Even though I like to dance just about any dance, I admit to having a few favorites.
One of them is Valdresspringar (the traditional "spring dance" native to the Valdres valley in Norway). I have no family from Valdres, so there is no historical or heritage connection for me. I simply like the dance!
In an earlier posting, I wrote about some archival footage of Valdresspringar taken in the USA in 1939. But I haven't yet shown you the dance as it is danced today.
Here's a very nice example of modern Valdresspringar. The dancers are Master Class dancers Anne Røine and Dag Hamre with Erik Røine playing the munnharpe (jews harp).
Valdresspringar is a dance that is in an asymmetrical beat of three. The beat is distinctive and found only in the Valdres valley. There is an emphasis on the second beat.
That said, there are some fiddle tunes that can be shared by the dancers from Valdres and Hallingdal. In those cases, the Valdres people dance in the inner circle and the Hallingdal people in the outer circle.
Røine is wearing one of the traditional bunads (regional costumes) from Valdres. Did you know that the plaids used in the Valdres and Gudbrandsdal stakk (traditional dresses) are registered as official tartans in Scotland? They are believed to be remembrances of tartans that may have been worn by the the Scottish mercenaries who invaded Norway in 1612 under the leadership of Ramsay and Sinclair — and by "invitation" of the Swedish king! They were soundly thrashed by the Norwegians at the Battle of Kringen in Gudbrandsdal.
The video is from Munnharpefestivalen 2008. That particular year was the 10th anniversary celebration of the festival and it took place in Oslo.
