Special Events

May 6th: Special Guest from Hallingdal: Fiddler Arne Anderdal - and Paul Morrissett will play! 

March 24th: Paul Morrisset will play! Knut Aastad Bråten from Valdres will join us for some Valdres dancing!

May 26th: Bruce Sagan & Lydia ievins!

CD release party!

Bruce Sagan & lydia ievins will be playing music from their new album Northlands -- which is new fiddle tunes in traditional Scandinavian styles. 
Bruce Sagan is a respected teacher and performer of traditional Scandinavian fiddle music, much sought after throughout the US. His previous two recordings have found critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic; the Swedish magazine Spelmannen wrote that he played "som en inföding" ("like a native"), high praise in a country where it is often felt that you should only play tunes from your own village.

lydia ievins plays fiddle for Scandinavian, contra, and English Country dancing in New England and beyond. Her love for creating rich harmonic lines led her into exploring the vibrant traditions of Swedish fiddling, and thence into taking up the nyckelharpa. She infuses her playing with musicality, grace and precision.

Northlands draws together a collection of our original tunes, inspired by our shared passion for Scandinavian fiddle traditions and composed in traditional styles. Waltzes, schottises, polskas, and more -- in rich twin-fiddle harmonies, played on fiddles and nyckelharpas.

Past events:

Valdres Extravaganza

To get ready for Knut, we'll be working on Valdresspringar at our 
dance sessions the next 2 Thursdays (note the change of day; still at  Town & Village Synagogue). 

On Thurs. Oct. 16, Chad Selberg and Susan Brodie will teach and Petra Kirstein will play. Teaching will start at 8pm.

On Wednesday, Oct. 29, we'll have a special guest teacher from  Norway. Knut Aastad Br�ten (see pic below) will show us cool moves from Valdres. Knut and his twin brother, Ole, grew up in Valdres and both of them are great dancers and langeleik players. Ole has taught at Mendocino and Buffalo Gap Scandinavian camps. Knut is currently the editor of Spelemannsbladet, the Norwegian folk music &  dance magazine. Knut is coming to NYC to "experience the national   election", and we are lucky that he can join us for even a few hours. 
Come early! Note this will be our 1st session back dancing on 
Wednesdays. 7 PM, at Town &  Village Synagogue, 334 East 14th Street  (betw. 1st & 2nd Aves.), in Manhattan.
BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. KNUT WILL BE TAKING PHOTOS OF US DANCING TO PUBLISH IN SPELEMANNSBLADET IN NORWAY!!!

There will still be lots of time for Swedish dancing to the music of  our great spelmanslag.

Wednesday, September 2008:

Wednesday, February 27th 2008:
Danish fiddle/guitar duo, Harald Haugaard and Morten Alfred Hoirup will be with us! This is the 10th anniversary of their first performance in the US and their only appearance in NYC this time around. They'll play, teach and give us a short concert.

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Wednesday, January 23rd 2008:

Special Guests from Norway: Dancer Karin Brennesvik and Hardanger Fiddle Player Kenneth de Gala

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Wednesday, December 19:

Party night. Grammy winner Paul Morrissett will play!

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Wednesday, November 28:

Karin Brennesvik, widely acknowledged and experienced dance instructor from Norway, will teach Numedal springar/gangar! You can see her also at the Christmas Revels http:/www.nyrevels.org Grammy winner Paul Morrissett will play!

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October 6th 2007:

Scandia New York dances in Central Park for Grete's Great Gallop.

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September 24 2007: Emma and Alicia

Emma and Alicia will be playing energetic tunes from Dalarna and beyond for our dancing delight on September 24! They will join us after the regular teaching session at 7:45.
See and hear more about them here:

http://www.emmareid.se/

Emma on Myspace

Alicia on Myspace

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January 24 2007: Guest Fiddler Torgeir Straand

Special Telespringar evening with guest fiddler!

Telespringar teaching from 7:00 - 8:00 by Doug and Cathie

Dancing 8:00 - 10:30 Norwegian, with a break for Swedish

Torgeir Straand, from B�, Telemark, is among the most brilliant of the younger generation of hardingfele players. His playing is inspired by the great B� fiddlers who preceded him including Jens and Alfred Amundsen, Gunnar Innlegen and Anund Roheim.
Torgeir has just this year released his first solo CD, 'Den G�rne B�heringen.'
Torgeir came with his fiancee, Sara Fjaagesund, who is a good fiddler herself (a student of Torunn Raftevold Rue, who visited us last January). They both also came to the Vermont ski-dance weekend, Torgeir as fiddler as Sara assisting Olav Sem with dance instruction (Telespringar and gangar).