First and Third Fridays of each month
TIME:: Teaching 7:30 - 8:30, Open dancing 8:30 - 11:00
LOCATION: Cedar Valley Grange, 20526-52nd Ave. West, Lynnwood
Skandia Members $7, Guests $10
First Friday Dance, 3 September
The first Friday in September will start off your Labor Day weekend with Dansaspel from Bellingham: Carol Olson (fiddle), Liz Gabay (fiddle), Kimberly Topolski (viola, mandolin, fiddle), and Collin Topolski (accordion). They will play a mixture of gammaldans and bygdedans, along with several mixers.
Jerry and Judy will teach Åtabaks polska before the dance. This is a moderate-tempo polska from the Föllinge area.
—Frank Brown
First Friday Dance, 1 October
Bring your children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews—and don’t forget the neighbors and their children—to the first Skandia Family Dance on Friday, 1 October! You say you don’t have a younger child to bring with you? Come anyway and help make this an event to remember!
Beginning at 6 p.m., families will be able to munch on pizza and salad (as long as supplies last) while learning about traditional Scandinavian instruments and participating in various crafts. At 7 p.m., musicians will lead the party-goers upstairs, where Bart Brashers and Eileen Little, both experienced dance teachers, will lead families in an hour and a half of participatory dancing, accompanied by live music provided by Lilla Spelmanslag. Lilla Spelmanslag, directed by Martha Levenson, is the children’s fiddle group sponsored by the Nordic Heritage Museum. It includes 18 players ages 5 through 17. The group plays traditional Scandinavian dance tunes with energy and poise, and they have a great time doing it! Dances will be geared for everyone ages 4 and up—no dance experience is necessary!
Immediately following the Family Dance will be the
regular first Friday dance at 8:30 p.m., and those who
needn’t run home with tired little ones are welcome to stay. We’ll begin with several mixers and accessible dances to ensure that all who want to dance can do so. Bob Hamilton will be our esteemed emcee for the evening and will help to ensure that a good time is had by all!
—Silje Sodal
Third Friday Dance, 17 September
For the third Friday, we will enjoy the music of Nordic
Exposure from Olympia. The band formed in 1991 with Karen (flute) and Jane (accordion). Laurie joined a couple of years later, and Jeff (fiddle) hooked up when they met in 1999. Karen, Jeff, and Jane have been to Scandinavia
numerous times to music camps and festivals. Nordic
Exposure’s focus is on gammaldans (and an occasional “Olle” joke from Jeff).
Before the third Friday dance in September, Larry Reinert and partner will teach “Flaks,” a Norwegian snoa variation, and other Norwegian gammaldans variations.
—Frank Brown
Driving directions to Cedar Valley Grange.....
From I-5, take exit 179 (northbound or southbound). Drive east on 220th to the stop sign at 52nd, then a short mile north to the Cedar Valley Grange on your left.
Fifth Friday Dance
(none currently scheduled)
Directions to Epiphany Chapel......
From Highway 520, take the Montlake exit, cross 24th St to Lake Washington Blvd, and drive through the Arboretum. Cross Madison at the light and continue to 32nd Ave (marked by a yellow fire light). Turn right on 32nd; go down the hill past Martin Luther King Jr. School, and up the other side. At the “Do Not Enter” sign, take a sharp left turn uphill onto East Denny Way. At the top of the hill (34th Ave), bear left. The church is on the right side of Denny between 37th and 38th Aves; the address is 1805 38th Ave. The dance hall is on the second floor. Take the walkway past the church parking lot, and go to the second building on your left.