VELKOMMEN!  (WELCOME!) & GENERAL INFORMATION

The Mid-Atlantic Norwegian Dancers (MAND) is a loose network of Norwegian dance and music enthusiasts centered in the Maryland-Northern Virginia-Washington DC area. We have monthly Norwegian-style house parties with potluck and dancing, occasional dance classes, and an annual Spring Springar Spree weekend.

Norwegian Hardanger fiddle (Hardingfele), considered the national instrument of Norway, is a beatifully-decorated instrument, and the music is absolutely beautiful! And Norwegian springar dances are uniquely wonderful. See the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America website, www.hfaa.org, for lots of information.

Email list: To receive the latest MAND news/events, email MAND@fanitull.org to get on the email distribution list. Usually one email per month.

OUR NEXT PARTY

SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2025

Columbia, MD

6:30 pm doors/potluck, 7:30 pm music for dancing

Norwegian‐style cozy house party

Laura Hummel on Hardanger fiddle and Sonia White on nyckelharpa plus other guest musicians will play Norwegian and Swedish tunes for dancing. Beginners, singles/couples, watchers/listeners all welcome. Please bring food to share and clean shoes to wear. Donations gratefully accepted. Location at Deb's place; if you need the address contact debweinreich@hotmail.com. 

Check this MAND website for updates: MAND.fanitull.org
Questions? Email MAND@fanitull.org

***********

Our parties are usually held the first or second Saturday, or Sunday, of each month throughout the year; exact date/time depends on fiddler and host availability and other area events.

FUTURE PARTIES
Fri. to Sun., May 23-25 (Springar Spree)
June: No MAND party

OUR 19TH ANNUAL SPRINGAR SPREE WEEKEND
MAY 23-25, 2025 (Memorial Weekend)

Online Registration is open! Download our brochure for details.

Please join us for all or part of our Springar Spree weekend. It runs Friday evening through the final party ending Sunday afternoon.

This year, we will be teaching Vestlandsspringar, with guest instructor Alix Cordray and her partner. The weekend will feature dancing to live Hardanger fiddle music throughout our all-day dance classes, as well as during our parties. All dance levels are welcome, but dancers who are new to Norwegian dancing will find this dance particularly fun, energetic, and accessible. 

OTHER LOCAL SCANDI DANCING/PLAYING

There are three other Scandinavian dance groups in the greater DC region. We each have a different focus, events are cross-publicized, and many folks attend more than one group. Newbies are very welcome everywhere. Here are the other three groups:

Scandia DC - 3rd Sat, Sep-May - Swedish & Norwegian, class & dancing - See ScandiaDC.org

Nordic Dancers - Wed, Sep-May - pan-Scan dance performing group - See sites.google.com/site/NordicDancersDC

Waltz Time Dances - Many local Scan dancers also enjoy the Waltz Time Dances in the splendid historic Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park. Usually 1st and 3rd Sun afternoons. If you feel inspired to do some Scandinavian dance to music which goes "1,2,3" there's often a fellow Scandinavian dancer around with whom to have a little fun. See waltztimedances.org.

And there are two area Lags for fiddlers and other musicians. One is part of Scandia DC, rehearsing during dance class and playing the first set at the dance. The other is Washington's Spelmanslag - see WashingtonsSpelmanslag.com.

SCANDINAVIAN DANCE/MUSIC "CAMPS" 2025

January:
January 30-February 2:  Vermont Ski-Dance Weekend. Skidance.us. Contact Tom Kringstad, tom@nordic-home.com.

February:
February 8-9: Hardanger Fiddle Association of America's "Open Hearth" Winter Workshop. See www.HFAA.org.

March:
March 21-23: Spring Swedish Music and Dance Weekend at Folklore Village near Madison, WI. Often same teachers as Boulder. See under events at FolkloreVillage.com.

March 28-30: Boulder Scandinavian Weekend in Boulder, CO. See calendar BoulderDance.org.

April:

April 11-14: Springdans Northwest in Seattle, WA. Scandia Folkdance Society. See Skandia-folkdance.org.

May:

May 23-25: Springar Spree, Washington DC & MD. See notice above.

June:
TBD: Scandia Camp Mendocino in CA. Swedish & Norwegian music & dance. See ScandiaCampMendocino.org.

June/July:
June 28-July 5 in NH: Nordic Fiddles & Feet Camp. Swedish & Norwegian music & dance. See nordicfiddlesandfeet.org.

July:
July 17-20 in WI: Hardanger Fiddle Association of America's Summer Workshop at Folklore Village in WI. For fiddlers AND dancers! See www.HFAA.org.

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Hardanger Fiddle Association of America. See HFAA.org

American Nyckelharpa Association. See nyckelharpa.org

Scanfolk - Scandinavian dance/music news email listserv - a great way to keep in touch with the network of dance/music folks across the US between events. To join send email to: scanfolk+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Norway's "official website abroad" & Norwegian Embassy. See norway.no/en/usa/

House of Sweden (Swedish Embassy) - mailing list for events/exhibits. See HouseofSweden.com, click on Exhibitions

Sons of Norway, DC chapter. See NorwayDC.org

American Scandinavian Association, DC chapter.  See Scandinavian-DC.org

Norwegian Society of Washington DC. See nosodc.org/noso/

Sveaborg Society in Baltimore (Swedish traditions and social events).  See SveaborgSociety.com