- It was kind of scary at first
'cause I've never really done this before.
The guys are like doing flips or the girls are getting flown.
- We've been practicing for four hours.
We just keep going.
- I'm exhausted.
- It's pretty hectic, to say the least.
- At times it can be kind of frustrating, you know.
- There's always mishaps and things that go on
and it's really challenging.
- It's a lot of fun,
but it's lot more work than I thought it was.
After probably four hours of practice every day
you're kind of tired.
And all you want to do is just sit down.
- I love it.
It's the best thing that's ever happened to me.
I've always loved the dancers. I always wanted to be one.
I am so grateful that I got the chance.
- You just got to remember
how big of a privilege it is to be in the group.
- We get so close.
We're almost like a second family.
- My name's Meghan Howard and this is my first year.
- I'm Hannah Iverson, and I'm a second year dancer.
- My name is Tate Knutson
and I've been a dancer for three years.
- My name is Seth Charleston.
I'm a senior at Stoughton High School.
- That is so good, you guys.
You're, like, perfectly spaced out.
- My name Staci Heimsoth
and I'm the director of the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers.
- The Stoughton High School Norwegian Dancers
are a group of sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
And they entertain audiences across the Midwest
and across the United States,
We are really the only young group
that does Scandinavian folk dance to this level.
We've raised the bar
and really made this a professional dance group.
- Dancers has been around for decades upon decades.
- I'd say my roots with the dancers run pretty deep.
I'm Norwegian myself.
My great grandpa moved here from Norway.
My grandpa was on the starting group in 1953.
It really makes it special for me,
being in a dance group that's Norwegian.
That's kind of why the group was founded.
This Norwegian heritage the community has.
- It's such this, like, huge Stoughton thing.
It's more about our town and the history.
- In the early twentieth century,
if you walked downtown Stoughton,
you would hear just about everybody speaking Norwegian.
- We're really about the traditional Norwegian culture.
It's important to us, keeping that alive.
- We represent Stoughton all around the country.
We're called goodwill ambassadors.
- We perform about sixty times a year.
Big outreach is
to retirement communities and elementary schools.
- You get to meet so many cool people.
- I think being a part of this group means
that you can touch the lives of people.
- I've been a role model to hundreds of children.
You know it really moves people and it really brings joy.
When you go to a retirement home,
after the performance, you'll see some of the people in tears
and it's really moving to see that.
And at that point, you realize that
it's much more than just dancing.
- I think it just gives them pride in what they're doing,
knowing that they're making a difference in people's lives.
- Little kids, like, elementary school kids,
they get so excited about what we're doing
and all of our dresses spinning.
- The more excited they are, the more fun it is,
and rewarding it is for us.
- It's awesome. [laughs] It's really cool.
They just-- They go nuts.
- Fifth grade girls, I've overheard them afterwards,
"Huh, he touched my hand.
I'm never going to wash my hand again!"
- I always kind of like to play up on the flirting that happens
in the Scandinavian Dances.
The guys and the girls are looking at each other
and smiling and flirting.
'Cause that's a big part of the Scandinavian dances.
- There's definitely been growing friendships.
Teenage spirit, I'd say.
Once you develop a bond,
when you're friends with your partner,
you know your partner,
it's more than just...
spinning around and...
it's special.
- "Old Finnish Waltz" is a beautifully choreographed dance.
And they'll be a little flirting going on in this dance.
And you'll notice that in the beginning as the dancers
are checking out who's behind them and who's ahead of them.
And then they'll be making these windows with their arms
with their partner
so they can look through at each other.
You'll also see a part where the girls go flying through the air.
So we hope you enjoy "Old Finnish Waltz."
["Old Finnish Waltz"]
[melody zigzags up and down]
[fast tempo]
*
[stomping in unison]
*
[applause]
[clapping hands rhythmically]
[cheers and applause]
- When you talk to alumni,
a lot of them will point back to being a Norwegian Dancer
and just the valuable lessons they learned from it:
the discipline, the hard work,
the being there on time, being ready to go.
They think I'm just critiquing the dance, but in my mind I'm...
I'm also passing on a great life skill.
- I've become a lot more responsible
since joining Norwegian dancers.
I have kept a better schedule and calendar
and I've organized my time way better.
- It's affected me in countless ways.
It holds you accountable for your actions
and it holds you accountable
for what you say to people
and what you do in the community.
You want to be a part of something.
- I thought they were really talented
and they were pretty good.
- We are very much valued in our community.
That's probably one of the best things.
- I love the kids.
I love like watching their reactions, everything.
- It's important for us to keep going
because it really keeps the Norwegian culture alive.
- Oh, my gosh. I want to do that.
[laughs]
- Because where we go,
we are representing our Norwegian roots in our town.
- We do represent Stoughton,
and it's very fun to be able to do.
And I think a lot of people recognize that as well.
So I think that that's the biggest thing I'll remember
- That's the reaction I hear most from the dancers
is that they love the fact
that they can go and make people happy,
make 'em smile and laugh,
and go away feeling really good.