the recipient of several awards for his artistic work. He has
been an instructor at workshops held in the former Yugoslavia, Japan, Israel,
and most recently in Canada and the United States. Bata has created many
choreographies which have won either first or second prizes in competitions,
both in the former Yugoslavia and Canada. Under his direction, many
ensembles have won artistic awards.
In Ontario, Canada, Bata works in several dance associations and ensembles,
including Kralj Petar II since 1993 and Serbian Club Kordun since 2004. He
worked in S.C.A. Oplenac in Mississauga from 1993-2004, and in Folk Dance Ensemble Hajduk Veljko
in Toronto from 1999-2006. In 2004 he established his own school of dance in Mississauga, the
Academy of Serbian Folk Dancing, which has more than 300 dancers of all ages, has its own musicians,
and has won numerous awards.
Bata also works in the international folk dance community teaching Serbian and East European
dances. For example, in February 2011 he taught at the Laguna Festival in Southern California and in
November 2011 at the 60th Annual Kolo Festival in San Francisco. He has devoted his entire
professional career to the preservation and perpetuation of folklore and dance.
STOCKTON FOLK DANCE CAMP – 2012 – FINAL – 08/07/2012