the Mid-Atlantic Norwegian Dancers’ 6th Annual >>>SPRING SPRINGAR SPREE<<< in charming Takoma Park, MD (by Washington, DC) May Day Weekend, April 29 – May 1, 2011
HAIL, DANCERS & FIDDLERS FROM NEAR & FAR; COME SHARE THE JOY OF SPRINGAR! The Spree runs from Friday evening through Sunday late afternoon; join us for all or part. All-live Hardanger fiddle music by our own beloved LORETTA KELLEY and special guest KARIN LOBERG CODE. Attending Hardanger fiddlers can learn from them, jam, work up a few tunes for group performance at the dance, and pop into dances/classes. Featured dance class is TELESPRINGAR with master dance teacher KARIN BRENNESVIK from Telemark, Norway! Last year’s featured dance, VALDRESSPRINGAR, will be reviewed by analytical expert Bruce Emery. He’ll also teach some Telespringar men's steps to enhance your mojo--guys, are you still just doing the basic step? And for fans and fans-to-be of Setesdalgangar's driving "heartbeat" pulse and easy mixer dance, Cathie Springer will teach/lead a brief set on Saturday night. Dance parties will have a good variety of springars, etc., and the famous cozy atmosphere of our monthly Norwegian-style potluck house parties. At the Spree, as at all MAND events, beginners will be welcomed, encouraged, and assimilated. No partner necessary. Spare beds & crash space available--ask ahead. Comfortable price--don't let your budget keep you away. INDEX OF SPREE DETAILS BELOW: Schedule SCHEDULE (class breaks will be taken as needed,
parties might include some spontaneous teaching if there's interest): PRICES: (no advance registration): LORETTA KELLEY, our fabulous local fiddler, is the foremost Hardanger fiddle player in the US, and the president of the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America. She has been performing, teaching, and writing about the Hardanger fiddle for more than 20 years. She has appeared on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion and American Radio Company, and National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” and “Performance Today.” She is a regular teacher at the Nordic Fiddles and Feet Scandinavian music and dance camps and at the Annual Workshops of the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America, as well as at innumerable local workshops throughout the US. She has made over 20 study trips to Norway and has placed highly in many fiddle competitions there. Her playing has been featured in an hour-long radio program on Norwegian radio. See www.fanitull.org. KARIN LOBERG CODE, a life-long string player and teacher, began intense study of the Hardanger fiddle in 1990. She lived for two years in Norway, playing for weekly dance groups in Oslo and meeting with master fiddlers. She is a respected dance fiddler who has been on staff, along with Norwegian-born artists, at numerous festivals and workshops in the US. Her first CD, “Norsk Spring Dance,” is widely used in this country and in Norway for folk dance accompaniment. Her newest CD, “Harding Tones,” features both solo work and the premiere recording of the newly created Harding Quartet. She particularly loves Valdresspringar. See http://homepages.wmich.edu/~code/karin/. KARIN BRENNESVIK will teach TELESPRINGAR. She is an award-winning dancer and master teacher. She has been to the US many times, and looks forward to seeing US friends/students again this trip and meeting new ones. She runs a memorable “Telemark Winter Experience” event every winter which features dance and culture during the week at a beautiful ski lodge near her farm, followed by attending a big dance/music festival on the weekend. See the event listing on Facebook. BRUCE EMERY will review VALDESSSPRINGAR and teach TELESPRINGAR MEN’S STEPS. Those who’ve attended his classes at past Sprees have given rave reviews to his clear demos and analytical breakdowns of moves/timing. As an expert dancer and professional music teacher, he sure has the skills to get you to “aha,” with a little humor along the way. He has studied many Norwegians dancing live and on videos, finding a few moves that are not usually taught—be the first kid on your block to get ‘em. His teaching partner is KATHERINE POLK, also an excellent dancer. WHAT’S A HARDANGER FIDDLE? The unique Norwegian Hardanger fiddle, or Hardingfele, is often ornately carved & inlaid with distinctive motifs. Underneath its regular bowed strings are 4 or 5 sympathetic strings, which sound when certain harmonically-related notes are played above. And the upper strings are set so it’s easier to play two at once. So, with all these notes plus trills & other musical ornaments, you’d swear it sounds like at least two people playing. But wait, there’s more: while the notes weave their mesmerizing spell, we actually dance to the rhythm tapped out by the fiddler’s feet. (No kidding.) For more info, see the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America's website, www.hfaa.org. INFO FOR HARDANGER FIDDLERS AND WANNABES: Yes, come to the Spree! Loretta is available for classes or lessons. Please contact Loretta or Jenny beforehand, so we can make plans based on your Hardanger fiddle or regular fiddle experience, if any, what you’d like to do/learn, which dance classes you want to attend, etc. And so we can try to help you borrow a Hardanger fiddle if you don’t have one. You may like to jam/practice part of the time and pop in to dance classes & parties. As for price, we’ll figure out something that works for everyone as we go along. INFO FOR DANCERS: SPRINGARS are traditional dances of Norway. The music is in 3 like waltz music, but with uneven rhythm and emphasis on certain beats. The music and dance evolved distinctively in various regions. For example, in the Telespringar (springar from Telemark), beats 1-2-3 of the music/dance are normal-long-short in length and normal-heavy-light in weight. (For comparison, think of familiar “OOM-pah-pah” music as equal-length beats and heavy-light-light weight.) And there’s a vertical character to the dances which is called svikt: dancers flex knees/ankles on the heavy beats like coiled springs, which drives the energetic movement of the dance (as in American swing dancing). Caution: These rhythms are intoxicating, and the dances are highly habit-forming to susceptible individuals…. We’re bravely offering two of the “Big Three”—the three most popular springars. TELESPRINGAR seems to be the most popular springar in the US. It has been described as somewhat like swing dancing but more elegant; couples tend to stay in one place on the floor for a while and do moves that are led by the man in improvised order. But oh it’s much more than that! And in between the various flirtatious figures & flourishes, the dancers return again & again to the distinctive hold known as armkrok, where they spin together and the man may be inspired to do some step variations which Bruce compares to 2nd and 3rd gear. Whee! VALDRESSPRINGAR has couples moving around the floor in a big circle. There’s no set sequence; the man improvises the order of the leads. He does variations on quick flashy turns, each ending with spinning the woman, with little turns and kicks in between to wind himself up and add spice. After building some energy & anticipation, he starts the fast Rundsnu, a tricky couple-turn where they appear to leap around one another and the man may do a little kick in each measure. After whirling around the floor a bit they open out and start over. Omigosh it’s so much fun…. It’s rather tricky for the guy to time the leads right, and so cool when it works. Bruce will show you how. SETESDALGANGAR is a fun easy dance everyone can do. It’s usually done as a mixer. Cathie Springer will teach/lead a brief set fairly early on at Saturday’s dance party. Loretta loves the driving “heartbeat” pulse of the music—do you? MIXED-LEVEL DANCE CLASSES: Whatever your level of experience, there will be something to learn. Our teachers will strike an effective balance between going over the basics and presenting fancier moves/steps/styling. NOTE TO BEGINNERS: Go for it! If possible ahead of time, watch some dancing and listen/move to some music. At the parties, you’ll get springar rhythms in your body and meet lots of friendly people who were all beginners once, too. Don’t worry about learning a bunch of moves—just listen, watch, get moving to the beat in place, then do the basic step around the floor alone or with someone else (just ask), and when you’re comfortable try a few moves. The rhythm and svikt matter more than the moves—keep in mind that you can have nice dances and plenty of fun with just a few moves. AFTER-DINNER INFORMAL PANEL DISCUSSION ON SPRINGARS & CULTURE: This is different every year. Always well-attended and enjoyable. First, to help us sort out & appreciate the various springar rhythms & dances, our staff will compare/contrast them via words, notes, & steps. Then they'll share their knowledge and experiences with music/dancing and other aspects of Norwegian culture. Lots of Q&A. Loretta always has some interesting folk stories to tell, and may be persuaded to share a “listening tune” during this session or some other time at the Spree…. FOOD: Light snacks & coffee/tea/water/lemonade will be provided. BYO mug w/name on it if you like. For Saturday lunch & dinner, you can either eat out, bring with, or get a group order together. Takoma Park has plenty of great places to eat--see registration table for suggestions. Anyone who feels inspired to bring dessert or party food to classes & parties, yes please! And Sunday brunch is potluck. (Don’t miss that—MAND has a thriving tradition of tasty dishes and good company.) Locals, please bring a little more food than usual if you can, so staff and out-of-towners don't have to unless they want to. Thanks. HOUSING: Of course there are plenty of hotels in the DC area. And like other folkie communities, MAND has a tradition of offering spare beds & crash space to out-of-town visitors. If you would like to give or receive this hospitality, contact Jenny. WHAT TO WEAR/BRING: Clean dance shoes to change into--wide low heel is best, with leather/smooth sole for turning—really, please clean/check them to protect the floors. Comfortable clothing, with extra shirts if you plan to work up a good springar-sweat. (Floral patterns would be nice for our Spring theme, if you like.) Nice outfit or Scandinavian costume for Saturday night. Food to share—see above. Mug w/name on it. Toothbrush/paste. WHAT NOT TO BRING: Drugs, pets, weapons, etc. (Yes, we have a special dispensation for Paul's Norwegian belt knife.) WHAT'S OPTIONAL TO BRING: A partner--we mix, and some of us even change gender to keep the balance and have more fun. ITEMS FOR SALE next to the registration table: CD’s by our fabulous fiddlers, Linda & Ross’ so-helpful dance videos, and Roo Lester’s detailed dance notes (yes we’re sending her money). GOT PHOTOS? We really should get an SSS album going.... Can you bring some prints and/or send some to Jenny? PLEASE VOLUNTEER, HOST, AND LEND ITEMS--THANKS: Could you do a shift at the registration table sometime on Saturday daytime or evening—perhaps during a class you’re not attending or a set you could live without? We also need volunteers on Saturday to organize a Saturday lunch order, make coffee, refill drink pitchers, bring a big cooler w/ice, keep food table tidy, sweep the floors, and clean up. Many hands make light work—please help. And we could use more hosts for out-of-towners. Items we need to borrow (with your name/phone on them): two large-for-home-use coffeemakers, 2 carafes, 6 large pitchers, and lots of tasteful decorative spring flowers. Thanks for all your support, folks! ABOUT THE MID-ATLANTIC NORWEGIAN DANCERS: We are a loose network centered in the Baltimore-Washington-Frederick area. Our monthly Norwegian-style house parties have tasty potlucks, friendly company, and lively dancing. We share moves and sometimes have informal classes. Newbies are welcomed, encouraged, and otherwise assimilated. Out-of-town visitors are always a treat; if you plan ahead we can probably put you up at someone’s house. We also have this annual Spring Springar Spree on May Day weekend. Website is http://MAND.fanitull.org. If you'd like to receive breaking news in MAND emails (1 or more per month) or have something to share with the gang, send Jenny an email. CONTACT JENNY: Jenny Foster. Email’s preferred: pi (at) xecu (dot) net. Or call if you need to, between 8am & 11pm. Home phone is 301~371~4312. Cell (not normally carried around) is 240~344~0066; please use this only during the event, or at other times if you’ve already left a message on home line & need to talk right away. Thanks. |
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