Swedish and Norwegian Dances
taught by
Roo Lester and Larry Harding
with fiddle music by
Loretta Kelley (see photo)

Roo Lester and her teaching partner and husband Larry Harding are well known as being among the foremost teachers of Scandinavian dances in the United States, and have taught at virtually all major U.S. folk-dance festivals.  Both are experienced dancers and teachers who exude delightful energy and enthusiasm and have an encouraging, clear style of teaching that makes them a favorite for both experienced and novice dancers.  Loretta Kelley, America’s foremost player of the exotic and beautiful Norwegian Hardanger Fiddle and also an accomplished Swedish fiddler, will also be here to accompany the dance teaching during the workshop and take part in the evening dance party Saturday night.  It is worth coming just to hear her tunes and experience this joyful Norwegian and Swedish folk music.

One of the dances featured will be Slängpolska från Småland, an old-style couple dance from southern Sweden characterized by walking figures and easy turns.  In recent years it has undergone a revival in Sweden and has also become quite popular in the United States.

If you have never done any Scandinavian dances, come on Friday and see how easily they can be learned.  Bringing a partner is not necessary, and dress is casual.

Location

University United Methodist Church, 6901 Washington Ave., University City, Missouri; on the northwest corner of Washington and Trinity, south of the Lion Gates on Delmar — see Google Map or Yahoo! Map. (Note: Most streets in the area other than the main streets are not through.)  Parking is available in the church lot and on Trinity, but please do not park on the residential part of Washington.  Walk by the playground in front of the church, and enter by the door at the inner corner of the L-shaped building.

More About the Teachers and Musician

Roo Lester is one of the most popular teachers of Scandinavian dancing in this country.  Her clarity of presentation and emphasis on styling and technique have helped to make Scandinavian dances accessible and fun for many American folk dancers.  She has taught at Mendocino, Buffalo Gap, and Folklore Village, and she has given numerous workshops around the country.  She has also danced and choreographed professionally for the Aman Folk Ensemble.  She has helped organize study tours in Telemark with Karin Brennesvik, and has played a major role in popularizing Scandinavian dances in the United States.  She has spent several summers in Norway and Sweden attending dance courses and festivals, has won kappleik competitions, and has a masters degree in ethnic dance from UCLA.  Her previous workshops in St. Louis have been very popular.  She will be co-teaching with Larry Harding.

Loretta Kelley is the best-known American player of the Hardingfele or Hardanger fiddle (pronounced "HAR-dahn-ger"), an elaborately decorated folk violin with sympathetic strings, having an ethereal sound and a 300-year-old tradition.  Since 1979 she has made over a dozen trips to Norway to study with the masters, has taught, written, and performed extensively in the United States and Norway, and has recorded two compact discs.  She has appeared on Prairie Home Companion and All Things Considered, and in 1994 her playing was featured in an hour-long program on Norwegian radio.  She teaches at Nordic Fiddles and Feet (formerly Scandinavian Week at Buffalo Gap), at the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America's yearly workshops, Scandia Camp Mendocino, and numerous other camps and workshops throughout the country.  She has written several articles about the Hardanger fiddle in magazines such as Strings and The Strad, contributed a chapter to a book published in Norway, and authored a booklet of transcriptions of Hardanger fiddle tunes.  She has also served as president and board member of the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America (www.hfaa.org).

To hear examples of the type of dance music that will be featured at this workshop, tune in to Music from the Hills on Sundays from 4:00 to 6 p.m. on radio station KDHX, 88.1 FM in St. Louis, hosted by IFDA member John Uhlemann.  You can also listen online — see www.kdhx.org.

Other Information

Shoes:  Hard-soled shoes (leather or synthetic) are recommended, as rubber tends to stick to the floor.

Food:  Lunch will feature soup and sandwiches.  Dinner will be our usual variety of tasty potluck contributions.  Contributions of fruits and sweets for snacks would be appreciated.

For Other Information:  Please contact Rex or Nancy Couture at 314-275-8228 or .