One thinks of The Leikarring Dancers, a group that entertains with Scandinavian folk dances at Tucson Meet Yourself when the topic of Scandinavian music comes up among others including Kathi Hahtaluhta Sami Songs from Finland, The Vasa Trollungama Scandinavian Dancers and the Vasa Swedish Folk Dancers.
In Scandinavian dances are primarily social dances, including springar and polska. In the USA, the folk dance population is small and ebbs and flows with various elements of life and society. In the 1970's more people danced than today, most communities are looking for ways to increase the number of younger people with an interest in dance.
Springar, gangar, pols, rull, and springleik are danced socially at a variety of events including club or group parties, folk music dance pubs, private parties, weddings, local festivals, special market days, in classes and workshops. Historically the local bygdedans would be found at events within a region. When visitors from another area were there, they might join in the local dance or share their own dance.
Today one might find the same, or their might also be gammaldans and or other dance forms at events. Local, regional and national competitions provide opportunities for people to dance bygdedans as a part of the competition and in the evenings for fun. There are special competitions for gammaldans too. Various sources refer to mid-summer, Jonsok, and Olsok, or St. Olaf's day as times of dancing. |
