Old dance variants of Gästrikland

Welcome to a workshop where you get to learn old variants of dances from Gästrikland, Southern Hälsingland and Western and Northwestern Dalarna. Among others you get to try "polska" från Åmot, "bondpolska" from Överhärde, three step walz from Hedesunda, "hoppsare med bakvinna" from Hedesunda and "polkett" from Årsunda. Except basic teaching of steps Benno Eriksson tells about his visits with dancers around the region, about what is documented about dances, about how to make different variants live on and also be spread. Benno also talkes about the expression "the frame of dancing", e.g. what else could have existed according to the dancers he learnt from, concerning a new way of thinking around the description of dancing. Tony Wrethling accompanies with music including telling us about the music. 

Benno Eriksson is a dancer and member of "Nordic Community for Research of folk dancing". He has made several field studies with an ambition to find different variants of dancing to folk music. This led to the book "As Before" (Som förr), where Benno tells about his experiences and where you find descriptions of around 40 different dances. 

The musician during the workshop is Tony Wretling, once awarded with the golden Zorn Badge. Since the seventees he has assembled a rich repertoire of songs from all over Gästrikland. Its musical tradition since the eighteenth century is difficult to play, something he does with love and certainty. He has also taken part of the gathering of dances and has also made music to some of the dances described in "As Before". 

Benno Eriksson, folk dancer and researcher of folk dancing

Tony Wretling, musician