50 years of Nordic Dancers

Nordic Dancers performing near Vesterheim during the 2004 Nordic Fest parade

In an earlier post, more was shared about Nordic Dancer founding director Betty Hacker. The Nordic Dancers have been an integral part of Nordic Fest for its entire history. Student dancers are now selected during the spring of their third grade year and generally spend age eight through age eighteen dancing together. The addition of live orchestra music with the fifth group of dancers brought this beloved tradition to an even higher level of excellence. 

There is generally a senior and junior group of dancers performing at each Nordic Fest. Every five years, when the senior group of Nordic Dancers graduates high school, a new group of third graders is organized. 

Brief highlights of the Nordic Dancer groups over five decades include:

• Group one included 20 student dancers, directed by Betty Hacker, who performed together from 1967 to 1972.
• Group two included 24 student dancers, also directed by Betty Hacker, who performed together from 1969 to 1978.
• Group three included 24 student dancers, directed by Betty Hacker as well as Pastor Paul and Lois Christenson. This group performed together from 1973 to 1982.
• Group four included 24 student dancers, directed by Pastor Paul and Lois Christenson. This group performed together from 1978 to 1988. 
• Group five included 30 student dancers and 7 musicians. The musicians were directed by Jeanette Spilde and the dancers by Betty Hacker, Pastor Paul and Lois Christsenson, as well as Jon and Mary Hart. Theses students performed together from 1984 to 1993. 
• Group six included 24 student dancers and 7 musicians. The musicians were directed by Jeanette Spilde and the dancers by Jon and Mary Hart. These students performed together from 1989 to 1998.
• Group seven included 32 students dancers and 7 musicians. The musicians were directed by Jeanette Spilde and the dancers by Ela Uhl, as well as Jon and Mary Hart. These students performed together from 1994 to 2003. 
• Group eight included 24 student dancers and 7 musicians, directed by Ken Procter & Ruth Procter, as well as Jennifer Larson. These students performed together from 1999 to 2008.
• Group nine included 32 student dancers and 7 musicians. Musicians were directed by Jennifer Larson and the dancers by Jim & Ann Kephart, as well as Deb & Kelly Reagan. These students performed together from 2004 to 2013. 
• Group ten, the current senior group of Nordic Dancers includes 30 student dancers and the usual musicians. Directors are Jim & Ann Kephart, as well as Dwayne & Lisa Lundtvedt. This group started performing together in 2008.
• Group eleven, the current junior group of Nordic Dancers includes 36 student dancers who performed at their first Nordic Fest in 2014. They are directed by Amy Bruening, Elizabeth Bruening, Jeni Holtan Grouws and David Grouws. 

In addition to being a highlight of each Nordic Fest, these eleven groups have served as Decorah and Nordic Fest ambassadors across Iowa, the United States and in Norway several times. 

Were you a Nordic Dancer? If so, what memories would you like to share?

Are you a Nordic Dancer fan? What is your favorite dance? 

How are Nordic Fest Crowds Estimated?

Photo taken along Water Street in Decorah following the 2008 Nordic Fest parade

After the first Nordic Fest in 1967, headlines announced stunning sized crowd of 37,000 attended. News reports from some successive Nordic Fests reported even larger crowds. 

How was this number determined? 

There is the challenge of most Nordic Fest events not being gated and/or requiring an admission fee, which means there are not generally tickets or hard data to be officially counted. While pieces of Nordic Fest like the Historic Homes Tours and the early Fly-In Breakfasts had official attendance data, this does not capture many who are out enjoying non-ticketed activities each year. 

It appears that from 1967 through 1982, the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce, which recently celebrated its 90th year, used available tourism tools and tips to estimate the number of people in Decorah each day of Nordic Fest. Daily estimates were combined to come up with the estimated attendees each year. 

Here's an example of one year's estimates, from the 1971 Nordic Fest:

• 12,000 people in town Friday
• 32,000 people in town Saturday
• 10,000 people in town Sunday
• 54,000 total estimated attendance, 1971 Nordic Fest 

Although this plan means many attendees were estimated more than once, this is consistent, for example, with the gated Iowa State Fair where daily attendance totals are counted and combined, even if there are people who attend all ten days of that event.

Even with the standards for estimating used by the Chamber for the first 16 years of Nordic Fest, the process was an absolutely inexact science. With that said, the streets of Decorah remain quite full during each Nordic Fest, especially when the weather cooperates, as it often does.  

Even using much more conservative estimates for attendance, Nordic Fest has likely had at least one million people enjoy its non-commercial ethnic fun over the course of nearly 50 years. Impressive! 

Family Support: The Foundation for a Successful Nordic Fest Board

The board members of the 20th Nordic Fest in 1986, as pictured during the parade. 

Photo courtesy of Cam Forde.

For nearly 50 years, an all-volunteer board of directors has been meeting, planning and working hard year round to ensure a great Nordic Fest for all each July. In 1997. a series of interviews done with Nordic Fest board presidents revealed a key element that laid the foundation for their success at making things happen: a supportive family network. Interview excerpts on this theme include:

"My family and friends were always very supportive of anything I did. We essentially felt that since we had a business in the community and were supported by the community that we should give something back. My husband Sam was always so busy with the restaurant that it kind of fell on my shoulders to be the community volunteer in the family. The kids loved Nordic Fest and thought it was great fun to ride in the parade with mom." Sue Miller, 15th Nordic Fest board president (1981)

"Serving on the board gives one an insight into the Nordic Fest that cannot be fully appreciated by anyone else - except perhaps your immediate family. They were very supportive during my tenure - and especially the last year as president. That had to become the number one priority for us all," Jane Bullard, 25th Nordic Fest board president (1991)

"My family was incredible. They have given so much. I often ask them to sacrifice. Maybe they're used to it but they helped me a lot during the Fest. The people I worked with at school were also very understanding. I hope my son and daughter will be a part of something like this in the communities they become a part of some day." Clark Goltz, 30th Nordic Fest board president (1996)

To all the Nordic Fest board members past and present and their supportive families, thank you for 50 years of making things happen, year-round. 

Pride in Heritage: A Nordic Fest Discovery

Chris Forde, son of former Nordic Fest board president Cam Forde, as well as grandson of Nordic Fest founder Phyllis Leseth carrying the official Nordic Fest flag during a Saturday morning parade in the mid-1980's. Photo courtesy the Forde family. 

Nordic Fest includes many wonderful examples of generations of family members each finding their own important ways to serve and contribute. One such example is Cam (Leseth) Forde, who was married shortly after her mother Phyllis helped lead the first Nordic Fest to the smashing success it was. 

Cam served her own leadership roles with Nordic Fest on the board and as president. It was a particularly meaningful moment when her son Chris carried the flag int he parade, as pictured above. In a 1997 interview, Cam had this to say about how Nordic Fest helped her discover pride in her heritage:

"Before Nordic Fest, I guess I wasn't as proud of my heritage as I could be. The first time I became aware of my heritage was when I was in elementary school and we lived in Illinois. We had a teacher who assigned everyone to find out where everyone was from and we would mark it on our work map. So I went home and talked about being Norwegian with my parents and that was the first time I knew I was Norwegian.

Then we moved to Decorah when I was in the seventh grade. At that time, I began to understand what it means to be Norwegian. I am the only one in my family who has not been to Norway and I hope to go some day. I now have a real sense of history about Norwegians and who these people really were. This has come mainly through Nordic Fest and the Museum. Pride in ethnic heritage is a wonderful thing. 

We need to keep on going with those people from the past and continue to be proud of where we come from, as well as where we're going. Our ancestors did not abandon their heritage and I think it's wonderful that we celebrate their heritage and carry it through for all generations to come. Decorah has a great sense of community and for this town to carry off every year a celebration of this magnitude I think is wonderful." 

Thank you Cam, for the important role you and your entire family have played in carrying off a celebration of this magnitude! 

Volunteers: A Nordic Fest Success Seed (Part II)

Peg Wright at her family home in September 2014

Continuing the recent theme of #nordicfest50 input from Decorah's Wright family, Peg Wright shared the following thoughts on the community spirit she saw come together with the first Nordic Fest in 1967.

When asked what Nordic Fest meant to her, her first answer was "hard work," an answer many volunteers would no doubt give over the five decades. Peg continued: 

"It was always fun for most of us at that time. Usually somebody you knew was involved, and you got acquainted with different people that way too. Decorah has always been great on that. We've always had great volunteers here."

Peg's son, David, Jr. added, "And people like us who are not Norwegian at all got sucked right into the whole thing." 

After David Jr.'s comments, Peg added with a laugh, "Like I say, if you can't beat them, you've got to join them!" 

It is worth noting that as the first Nordic Fest was being planned, young David Jr., a student with Decorah Community Schools, was helping Dr. Marion Nelson create the first formal catalog of items for the Norwegian American Museum. 

Nordic Fest remains virtually entire volunteer-driven after five decades. It would be difficult to accurately report how many people and how many hours have made this special non-commercial celebration happen each year. The Wright family is a wonderful example of this Decorah spirit, and there are many, many families like them in the community. 

What Decorah Nordic Fest volunteer experiences do you have to share? 

Heritage: A Nordic Fest Success Seed (Part I)

Peg Wright at her family home in September 2014. She is sitting near an art piece with the Norwegian Royal Coat of Arms created for a 1939 dinner for Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Martha held in the same room.

Peg Wright is a wonderful example of how nearly everyone in Decorah played their part and worked hard to establish the first Nordic Fest and lay the foundations for its success over nearly 50 years. 

Among her many contributions, Peg and her late husband Dr. David volunteered their home to be part of the first Historic Home Tours, as reviewed in last week's post. She also served as chair of the first National Rosemaling Exhibition during the first Nordic Fest. The Wright family dedicated massive time and effort to moving forward the mission of Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. 

David and Peg Wright made Decorah their home in 1954 following David's two tours of duty in Korea. It was during those early experiences in Decorah where Peg observed the seeds for the long standing success of Nordic Fest at the Winneshiek County Fair, retold here in her own words:

"My husband always liked to go to the county fair. He liked to go and see the animals that the 4-H kids brought. So we went. I was astonished to see that in almost every area - the kids each have their area to bring their pigs, their cows, their lambs - in practically every one sat a Norwegian trunk. They were using it for their supplies. Those trunks had been sitting in the barn. I came out of there just sort of amazed." 

The high concentration of people with Norwegian heritage in Decorah, as Peg observes, was one important seed for the future success of Nordic Fest. The timing of the first Nordic Fest also coincided well with the shift in American culture that took place after Peg saw all the trunks at the fair when antiques and cultural heritage were generally more appreciated. 

Home Tours at Nordic Fest: Norwegian and Decorah History

The Wright family home, one of the homes on the first Nordic Fest homes tour in 1967, photo taken September 2014

One of the favorite attractions during early Nordic Fest years were the Historic Home Tours sponsored by the Tuesday Evening Hospital Unit. Tickets were $1.00 each in 1967. Shoes and smoking were not permitted in the homes. A total of 1,224 people attended tours at four homes at the first Nordic Fest. 

Among the homes on tour the first year was the resident of Dr. D.W. and Peg Wright at 404 Fifth Avenue in Decorah. Those who toured this home in 1967 received an information sheet that read as follows:

This home was built in 1892 by Dr. Axel Christian Smith, an immigrant from Norway, and one of the first physicians for Luther College. Dr. Thrond Stabo was the next owner of the house for a period of forty years. During that time, the Stabos entertained Crown Prince Olaf, the present King of Norway. Mrs. Wright has a plaque in the front entry of this house commemorating the event.

Dr. Stabo was the Norwegian Vice Consul for Iowa.  In that capacity, he entertained many celebrities from Norway in addition to the Norwegian royals, among these were Roald Amundsen; Fridtjof Nansen; Norwegian Bishops Stoylen and Lunde; Ambassador Wilhelm Morgenstierne; C.J. Hambro, President of the League of Nations Assembly; Arne Kildal, General Secretary of Nordmanns-Forbundet; and many others. 

Dr. Stabo was chairman of the Luther College Board of Regents and was knighted by King Haakon VII of Norway. He founded the Symra Literary Society in the front room of the house at Fifth Avenue and Center Street. 

Peg Wright shared the extensive Norwegian history of the home she and her late husband purchased in 1954, which is now occupied by her son and daughter-in-law, David Jr. and Jeanne during a lovely recent visit with the #nordicfest50 team. 

Additional homes on the 1967 tours were:

• Residence of Tom and Florence Lynch at 301 Upper Broadway
• Residence of L.J. and Helen Bodensteiner at 509 West Broadway
• Resident of Mr. and Mrs. B.B. Anundsen, 709 East Main Street 

The Historic Home tours continued at Nordic Fest until 1980, creating 13 years of impact for unfunded needs at the Winneshiek County Memorial Hospital in Decorah. These tours served as a predecessor to Decorah distinctions like the designation of the Broadway-Phelps Park Historic District in 1976.