Familjevalsen

FAMILJEVALSEN
Swedish

PRONUNCIATION: fah-MILL-yeh-vahl-sehn

TRANSLATION: Family waltz

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Gordon Engler at the 1965 Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference. Lawton Harris, having learned this dance from dancers from Sweden in 1939, presented it at the 1948 Stockton Folk Dance Camp. Gordon Ekvall Tacie learned it in Sweden in 1948 and presented it at the first session of Skandia Folkdance Club, Seattle, Washington, in 1949.

BACKGROUND: Although the variant described here is Swedish, this lively circle mixer has long been a favorite throughout the Northern Countries.

MUSIC: Aqua Viking (45rpm) V 830;
Aqua Viking (45rpm) V-830B;
Folklore Village (45rpm) FLV-7801B;
RCA FAS-663 - RCA LPM-9910 (B-1);
Musica (LP) 214, "Osa Plays Old Time Dance Melodies;"
Tanz (EP) 58 401;
or any of several Scandinavian vals selections.

FORMATION: Cpls in a cir facing ctr, W on M R, with hands joined at shldr height in "W" pos. The dancer on the M L and the dancer on the W R are called their "corner" dancer.

METER/RHYTHM: 3/4

STEPS/STYLE: WALTZ BALANCE: Step swd (ct 1); close free ft while raising heels slightly off the floor (ct 2); lower heels (ct 3). May be done starting R or L.
WALTZ TURN: This step takes two meas to complete and is described for the M; W beg the two meas with the action of meas 2. Step L fwd, turning L toe slightly inward (ct 1); turning 1/4 CW, step R (ct 2); turning 1/4 CW, close L to R, taking wt (ct 3). Step R fwd, turning R toe slightly outward (ct 1); turning 1/4 CW, step L (ct 2); turning 1/4 CW, close R to L taking wt (ct 3).
The style is lively with gracefulness.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

None.

I. BALANCE TO CORNER AND PARTNER

1 Beg M L and W R, dance one Waltz Balance, turning to face corner with a smile.

2 Beg M R and W L, dance one Waltz Balance, turning to face ptr with a smile.

3-4 Repeat action of meas 1-2.

II. WALTZ TURN WITH CORNER

1-4 Breaking the cir formation but retaining handhold with corner, assume Closed Pos (Swedish style is with M L and W R joined hands held straight out from shldrs, W R hand palm down, M L hand grasping her fingers over the top of her hand), and dance 4 Waltz steps (2 complete Waltz Turn steps) CW while moving CCW around the dance area in LOD.

At the end of the 4th Waltz step, each cpl opens to face the ctr of the cir with W on M R and the dance is repeated with new corner, changing ptrs on each 8 meas.

Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes

FAMILJEVALSEN Swedish

PRONUNCIATION:	fah-MILL-yeh-vahl-sehn

TRANSLATION:	Family waltz

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Gordon Engler at the 1965 Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference. Lawton Harris, having learned this dance from dancers from Sweden in 1939, presented it at the 1948 Stockton Folk Dance Camp. Gordon Ekvall Tacie learned it in Sweden in 1948 and presented it at the first session of Skandia Folkdance Club, Seattle, Washington, in 1949.

BACKGROUND:	Although the variant described here is Swedish, this lively circle mixer has long been a favorite throughout the Northern Countries.

MUSIC:	Aqua Viking (45rpm) V 830; Aqua Viking (45rpm) V-830B; Folklore Village (45rpm) FLV-7801B; RCA FAS-663 - RCA LPM-9910 (B-1); Musica (LP) 214, "Osa Plays Old Time Dance Melodies;" Tanz (EP) 58 401; or any of several Scandinavian vals selections.

FORMATION:	Cpls in a cir facing ctr, W on M R, with hands joined at shldr height in "W" pos. The dancer on the M L and the dancer on the W R are called their "corner" dancer.

METER/RHYTHM:	3/4

STEPS/STYLE:	WALTZ BALANCE: Step swd (ct 1); close free ft while raising heels slightly off the floor (ct 2); lower heels (ct 3). May be done starting R or L. WALTZ TURN: This step takes two meas to complete and is described for the M; W beg the two meas with the action of meas 2. Step L fwd, turning L toe slightly inward (ct 1); turning 1/4 CW, step R (ct 2); turning 1/4 CW, close L to R, taking wt (ct 3). Step R fwd, turning R toe slightly outward (ct 1); turning 1/4 CW, step L (ct 2); turning 1/4 CW, close R to L taking wt (ct 3). The style is lively with gracefulness.

MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

	None.

I.	BALANCE TO CORNER AND PARTNER

1	Beg M L and W R, dance one Waltz Balance, turning to face corner with a smile.
2	Beg M R and W L, dance one Waltz Balance, turning to face ptr with a smile.
3-4	Repeat action of meas 1-2.

II.	WALTZ TURN WITH CORNER

1-4	Breaking the cir formation but retaining handhold with corner, assume Closed Pos (Swedish style is with M L and W R joined hands held straight out from shldrs, W R hand palm down, M L hand grasping her fingers over the top of her hand), and dance 4 Waltz steps (2 complete Waltz Turn steps) CW while moving CCW around the dance area in LOD.

	At the end of the 4th Waltz step, each cpl opens to face the ctr of the cir with W on M R and the dance is repeated with new corner, changing ptrs on each 8 meas.
Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes