Country: Øystre Slidre, Valdres, Norway
Type: set dance. If fewer or more than 8 couples, it becomes a mixer.
Formation: 8 couples in open circle. Facing partner, W have backs to centre of circle, M facing into circle.
Hold: holding inside hands (MR/WL). Free hand hanging down.
Steps: bytomfotsteg in waltz-rhythm, running waltz steps
Sheet music: Stårreguten and
Spelemannslaget De Frilynde Stårreguten.
Recordings: Stårreguten
| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| |:1-8:| | (a) | Couples dance around partner with 4 bytomfotsteg, while moving in LOD. Both start with L foot.
On the first 2 steps (1-2), W dances diagonally forward and out of the circle, under the man's arm, and without turning around. Meanwhile M dances forwards, and diagonally into the circle behind his partner. On the next 2 steps (3-4), M turn a little to the left, and dances diagonally backwards out of the circle, under the woman's arm, and in front of her. Meanwhile W dances forwards, and diagonally into the circle behind her partner. On the first 4 steps, they have danced around each other once. Repeat 3 more times, without stopping. |
| |:9-16:| | (b) | All clap, and dance a R-hand chain without taking hands, M moving CW and W moving CCW. All begin moving to left of own partner and dance 1 bytomfotsteg for each person they meet in the circle.
When they reach their partner, both clap, swing around each other 1/2-turn (with R-elbow hook) and chain back to place, where they take position as at the beginning of (a). Total: 16 bytomfotsteg. |
| Repeat as desired. Note: For Nordlek, the above is done twice through. |
See YouTube video
Notes: The dance was first published in NF II 1935, together with Mass and Langedansen, under the title 'Three set dances from Valdres'. Klara Semb notes: "These set dances I have described based on Knud and Jens Jørstad, 76 snd 67 years old respectively, and O. Windingstad, 58 years old. They agree that all 3 were danced in springar-rhythm." There are handwritten notes for these Valdres dances in the Klara Semb MS-collection (D57). The dance is a composite of a bygdedans motif and a chain. This motif does not appear to be taken from the springar in Valdres such as it is danced now.
This was on e of the combined dances at Nordlek 2015 in Viborg.
Printed source: documentation provided on the Nordlek 2015 web site.
Translation: Laine Ruus, Edinburgh, 2014-10-14, rev. 2021-06-29.
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