Jim Gold at Mt Ararat
Jim Gold is the founder and president of Jim Gold International, and has inspired people through folk dance, music, travel, writing, and cultural exploration. A teacher, choreographer, classical guitarist, author, and international tour organizer, he has dedicated his life to helping people discover the world’s cultures—and themselves.
Jim’s passion for discovery, combined with his warmth, humor, and gift for storytelling, has made him one of the best-known figures in the international folk dance community. Through Jim Gold International, he has organized and led cultural tours throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and South America, introducing thousands of travelers to the music, dance, history, and everyday life of countries such as Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Croatia, Romania, Norway, Poland, Armenia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, India, Argentina, Peru, Spain, and many others.
A popular folk dance teacher and choreographer, Jim has taught throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, at dance camps, festivals, and workshops across North America. His welcoming teaching style encourages dancers of every level to learn with confidence, joy, and curiosity. For Jim, folk dancing is far more than learning steps—it is a gateway to friendship, culture, lifelong learning, and personal growth.
Jim is also an accomplished classical and folk guitarist whose performances combine classical guitar, international folk songs, storytelling, and spontaneous humor into an engaging and highly personal experience. Whether performing in concert, leading community celebrations, or bringing guests together in spirited horas and joyful reels, he creates an atmosphere of warmth, laughter, and connection.
Writing has been another lifelong passion. Jim is the author of thirteen books, including the five-volume New Leaf Journals, Mad Shoes, Carlos the Cloud, Handfuls of Air, Zany! An Entrepreneur’s Guide to the Next Universe, A Treasury of International Folk Dances: A Step-by-Step Guide, and his acclaimed trilogy Dancing Through Covid, Dancing Out of Covid, and Dancing Beyond Covid, and latest book: Running Wild on the Lawn. His books reflect the same qualities that define his teaching and travel: imagination, humor, curiosity, and an enduring fascination with the creative life.
Jim graduated from New York City’s High School of Music & Art as a violinist. He studied at the University of Rochester and the Eastman School of Music, spent a year at the University of Aix-en-Provence in southern France, earned his B.A. in History from the University of Chicago, and later received his M.A. in Music from New York University.
Whether leading a cultural tour, teaching a dance, performing music, or writing a book, Jim Gold continues to invite others into a larger world—one filled with curiosity, creativity, friendship, and the joy of discovery.
*Florida Folk Dancer article (page 11) by Terry Abrahams: Jim Gold Beginnings Florida Folk Dancer
* Interview with Terry Abrahams: Jim Gold Folk Dance Choreography
Welcome to Jim Gold’s Books
Welcome to Jim Gold’s classical guitar, songs, and stories
