Nordic Folk Dancing and Traditionl Social Dancing -- see also Alpine Dancing

[ Nordic = Denmark Estonia Finland Iceland Norway Sweden ]

Danish Performance Group Toronto (Meets (usually) first 3 Fridays each month at Danish Church.)

Finnish Performance Group Toronto (part of SISU Toronto Finnish Athletic Club) (Meets most Sunday evenings at Agricola Church.)

Finnish Performance Group Vancouver (Videos + more)
Videos: Kikari, Hermanni Jamiina, Paimenplikan Valssi

Interesting article on Finnish Folk Dance History

Excerpts:
... Finnish folk dances are mostly variations of old court and ballroom dances once fashionable all over Europe; only in this remote corner of the continent they have been better preserved than elsewhere. ... The minuet originated in the 17th century at the French court, where the dancing masters modelled it after an old French folk dance from Poitou. ... The "polska" originated in Poland and came to Finland by way of Sweden in the 17th century. ... In the couple polska the dancers did not move around the room but stayed in the same place the whole dance through. ... At the end of the 17th century the French adopted English country dances, calling them ... "contre danses anglaises". ... "Purpuri" (potpourri) is the name given to long ceremonial dances which probably originated in a series of small dances. ... couple dances had been popular ever since the Middle Ages, ... In the study of Finnish folklore three distinctly different regions emerge: the Swedish-speaking coast, the Orthodox areas of Karelia in the east, and the rest of Finland. ... about 90% of the dances are in double time. ... A special feature of the 1990s has been a number of folk dance groups which have more or less abandoned the traditional folk dances and concentrated their efforts in creating and performing new stage dances based on folkloric motives. ...

Norwegian Traditional Music and Dance Association

Swedish Performance Group Toronto

Resources

Video

Snoa Demonstration of several variations
081010 Lohaerad: Allspel Snurran Snoa
Kulingarna: Snoa nr 2
Kulingarna: Snoa nr 3 (couple doing reverse threestep turns: 28-46 1:17-1:28 1:58-2:08)
Kulingarna: Snoa nr 4
Kulingarna: Schottis nr 1
Kulingarna: Vals nr 2 159bpm
Kulingarna: Hambo nr 2 111bpm
Hambo 128bpm
Snurrebocken 168bpm
Kulingarna: Polka nr 4 215bpm (smooth flowing round turns, like Alpine)
Swedish Dance Videos

Jenkka Arto & Cecilia
Jenkka Finns dance the Jenkka at the Tangomarkkinat, Seinajoki in 2001
Finnish Polka (Polkka) performance
Finnish Polka (Polkka) demonstration Arto & Cecilia
Finnish Polka (Polkka) demonstration
Trava demonstration
Humppa Arto & Cecilia
Humppa Humppa dancers at the final afternoon of the 2009 Tangomarkkinat, Seinajoki, Finland.
Masurkka Arto & Cecilia
The Flourishing Art of Folk Dance in Finland (16 minutes)
Menuett Oravais Pargas Folkdansare dansat Menuett och polska fran Oravais
Ellin Polkka and Suvitunnelma by Kiikurit Finnish Folk Dancers from Thunder Bay.

Text

What Scandinavian Folk Dance Is
Wapedia: Gammaldans
Wapedia: Humppa
Wapedia: Polska
Wapedia: List of dances sorted by ethnicity
Folkedans.com
The Finnish Dance Server

Snoa Description
Snoa Description
Technique
Suomalainen Polkka Description (Tracie: Finnish Polkka, Swedish Polkett)
Suomalainen Polkka Description (Finnish Dance Server: Finnish Polkka)
Turning Couple Dances

Alpine Only 
Zwiefach                             :                    (c.f. To Ting)
Alpine+Nordic 
Dreher                               :                              Snoa 
Deutscher_Dreher, Dreischritt_Dreher : Hambo, Trava, Koera, Snurrebocken
Landler, Walzer                      :                      Vals, Valssi
Boarisch, Polka                      :                  Schottis, Jenkka
Schottisch                           :                     Polka, Humppa
Nordic Only 
(c.f. Deutscher Dreher)              :                          Pols(ka)


Peter at dancing dot org