<< Back 7/24/02 Folkmoot and the language of love By Cristina Reitz As inevitable as visa problems and as sure to happen as the annual Gala are Folkmoot romances. Guides will fall for performers, performers for other performers and guides for guides. Put all those young people together for two weeks and magic of the romantic kind is bound to happen. In fact, it’s practically impossible not to find someone to be attracted to at the festival. For most people, these romances turn out to be nothing more than bittersweet affairs that end as soon as the groups get on the buses to go home. For some, though, the Folkmoot fling turns into a life-long commitment. Georgiana Wenzel had been teaching dance for three years at the school in Romania from which she graduated when the director of the academy started a folkdance group and invited her to be a choreographer. A year later, the group was invited to be a part of Folkmoot. Georgiana had helped recruit and train the dancers who would be traveling to America, but she was still surprised — and a bit nervous — when the director told her she would be going too. “I was a little bit afraid of Americans,” admitted Georgiana. “I thought they all were cowboys and gangsters.” The initial shock of being asked to go with the group gave way to more surprises. Originally from Transylvania County, Romania, Georgiana was amazed to see a Transylvania County in North Carolina, especially since its mountainous terrain looked almost exactly like her home. She was also pleased to discover that the small-town atmosphere of Folkmoot provided a safer environment than she’d envisioned. The biggest surprise of all, though, was meeting and falling in love with her future husband. Chris Wenzel had been involved with Folkmoot since its beginning, first as a volunteer and then as a guide. As a French major in college, he was usually paired with French-speaking groups. In 1991, though, there was no such group, so he became a guide for Romania. Despite language barriers — Georgiana only knew a little French from ballet terminology and hardly any English — the two managed to get to know each other. “We had up to five performances a day, and I had to communicate because I had to tell my group what was going on,” explained Georgiana. It wasn’t long before Chris was, as Georgiana put it, “after [her].” Chris took the time to learn some important Romanian phrases like “you’re beautiful,” and even managed to sneak Georgiana out of the festival long enough to have lunch with his parents. Soon, though, Folkmoot was over and the couple was left wondering how to deal with the realization that they were in love. The day after the festival ended, Chris was off to Durham for his first year of medical school, and Georgiana had a job waiting for her back in Romania. But instead of fading into a memory, their relationship continued. Chris wrote Georgiana lengthy notes in English. She refused to let friends translate them for her, choosing instead to go over every word with a dictionary. In turn, she sent Romanian language tapes to Chris. Not only did Chris listen to those tapes, he also audited a Romanian class in Chapel Hill and kept flashcards with Romanian vocabulary with him for whenever he got a free moment. After his first year of medical school, he went to visit Georgiana able to speak fluent Romanian. During that visit, Chris impressed Georgiana and her parents with his Romanian and impeccable manners. In the end, he convinced her to come back to the U.S. with him to see if they were really right for each other and, if so, if she could get used to American culture. Georgiana lived with Chris’ parents in Waynesville for several months while Chris studied medicine in Durham. During that time, she grew accustomed to American culture. “I started loving America after I knew there weren’t just cowboys and gangsters everywhere,” she laughed. That November, Chris took Georgiana to the tallest building at Waynesville Middle School and proposed. It was just the old library, but the couple affectionately referred to it as their “chateau.” As Chris said, “Everything looks beautiful when you’re in love.” The Wenzels have now been happily married for nearly 10 years and are currently celebrating the birth of their second son. They speak to each other in both English and Romanian, and hope to teach their children both languages. After finishing Chris’ medical school and residency in Durham, during which time Georgiana started her own dance school, the couple now live in Waynesville where Chris works as an ear, nose and throat specialist. Georgiana dreams of starting another dance school like the one she left behind in Durham. Despite busy schedules, the Wenzels still manage to work Folkmoot into their lives. Chris is on the festival’s Board of Directors and serves as a volunteer doctor at the Folkmoot clinic. “I’ve really enjoyed Folkmoot from the beginning,” Chris said, “My wife is just the ultimate part of my Folkmoot experience.” Georgiana, too, maintains a deep appreciation for the festival. “It’s not just about costumes and performances. It’s about building relationships,” she said. And, as Chris Wenzel so eloquently put it, the relationships one develops at Folkmoot have potential to last a lot longer than the festival itself.