History
As Nordic Fest celebrates its 40th anniversary in July of 2006, the Nordic Dancers also celebrate the same milestone. The Nordic Dancers are now 40 years old. The Nordic Fest was created to help celebrate Scandinavian heritage. The Nordic Dancers have been a part of this tradition from the beginning.
In 1967, Phyllis Leseth, then a member of the Nordic Fest Steering Committee, found a Luther College student from Norway, Sebjorn Rogne, who wanted to teach some young people folk dances for the second Nordic Fest. Twenty-four 7th grade students took classes once a week from Rogne. While Betty Hacker supervised the activity, the students were instructed in the various steps of three Norwegian folk dances. In May 1967, Sebjorn Rogne returned to Norway leaving the dancers with no director. Luckily Betty Hacker consented to take over the position and taught the dancers two more dances before the first annual Nordic Fest in July of that year.
Encouraged by the enthusiasm of the young people, Betty Hacker continued as director adding new groups of dancers along the way. The directors changed briefly in 1971-72 when two former dancers, Barb Forde and Don Sunde, took over. Hacker became director again in 1973 and retained the position until 1979.
All of the dance groups have become representatives of Decorah. They have performed in various locations around the United States and some groups have participated in tours abroad. Funding for the dance groups comes from honorariums for performances. For the special tours, extra fund raising events are held to defray costs.
The second group of Nordic Dancers, organized in 1969, were made up of twelve couples from the fourth grade. One of the highlights of this group's performing was their 1977 tour to Norway. By this time, the Dancers had a repertoire of forty dances, and practiced during the week before the school day began. During the tour, they performed in Hakksund, Fagerness, Volga, Sandane, Bergen, and in Oslo where they also appeared on national television.
The third group of Dancers organized in 1974. They toured several eastern cities in the US in 1982 including, Chicago, Fremont OH, Lancaster PA, Gettysburg, Pittsburg, and Washington D.C.
In 1979, Lois and Paul Christenson became the new directors and formed the fourth group of Nordic Dancers who were just finishing the third grade. They performed at various locations and festivals; among them are the Iowa State Fair, Governor's Awards Ceremony, Door County Midsummer Festival, and in 1985 at the Scandinavian Festival in Iowa City. This group traveled to Norway in 1988.
The sixth group, formed in 1989 came under the direction of Jon and Mary Hart. Beginning with that sixth group they were able to add orchestral accompaniment under the direction of Jeanette Spilde.
There are two groups of Nordic Dancers, the Senior and Junior group. Every five years a Senior group graduates, the Junior group becomes the Senior group, and third graders audition for the next Junior group of dancers. The current Senior directors are Ruth and Ken Procter. The current Junior directors are Ann and Jim Kephart and Deb and Kelly Reagan. The orchestra director is Jennifer Larson.
Past and Present Directors and Some of the Group Members
Group One 1966-69
Director: Betty Hacker
Twenty dancers including Lindy Borske-Hubbard, Craig Spilde, Kim Klocke, Steve Bahr, and Karla Soland
Group Two 1967-77
Director: Betty Hacker
Twenty-four dancers including Rod Dynes, John Sacquitne, Jim Lass, Mike Hacker, and Ann Jacobson went on a trip to Norway.
Group Three 1973-82
Directors: Betty Hacker and Paul and Lois Christenson
Twenty-four dancers including Shirley Jenkins Vermace, Karen Hacker, Jim Baker, Jim Kephart, Nathan Christenson, John Klosterboer, David Tweet, and Paula Reitan went on a trip to Washington D.C.
Group Four 1978-1988
Directors: Paul and Lois Christenson
Twenty-four dancers including Kyle Eckhart, Joanna Hover, Carter Hanson, Josh Sliwa, Heidi Bakken, Emily Gloe, and Khersten Roverud Heine went on a trip to Norway.
Group Five 1984-1993
Directors: Paul and Lois Christenson and Betty Hacker and Jon and Mary Hart
Orchestra Director: Jeanette Spilde
Thirty dancers and seven musicians including Laura Hart, B.J. Nichols, Rockne Cole, Laura McGrew, and Lea Donhowe went on a trip to Epcot Center, Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL.
Group Six 1989-98
Directors: Jon and Mary Hart
Orchestra Director: Jeanette Spilde
Twenty-four dancers and seven musicians including Liz Hart, Josh and Jake Hildebrand, and Beth Huinker went on a Carnival Cruise to Cozumel, Mexico and Epcot Center, Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL.
Group Seven 1994 - 2003
Directors: Elea Uhl, Jon and Mary Hart
Orchestra Director: Jeanette Spilde
Thirty-two Dancers and seven musicians went on trips to Estes Park, CO and Hawaii.
Group Eight 1999-2008
Directors: Ruth and Ken Procter
Orchestra Director: Jennifer Larson
Twenty-four dancers and seven musicians.
Group Nine 2004-2013
Directors: Ann and Jim Kephart and Deb and Kelly Reagan
Ochestra Director: Jennifer Larson
Thirty-two dancers and seven musicians.