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American Rhythm Folk Ensemble

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Group Info

Location

Provo, UT, USA

Group Type

Dance & Music Group

Group Genre

Western American

Group Age Category

Children /Youth /Adults (12 - 51 years old)

Performance Style

Authentic, Elaborate, Stylized

Music Type

Live Music

Group Size

35 - 50 Members

Upcoming Tour Location

Mund'Art Festival Internacional de Musica E Dançes Tradicionaisin Fânzeres, Portugal

Upcoming Tour Dates

Booking Now!

Group Website

Group Bio

Based in Provo, Utah, the American Rhythm Folk Ensemble unites skilled dancers, vocalists, and musicians dedicated to celebrating and preserving American heritage through song and dance. They are an accredited member of CIOFF USA, demonstrating their commitment to artistic integrity and cultural exchange.


Founded by Twilla Mann in 2000, the ensemble is rooted in her lifelong passion for dance and cultural performance. Mann has a rich dance background that includes jazz, tap, ballet, American clogging, ballroom, and Scottish highland dance. She is an award-winning performer who has trained and judged nationally, earning the title of "Most Promising Dancer" in Scottish highland competitions.


The ensemble's performances typically last an hour and feature traditional shows with live music, blending historical American styles with energetic entertainment. Their repertoire covers a wide cultural spectrum, including:


- Pioneer songs and dances from Utah

- Appalachian Running Set with Hambone

- Civil War Medley

- Charleston, Lindy Swing, Western Suite, Country Hoedown

- Contra Dance, Square Dance, and various styles of modern clogging

- Vintage selections like Turn-of-the-Century Ragtime, 1920s Charleston, WWII Swing, and Crazy 1980s music.


In 2011, the ensemble participated in its first international festival in Rexburg, Idaho. From 2012 onward, they have represented the U.S. in countries such as France, Spain, Poland, Mexico, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Peru, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and throughout the United States. Notable performances include the Rouergue International Folkloric Festival in France, the Zacatecas Festival in Mexico, and Mondial des Cultures in Quebec, along with participation in festivals across Poland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and multiple European countries in 2024. Their domestic tours span cities across Utah and beyond, including workshops and showcases in Nebraska, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Colorado, and more.


The ensemble engages with local communities through goodwill tours, workshops, and performances at schools, churches, civic events, and youth gatherings. They were featured on ABC4 Utah, where their song and dance offerings were praised for uplifting spirits and showcasing their extensive international performing experience.


Founded in 2000 out of a passion for international folk festivals and cultural exchange, American Rhythm Folk Ensemble initially performed at various public and private venues, earning numerous titles at clogging competitions across the United States. Since its first international folk festival in 2011 and subsequent tour to France and Spain in 2012, the ensemble has participated in many folk festivals worldwide, embracing diverse cultures, sharing a love for heritage, and building lasting international friendships.

Director Bio

Twilla Mann

Twilla Mann – Founder & Director, American Rhythm Folk Ensemble (Provo, Utah) Twilla’s love for dance began at the tender age of five. She has since trained across a wide range of styles, including jazz, tap, ballet, American clogging, ballroom, and Scottish highland dance. Her credentials include certified teacher and judge training through respected institutions like the National Clogging and Hoedown Championships and the America On Stage director workshops. Twilla accrued many awards in the Western U.S. for clogging, ballroom, and Scottish highland dance. She notably earned the prestigious title of “Most Promising Dancer” in highland dancing. During her college years, she focused on ballroom dance, winning competitions including at the U.S. Nationals in San Diego and the distinguished British Championships in Blackpool, England. Twilla’s performance resume is impressive: she’s appeared before President George Bush and LDS Church President Ezra Taft Benson, along with performances in Hawaii, New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Disneyland, and at numerous folk festivals across France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Portugal, and Austria. With over 30 years of teaching and choreography experience, Twilla founded the American Rhythm Folk Ensemble in 2000, based in Provo, Utah. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Twilla is also a proud mother and grandmother. Under Twilla’s leadership, American Rhythm is a group of talented young dancers, singers, and musicians dedicated to sharing the cultural heritage of the United States through music and dance. The ensemble is recognized internationally, touring extensively across the U.S. and around the world. They teach workshops, perform for diverse audiences, and represent the U.S. at folk festivals. Performing at the CIOFF International Music and Dance Festival in Rexburg, Idaho (2011). International tours to France, Spain (2012), Poland, Canada, Mexico, Czech Republic, Germany, Peru, Denmark, Sweden, and more. Recent European tours, such as to Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, and Italy in 2024.

Media

YouTube Channel: 

Reviews

Colorful and varied costumes, lively music, dances performed with grace and fullness and brilliancy impeccable technique, original choreographies, elements all of them which have contributed to impress in our mind a marked picture of their excellent quality.

Interviewee

The audience of the festival… remained really enthusiastic about their great and exciting performances. … We truly appreciated the group for its enthusiasm, its seriousness, its willingness and its respectful behavior.

Festival Director

Your beautiful dances, songs and melodies stay for a long time in our hearts. The skill of artistic performances was appreciated by big audience applause.

Festival Attendee

Previous Tours Attended

  • Mund'Art Festival Internacional de Musica E Dançes Tradicionaisin Fânzeres, Portugal (2025)  

  • United States Tour of Eastern States (2025)

  • Musiques du Monde, Martigny, Switzerland (2024)

  • Pueblos Hermanos, Peru (2023)

  • Triangle Folklore Festival, Vejle, Denmark (2023)

  • Lorca, Jaen, Ciudad Real, and Badajoz, Spain (2022)

  • Pasian Di Prato, Imola, and Penna Sant' Andrea Italy (2019)

  • Queretaro, and Zacatecas, Mexico (2018)

  • Mezinarodni Folklorni Festival Cioff Plzen, Czech Republic (2017)

  • International Folklore Festival CIOFF Iov Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic (2017)

  • International Folklorefestival Lausitz, Germany (2017)

  • Spotkania Folklorystyczne in Lublin, Poland (2016)

  • Miedzynarodowe Olsztynskie Dni Folkloru "Warmia" in Olsztyn, Poland (2016)

  • Le Mondial des Cultures of Drummondville in Quebec, Canada (2015)

  • Festival Zacatecas del Folklor Internacional in Zacatecas, Mexico (2014)

  • Rouergue International Folkloric Festival in Rodez, France (2012)

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CIOFF® USA serves as a leading proponent of folk and cultural art initiatives across the United States.​​

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