Snoa (Klubba)

SNOA
Swedish

PRONUNCIATION: SNOO-ah

TRANSLATION: Pivot dance

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Gordon E. Tracie who learned it in Sweden in 1948 and taught it at the 1965 Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference, the 1977 North Country Folk Dance Camp, and the 1980 San Diego State University Folk Dance Conference. Dave Rosenberg taught it at the 1960 Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference, Ingvar Sodal taught it at the 1971 San Diego State College Folk Dance Conference and the 1973 International Folk Dance Symposium in Eugene, Oregon.

BACKGROUND: Snoa is an old-time Swedish couple dance that has counterparts in Denmark called "Svejtrit," and in Norway called "Rull" or "Rudl," and is a cousin to the Bavarian and Austrian Dreher. Snoa, the name the dance is known by in southern Sweden, is known as "Slunga" in the north. It is also known as "Klubba." Around the Stockholm area at old-time dance gatherings, the orchestras often play a polka (or Polkett) followed by the Snoa.
In Stockholm, the Snoa is an alternate dance to the Polkett. At old-time dance gatherings, it is the usual practice for the orchestra to play two selections for each "tip" of rhythms. In the case of teh Polka, a simple dancing of very small polka steps is danced during the first selection, and as a contrast, a walk and pivot is done to the second selection.
Though there is no pattern to remember, nor complex step to master, the Snoa should not be automatically relegated to the "simple elementary" category. A good smooth pivot takes practice.

MUSIC: Aqua Viking (45rpm) V 820, "Berslags Polka;"
RCA (LP) INTS 1359, "Dans På Svenska," side 2, band 1;
Odeon (LP) E 054-34262, "Dans I Dalom," side 1, band 2 and side 2, band 3;
or any of several Swedish Snoa selections.

FORMATION: Cpls facing CCW around the dance area, W to M R in "Conversation" or Open Shoulder-Waist pos: M R arm around W waist, W L hand on M R shldr, outside hands hang freely at sides OR are on hip, fingers fwd.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4

STEPS/STYLE: WALK: Beg outside ft, and taking two steps to a meas, walk fwd CCW in LOD with light springy steps.
TRANSITION: On the first ct of any fourth meas in a phrase, M take a short jump to both ft with a stamping action instead of a step L (ct 1); M step R fwd, turning R toe outward to R (ct 2). W, during this meas, step R,L fwd (cts 1,2).
PIVOT: Assuming closed pos (see below), cpls make one revolution per meas with two pivoting steps, M L,R and W R,L. Knees are slightly bent and there is a lilting lightness during the turn.
Styles vary with the individual dancer or couple and eventually each finds his own favorite mode. Generally speaking, it is will to have the music on the slow side, rather than too fast, in order to capture the proper "lilt" of the dance.

MEAS FREESTYLE MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

THE DANCE

The dance starts with an unlimited number of Walk steps in LOD. When the M determines, and on the last meas of a four-meas phrase, M dances the Transition into a closed Swedish Folkdance Hold: Ptrs almost facing with M R arm around W waist, W L hand on M R shldr, M L arm bent and forearm parallel to floor with palm upward and holding W upper arm near elbow, W R arm nearly straight out from her shldr with her hand holding his upper arm near his elbow. Cpl now dances an unlimited number of Pivot steps, turning CW and moving CCW in LOD.
When the M determines, the cpl may open into the Open Shoulder-Waist Pos by the M simply continuing to Walk fwd in LOD and allowing the W to open outward, stopping her outward rotation by FIRM pressure with his R hand in the small of her back.
Dance repeats at M discretion.

Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes

SNOA Swedish

PRONUNCIATION:	SNOO-ah

TRANSLATION:	Pivot dance

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Gordon E. Tracie who learned it in Sweden in 1948 and taught it at the 1965 Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference, the 1977 North Country Folk Dance Camp, and the 1980 San Diego State University Folk Dance Conference. Dave Rosenberg taught it at the 1960 Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference, Ingvar Sodal taught it at the 1971 San Diego State College Folk Dance Conference and the 1973 International Folk Dance Symposium in Eugene, Oregon.

BACKGROUND:	Snoa is an old-time Swedish couple dance that has counterparts in Denmark called "Svejtrit," and in Norway called "Rull" or "Rudl," and is a cousin to the Bavarian and Austrian Dreher. Snoa, the name the dance is known by in southern Sweden, is known as "Slunga" in the north. It is also known as "Klubba." Around the Stockholm area at old-time dance gatherings, the orchestras often play a polka (or Polkett) followed by the Snoa. In Stockholm, the Snoa is an alternate dance to the Polkett. At old-time dance gatherings, it is the usual practice for the orchestra to play two selections for each "tip" of rhythms. In the case of teh Polka, a simple dancing of very small polka steps is danced during the first selection, and as a contrast, a walk and pivot is done to the second selection. Though there is no pattern to remember, nor complex step to master, the Snoa should not be automatically relegated to the "simple elementary" category. A good smooth pivot takes practice.
MUSIC:	Aqua Viking (45rpm) V 820, "Berslags Polka;" RCA (LP) INTS 1359, "Dans På Svenska," side 2, band 1; Odeon (LP) E 054-34262, "Dans I Dalom," side 1, band 2 and side 2, band 3; or any of several Swedish Snoa selections.

FORMATION:	Cpls facing CCW around the dance area, W to M R in "Conversation" or Open Shoulder-Waist pos: M R arm around W waist, W L hand on M R shldr, outside hands hang freely at sides OR are on hip, fingers fwd.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4

STEPS/STYLE:	WALK: Beg outside ft, and taking two steps to a meas, walk fwd CCW in LOD with light springy steps. TRANSITION: On the first ct of any fourth meas in a phrase, M take a short jump to both ft with a stamping action instead of a step L (ct 1); M step R fwd, turning R toe outward to R (ct 2). W, during this meas, step R,L fwd (cts 1,2). PIVOT: Assuming closed pos (see below), cpls make one revolution per meas with two pivoting steps, M L,R and W R,L. Knees are slightly bent and there is a lilting lightness during the turn. Styles vary with the individual dancer or couple and eventually each finds his own favorite mode. Generally speaking, it is will to have the music on the slow side, rather than too fast, in order to capture the proper "lilt" of the dance.

MEAS	FREESTYLE MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	THE DANCE

	The dance starts with an unlimited number of Walk steps in LOD. When the M determines, and on the last meas of a four-meas phrase, M dances the Transition into a closed Swedish Folkdance Hold: Ptrs almost facing with M R arm around W waist, W L hand on M R shldr, M L arm bent and forearm parallel to floor with palm upward and holding W upper arm near elbow, W R arm nearly straight out from her shldr with her hand holding his upper arm near his elbow. Cpl now dances an unlimited number of Pivot steps, turning CW and moving CCW in LOD. When the M determines, the cpl may open into the Open Shoulder-Waist Pos by the M simply continuing to Walk fwd in LOD and allowing the W to open outward, stopping her outward rotation by FIRM pressure with his R hand in the small of her back. Dance repeats at M discretion.
Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes