The Fanatullen Folk Society of Red Deer is hosting a three-day Scandinavian Folk Dance Workshop at Festival Hall Sept. 15th to Sept. 17th. The deadline for registration is Sept. 8th.
The $100 registration fee includes three days of dance instruction by acclaimed folk dance instructors Mikkel Thompson from Sweden and Ginny Lee from the U.S.
Organizers say the talented duo will instruct the workshop participants in tur dans and gammeldan dance steps from Norway and Sweden.
“These are two really accomplished teachers in Scandinavian Folk Dancing,” said Carroll Borg, dance director with the Fanatullen Folk Society, adding the pair has also spent considerable time in Minnesota which has a huge Scandinavian population and really works to keep the culture alive as well.
The fee also includes Friday light supper, Saturday lunch, Saturday dinner dance and a Sunday farewell lunch.
The three-day event takes place at Festival Hall in Red Deer. Registration is in advance only.
For out of town workshop registrants a block of rooms have been set aside at Baymont Inn & Suites.
Advance tickets can be purchased for the dinner and dance separately for $45. This includes a dinner catered by Blue Sage, a performance demo by the certified instructors, a grand march and dancing to the terrific tunes of ‘Swe-Cana’ featuring Edwin Erickson, of the Edwin Erickson Orchestra who will be joined by Sophia Astrom and Jerkker Karlsson who both hail from Sweden.
The group will offer up mostly old-time Scandinavian dance music.
“Edwin has played with very many different musicians over the years,” said Borg.
Borg said that Thompson and Lee will do a demonstration prior to the dance as well.
“The dance will begin with the Grand March and some Scandinavian mixer dances. There will also be a short performance of Scandinavian Folk Dance by Mikkel Thomson and Ginny Lee,” noted a release.
Dance only tickets are being sold in advance for $15. All ticket sales cut-off on Sept. 8th as well.
Ultimately, it’s a terrific way also of celebrating the Fanatullen Folk Society’s 33rd anniversary in Red Deer, said Borg.
“We were registered as a Society in Alberta in 1984. So we have been learning, teaching and demonstrating Scandinavian Folk Dance for 33 years,” she said, adding the roots of the group go back even a bit further, but 1984 was the year that things were made ‘official’. Borg herself was one of the founding members of the Fanatullen Folk Society as well.
For more information, call 403-347-5303 and 403-341-4672 or email fanatullen@gmail.com.
