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Announcing Nordic Fiddles & Feet 2004

Description from the Brochure

Download and print a complete brochure or the registration form alone. Camp this year is 3-10 July.

Nordic Fiddles and Feet, now in its fourth year, is pleased to present a fabulous line-up of some of the best Scandinavian musicians and dancers in the world. Immerse yourself for a whole week in this enchanting folk music and dance in the beautiful West Virginia hills. A full and varied schedule is designed to offer plenty of music, dancing, and fun for both beginning and more experienced dancers and musicians.

Dance classes include Swedish, Norwegian and Basics and are designed for all levels of dancers. Dance basics is intended to give beginners an introduction to Scandinavian dancing while working on skills that help all levels of dancing. We change partners often (you need not register with one). Evening parties are varied with gammaldans, mixers, bygdedans, dances taught during daily classes, and your special requests. We dance to live music at every session and party!

Music classes include multiple levels of Swedish fiddle, as well as hardingfele, nyckelharpa, and singing. Classes are generally taught "by ear" although a syllabus will be available. To take a fiddle class you should be a competent fiddler in some tradition, but may be new to Scandinavian music. For basic hardingfele or nyckelharpa you need to have some musical background. Basic singing will include language coaching. The gammaldans band and allspel sessions are open to ALL instruments and singers.

Crafts and cultural sessions will be presented by various members of the staff throughout the week.

Swedish Staff

BRITT-MARIE & SVEN OLSSON are world-class Swedish polska teachers who have a special ability to break down the dances and explain what they are doing in a clear fashion. These beautiful dancers also see and can express what we need to do to improve our dancing. Their years of experience and talents researching, dancing and judging make them invaluable resources for our dance addictions.

FREDRIK LUNDBERG grew up in Sweden's Värmland province. He studied folk music at Malung, Ingesund, and at the Music Academy in Stockholm. He currently teaches violin and folk music in Arvika. He teaches and performs regularly. He has developed a special interest in playing for dance and dance instruction. This will be Fredrick’s fourth musical visit to the US.

LEIF ALPSJÖ has been at the heart of the nyckelharpa revival in Sweden and the US. As rikspelman and full-time folk musician, Leif has played for king and pope. He's helped establish yearly courses and has taught nyckelharpa technique and construction to thousands of students. Leif has travelled many times to the US to teach and perform on the nyckelharpa.

Norwegian Staff

ARNHILD BRENNESVIK grew up dancing and was designated an “A class” dancer in 1991. She entered her first dance competition when she was nine. She began teaching at age 14, and since then has taught at Telemark festivalen in addition to numerous weekly classes for various dance organizations in Norway. In recent years she has done less competing in order to focus on her “devotion to teaching telespringar and being a distributor of the joy of dancing”.

OLAV SEM is a fabulous traditional Telemark dancer and singer. Heis a master of slåttestev, short songs in springar rhythm, and tralling, music for dancing. In his own charismatic way, he shares a lifetime of stories and experience with his classes. You will leave his sessions feeling as though you have personally touched and been a part of Telemark folk culture.

OLE KRISTIAN TORJUSSEN comes with a strong background in Telemark folkdance and music tradition. He learned to fiddle from his grandfather and started dancing early, learning both east and west Telemark style of dancing. Arnhild and Ole Kristian’s dance style is slow, but powerful. They dance with closeness and warmth. Ole Kristian is a wonderfully playful dancer with many step variations.

ANNE HYTTA began playing the hardanger fiddle in her native Sauland (Telemark) when she was eleven. Her favorite early teacher was Einar Løndal, and she has completed the course of study in folk music at the Ole Bull Academy, with Knut Buen among others. Anne achieved her class A status at the Landskappliek in 1999. She now works as editor of the traditional music magazine "Kvinten," and as freelance musician.

State-Side Staff

ROO LESTER & LARRY HARDING are experienced dancers and teachers that exude delightful energy and enthusiasm. They have an encouraging, clear style of teaching that makes them favorite teachers for both experienced and novice dancers.

BECKY WEIS-NORD learned Swedish fiddling and dancing as a child, as a part of her Scandinavian heritage. She went on to study in Sweden and Norway, and at camps and workshops in the United States. She now teaches Swedish and Norwegian fiddle, nyckelharpa, and hardingfele across the U.S., and plays regularly for dances and dance teaching.

PETER MICHAELSEN is music director for Springdans Northwest and allspel leader at Scandia Camp Mendocino. He travels to Sweden for study and performance and is known for both his breadth of repertoire and regional styling.

LORETTA KELLEY is respected equally in the USA and in Norway for her talent and skill with hardingfele as well as her knowledge about traditional Norwegian music and folk culture. Her writing, performances, and recordings have enriched us all as we explore Norwegian folk culture.

Registration, Policies, etc.

REGISTRATION: The total cost of the seven-day program is $575 per adult. A $175 deposit is due by May 1; we will hold a place for you when we receive the deposit. The balance of $400 must be postmarked by June 1. Deposits are fully refundable until then, but not thereafter. There is a $40 surcharge on all applications postmarked AFTER MAY 1. These must be accompanied by the FULL AMOUNT of $615, not by a deposit only. No registrations will be accepted after June 12. Please enclose TWO SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED ENVELOPES (SASE) with registrations. A one-page registration form in pdf format can be found here.

Sorry, NO PART-TIMERS, NO VISITORS, and NO PETS. NO SMOKING is allowed in any camp buildings. We adhere to these policies. Please do not ask for exceptions.

WORK SCHOLARSHIPS are available, mainly in the kitchen, at a reduced rate of $300 ($340 after May 1). All positions involve about 3 hours daily and can be arranged so that you don’t miss special classes. You need a current TB test to work in the kitchen. To apply, send a letter, along with your registration form and deposit, describing your cooking or other RELEVANT experience. Please call or email for more details.

CHILDREN are welcome with a responsible adult (under 5, free; ages 5-12, $170; ages 13-17, $240). Paremts are responsible for their children. We will put the parents in touch with one another and if you would like, you may arrange programs for the children together.

BUFFALO GAP COMMUNITY CAMP is in Capon Bridge, WV, near Winchester, VA, about 2 hours west of Washington, DC. It is a rustic 200 acre camp with a beautiful, open-air, covered dance pavilion overlooking a small, private swimming lake with a sandy beach (bathing suits are optional) and a wood burning sauna at one end. Cabins are nestled in the hill surrounding the pavilion. Some are only screened in, others are more enclosed. The bathrooms facilities range from sinks and toilets in the cabin and group showers, to rennovated full bathrooms shared by 3 to 4 rooms. Expect to share a cabin with up to 8 people. You are welcome to bring a tent for more privacy.

DETAILS will be sent later. Don’t forget your SASE with your registration! If you fly, plan on arriving at Dulles Airport by 4 p.m. on Saturday. We can help you coordinate with other campers needing rental cars and, if possible, arranging rides.

ARRIVE at camp AFTER 5 p.m. on Saturday. Camp begins with dinner at 7 p.m. on SATURDAY, JULY 3 and ends on SATURDAY, JULY 10 after breakfast. You can plan flights home after 2 p.m. on Saturday.

SYLLABUS: You may pre-order dance ($4) or music ($6) syllabi by checking to appropriate box on the registration form. If you plan to take music (including singing) classes, it is best to pre-order.

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