Norwegian Dancers meet Steampunk

With Google delivering 36,100,000 search results, Steampunk is much more than an unknown genre in the back row, yet it remains under the radar, attended to by some very devoted fans and participants. It is a fast-growing sliver of culture that is big enough to have its own entry in Wikipedia, and is big enough to have a three day "convention" right here in Madison. The Wikipedia link is well worth reading. Steampunk is a hard to explain mix of Jules Verne-fantasy meeting steam-powered airships meeting Victorian era fashion. And more. The convention was big enough to fill the west side Marriott, which is where the dancers found themselves Friday night, for what is most likely one of the most unusual venues the dancers have ever entered. The dancers held up well, a small group of traditionally dressed Norwegian kids and parents surrounded by an ocean of people dressed in full costume and role playing Steampunk characters from the Victorian era. German airship captains with handlebar mustaches are the easiest to describe. There were numerous other characters as well, that somewhat defy description. A very unique venue, filled with happy people that obviously enjoy getting into period costume and finding another dimension. The dancers were part of the opening ceremony and did two dances then, as well as a longer performance later on in the evening after Teslacon Prime Minister(?), Lord Hastings R. Bobbins had concluded his keynote. Lord Bobbins' web page does quite a good job further explaining Teslacon, which is officially where the dancers found themselves Friday night (11/1/13).

pictures in the blog entry are from Jeff Bach.

by the way, here's an interview (from 2012 so it's a year old) with the Wisconsin gentleman driving the whole Teslacon show.

Norwegian Dancers on TV

The SHS Norwegian Dancers made an appearance this AM on WKOW 27. The station gave them enough time to explain a bit and perform a dance live on the air for the morning viewers. Great job dancers!

The Stoughton Victorian Holiday happened this past weekend. One piece of that puzzle is the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers. As a new parent to the group this year, this was my first full indoor performance. Fun is the first word. Unexpected is the second word. Acrobatic is the third word. Gymnastics is the fourth word. The hat dance, which is part of the Halling dance, given as the finale of the performance was enjoyable to watch. The whole Halling dance which portrays a multi-day family reunion back in old Norway overall was all fun to watch.

It is impressive to see the athleticism required to do the lifts and the backflips and the myriad other movements that are part of this dance. Equally impressive is recognizing the amount of work that goes into mastering the many pieces of this dance. It is really neat to see a 20+ group of teenagers all in this together doing such a good job at something so intricate.

Lapskaus 2012

Just what is Lapskaus? Brilliant wikipedian minds have toiled over this issue for years and have yet to arrive at an agreed up on answer. However, when the days get short in Stoughton, Wisconsin, many Norwegians get hungry. Luckily, the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers are always there with one of the group's biggest fundraisers and the answer to every Norwegians yearning for good old beef stew. The above mentioned wikipaedian minds really can't even agree on that, but beef stew is what we serve every year at our dinner.

Wayne and Nancy Krantz along with all the other parents pitch in and either prepare the food or clean up after the dinner is done. Ken Gulseth provides his secret recipe and donates his labor every year to get it all going the night before. The dancers serve the food and provide the entertainment. Everyone else buys ticket and eats. This year was a great turnout, just a bit bigger than last year. So word must be getting out that Stoughton Lapskaus is worth driving for. It was an enjoyable evening at Christ Lutheran Church where the event was held. The church gym was crowded with hungry Norwegians and even a few non-Norwegians who snuck in after hearing how good the food was.

The dancers showed off their dances in what is still the early season for the group. Many of the dances are still being perfected during the daily early morning practices. It turns out that the dances the group performs are from all four of the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland). Each country's culture kicks in its own particular stylistic flair.

P.S. The picture that is part of the Wikipedia entry (linked to above) for Lapskaus shows a road-side Lapskaus stand in Sister Bay, Wisconsin. Maybe they are on to something up there......

Dancers in Action

Most people when picturing a folk dance think of something calm, or at least a dance where everyone's feet stay on the ground.  The SHS Norwegian Dancers like to occasionally dispel that myth.  The picture below is taken from an elementary school performance where the boys are performing a dance based on the dances found in xx.  Hundreds of years ago, dancing was one of the ways that young men in the Scandinavian countries could "show off" and hopefully impress the eligible young women in their village.  That is the basis for this aerial maneuver that the three dancers are doing. The move itself is hard enough to do alone, doing it in time with two other dancers is even more impressive.  Lots of early morning hours spent practicing this!