2005 Annual Workshops

Folklore Village, Dodgeville, WI, July 28 - July 31

Our 22nd annual HFAA annual workshop returned to Folklore Village Farm in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Set on the edge of a restored prairie 35 minutes west of Madison, Wisconsin, Folklore Village offered a lovely, rural setting for hardingfele classes, dance workshops, concerts, lectures, and our members’ annual meeting.

See photos of this event by Susan Brodie and Annamarie Pluhar.

For the first time we focused on the music and dance of Hallingdal. The fiddle music from Hallingdal is highly ornamented and very playful. The musicians in this deeply gouged valley spun tunes influenced by the neighboring districts of Telemark, Valdres, and Numedal. The tunes have an ecstatic, commanding quality that beckons dancers to their feet and fiddlers to their cases. The hallingspringar dance has elements to please all kinds of dancers: fast turns, elegant slow turns and couple turns, opportunities for guys to "show off" (or not), and polka steps. The beat is more even than rhythms of other hardingfele traditions, with a lilting, almost playful feel. The music has a bubbling energy just under the surface, waiting for the dancer to take it to its full potential. This exciting dance is very accessible to the first-time learner and is captivating to all levels of musicians and dancers.

We were delighted that Arne Anderdal, from Hemsedal in the valley of Hallingdal, was our master fiddler. Bjørn Lien & Sissel Rudningen taught us the hallingspringar dance, which has elements to please all kinds of dancers: fast turns, elegant slow turns and couple turns, and polka steps. Our American teachers were well known for their teaching skill. Participants shared an environment that has been called “the warmest and most supportive in North America!”

All activities took place at Folklore Village. The beautiful, air-conditioned Farwell Hall has a spacious sprung-wooden dance floor and separate classrooms for fiddle instruction. Nearby, the Plum Grove Church (1882) offers excellent acoustics for small lectures or classes. Bunkhouses offer simple accommodations, as does the tenting area.

The master teachers for this year's annual event were:

Arne Anderdal— Hallingdal fiddling

Bjørn Lien — Hallingspringar dance

Sissel Rudningen — Hallingspringar dance

The American teachers for the event were:

Andrea Een — Hardingfele

Loretta Kelley — Hardingfele

Karen Solgård — Hardingfele

Bruce Emery — Valdresspringar dance

Post-Workshop Concert in Madison

After the conclusion of the annual workshop, Arne Arnedal, Sissel Rudningen, and Bjørn Lien played a concert Sunday evening, July 31, in Madison.