Swedish Folkdansringen

Swedish Folkdansringen, (normally we just say Folkdansringen), was founded 1920 and has more than 385 groups all over the Swedish country. 21.000 members pursue activities covering the original folk culture, mainly focused on dance, music, traditional costumes and handy crafts.

Folkdansringen has vivid activities for all ages from 3 year and upwards. The prerequisite to achieve the goal for the Folkdansringen is that the elderly generations shall be able to share their knowledge of their and their ancestor's culture with the younger generations in a natural way. This is best achieved through normal association between the generations in day to day activities, as dance practices, travels and other arrangements the dance groups arrange. During dance practices we, by practical and pedagogical reasons, work in various ages groups.

The Folkdance

The Folkdansringen is most known through the folk dance. Dance is an extensive field of subject, in which the members gain a broad knowledge. The dance groups not only activate their own members, but also pursue widespread public activities with courses, performances and festivals.

In the different courses we study the history and development of dance. On conferences and exchanges between groups the dancers meet to learn from each others and to interchange experiences. The dances give, apart from exercise, also knowledge of your own body and how you control it in rhythmic movements - the joy of movements.

The Folk music
Music is an extensive subject. Folkdansringen has chosen to work with the music of folklore. We emphasize of course the combination between dance and music. The musicians, who are members of the Folkdansringen, participate in different ways in courses, seminaries, fiddler meetings and performances. Many of the groups also have their own groups of musicians.

The Zorn badge
Folkdansringen is responsible for the Zorn badge, an appreciated badge issued to merited musicians. The Zorn badge is the visible part of the gift that Emma Zorn handed over to Folkdansringen more than 60 years ago. Through yearly auditions for this badge the musicians are stimulated to preserve a genuine folkloric tradition. The musician that has earned the Zorn badge in silver has also the right to call himself riksspelman (musician of the country).

During the 1990's the interest for folk music increased considerably, not least among the youth. This trend has continued thanks to numerous courses, often under the production by Folkdansringen. Here the interested persons can learn how to build their own instrument, play on it, take care of if and enter deeply in the history of the instrument and the music.

National costumes
National costumes are another area of activity for many of the members of Folkdansringen. By learning the history of the national costumes, its social functions and how it has been carried at different occasions through the past, we want to create an understanding for the national costumes as such, but also show that the national costume has meant much for unifying the districts and as parish communion. Dresses, marking social affiliation as such are not a new phenomenon. A continuous research is ongoing to document the national costumes and practices around it in many areas of our country. In many places there is also cooperation with various organisations for domestic crafts.

Handicraft
Handicraft is an activity with close relations to the national costumes. But there are much more in handicraft and old traditional crafts. By stimulate creativity and fantasy it will be natural to preserve the old methods of crafts, learn the techniques and to keep them alive for the future. Craft methods as weaving, sewing, vegetable dyeing, silver forging, casting, straw craft and woodwork are some examples of areas where the members in Folkdansringen are active.

Manners and customs
Manners and customs in the past are also in focus within Folkdansringen. In many groups and districts there are sections working both with old habits as well as practice of today.

Research, chronicle and education are carrying on within Folkdansringen. This has resulted in an extensive material for education and several books. The result has been published by Folkdansringen, as well as in cooperation with other publishers and institutes.

The groups of Folkdansringen have freedom to act within the different areas of the organisation. This means that all groups have not the same activities. Mutual influence, comradeship, fellowship and understanding give freedom to create broad activities with many different subjects and fashion of the groups.

Exchanges and travels are popular activities among the groups of Folkdansringen. Every year there are tours to folk dance and folk music festivals both within Sweden and abroad. Destinations vary but through good international contacts there are travels and exchanges all over the world. These festivals, meetings and even conferences render rich opportunities to meet with other people, take part in their culture and share our own with them. This creates a basis for understanding over all borders.

International activities
The Folkdansringen is a member of various international organisations. In the Nordic cooperation we work in the NORDLEKRÅDET – the Nordic folk dance and folk music cooperation committee. Every third year this organisation arranges a Nordic folklore and fiddler meeting called NORDLEK. 
Outside the Nordic countries the cooperation is carried out within the Swedish Section of CIOFF (Conseil International des Organisations de Festivals de Folklore et d´rt Traditionnels) that is an international organisation for festivals and folklore. Through these two organisations we also get in contact with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Information and contact
If you want to know more of the Swedish Folkdansringen and all our groups and of our living roots, please contact our national secretariat.

The address is: Box 34056

SE-100 26 Stockholm

Phone 08-6950015

rikskansliet@folkdansringen.se

www.folkdansringen.se