This page contains stories (or links to stories) that are no longer timely but that may be of interest.
2007 Performances and Events
Our last performance of the year was for Winterfest at Seattle Center on November 24 for an appreciative crowd—some of whom tried to dance with us from their seats in the audience. We let them get up and try one number with us—Dätscher, a clapping dance—and they had a great time. Afterward, we ate dinner at Michelangelo's (in the Center House), then went dancing later (still in costume) at the Swedish Cultural Center. We were there for a dance hosted by Pat McMonagle, and were having a wonderful time dancing to the melodies of Folk Voice Band, when folks from the Buddhist wedding reception downstairs asked if we would do a short performance to surprise the bride and groom; we agreed. It was interesting to be doing German dances amid the strong scent of incense, in a room bedecked with flowers, for a bride in a sari, but the audience seemed appreciative.
On November 10, we performed for the Austria Club Weinfest at the Steilacoom Community Center. In addition to our performances, the Hans Rainer Band played wonderful music for dancing (as always), and the food was wonderful. It was a great evening!
Our annual performance at Cultural Crossroads (a festival at Crossroads Mall in Bellevue featuring ethnic performers, food, and booths) on November 3 went well, with a large crowd in attendance. This is a great event and we always get lots of interested onlookers.
We had a very busy weekend at the end of October, with performances at five events in four days! On October 25, we performed at an Oktoberfest at Everett Community College around noon, and then around 2 p.m. at Clare Bridge of Silver Lake (a care facility for people with Alzheimer's). October 26 found us at the Seattle Yacht Club for their annual Oktoberfest event. We performed on October 27 at the International School in Bellevue, for a fundraiser for their German program. On October 28, we performed at the Tacoma Yacht Club. All the events were fun for us, and garnered a lot of attention from the audiences.
On October 20, we performed at Larry's Market in Redmond. This was our first experience of performing in a supermarket, so we were all curious about how it would go. We performed near the entrance to the store, sort of between the produce section and the deli. Our performance space was marked off with a few chairs around the outside. It worked fairly well. We didn't have a huge audience—this being a grocery store, after all, and not a performance venue—but there were at least a few people who came to the store with the express intention of watching us dance, so that was nice. We did have a bit of a crowd standing around during each performance. They especially enjoyed the Bergknappentanz (miners' dance); we were asked to repeat it in the second set. The deli was serving a special German buffet that day, and the food was very good. Thanks to Larry's Market for an interesting and fun day!
October 12-13, we performed at the Hohe Wuste (high desert) Oktoberfest in Hermiston, OR. The organizer of that event outdid himself this year, with non-stop entertainment from two dance groups and three bands, as well as a great area for kids (games, a hay maze, etc.), food booths, and crafts. The beer and wine was top-notch, too, and the event was a lot of fun.
Oktoberfest NW at the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup, October 5-7, was a great success. We were there performing all three days and can attest to the many happy patrons and the great atmosphere. Plan to be there next year!
We had a lovely day on September 29 for the Autumn Leaf Festival parade and our performances in Leavenworth. The weather was perfect, and the crowd was appreciative. Unfortunately, the constant downpour on Sunday made it necessary to cancel our performances in front of the gazebo—the first time we remember that happening in over 30 years of performing for Autumn Leaf Festival.
Our performances at the 100th anniversary celebration for the Plattdeutscher Verein on September 8 went very well. The weather was beautiful, the bands were great, and we all had a great time socializing and dancing, as well as performing, in the beautiful Swiss Sportsmen's Club in Bonney Lake.
On August 11, we gave our annual performance for the campers at Lake Wenatchee State Park. Despite a somewhat smaller crowd than has been in attendance at past events, we had a good audience, and they were–as always–eager to ask questions about our costumes, dances, and musical accompaniments, including the spoons, whips, and alphorn. Our group had a wonderful time camping, as well.
The 21. Gaufest (June 21-24, 2007) in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is now history, but for the six of us that went, it created a lot of fond memories. Our Ehrentanz, the Dreisteirer, went well and brought us much aclaim on Thursday night. Roland, Kathy, and Trina formed one set; Roger, Carolyn, and Emily (a friend from the Tirolean Dancers of Oregon) formed a second set. On Friday morning, Roger Mowery and Kathy Bruni competed in Einzelplattling. We found out Saturday night, when the awards were given out, that they placed third in their age group—which means that they will be allowed to compete in the Einzelplattling in Bavaria in 2008. Congratulations! The weekend was full of fun and camaraderie, as friends from all over North America and Germany reunited for these four days of workshops, dancing, shopping, visiting, meetings, and general merriment. Kathy was asked to dance with our visitors from Germany in their Ehrentanz Saturday night—a great honor—and stacked up well against the other dancers on stage. The Sunday night farewell party always has a fun theme; this year, it was a "70's" party. There were lots of funny and fabulous costumes, and it was a great way to end the weekend.
Roger and Kathy hold their Einzelplattling pins; photo with Sepp Pichler
On June 12, 2007, 7 p.m., we were guest performers at the Heritage Dancers end-of-year performance at Mountlake Terrace High School in Mountlake Terrace, WA. The Heritage Dancers, directed by Thea Huijgen, are all from Hilltop Elementary School. They put on a wonderful show of dances from around the world. We performed for them for about twenty minutes; our set included Goasslschnoizen (whip cracking) and the Kreuz Köig (the flying dance), as well as Schuhplattlers and figure dances.
On May 25, 2007, we performed at the NW Folklife Festival, replacing a group that was unable to perform in their allotted time slot. We found out on Wednesday that we could perform on Friday, if we wanted to, and we managed to get six couples to commit to performing Friday night. We emailed and phoned all our our friends and told them about the performance, so that we would have someone to watch us, since we weren't on the printed schedule. Despite the last-minute nature of the performance, our dances went smoothly and we had a good-sized audience. We performed the Bandltanz (the maypole dance), as well as other favorites, like the Kreuz K’nig (the "flying dance") and the Goasslschnoizen (whip-cracking to music). It was a lot of fun.
May 19, 2007 found us at the Eastside German Language School (EGLS) Maifest in Issaquah, WA. We have performed at this annual event for many years now and really enjoy performing there and participating with the kids from the school. A number of the children in Enzian Schuhplattler are students or former students from EGLS, so it is fun for them to be able to perform for their peers there.
The annual Austria Club of Washington Maifest at the Benson Barn took place on May 12, 2007. The rustic barn in North Bend, WA, provides a great atmosphere for this annual event, and the Happy Hans Band got everyone up dancing and having a good time. Dancing the Bandltanz in the confines of the barn (between pillars) is a bit of a challenge, but the enthusiasm of the audience is compensation for that.
On May 5, 2007, 11 a.m., we performed at the Tacoma German Language School (TGLS) Maifest in Tacoma, WA. This was our first time performing for the TGLS. They were very welcoming and seemed to enjoy our performance. Our Zweite Vorplattler, Kurt Graupensperger, led the performance and did a wonderful job.
On April 7, Enzian performed at the 2007 Multicultural Family Fair in Lynnwood, WA. We performed in the same room in which the display booths were set up, and drew quite a crowd—maybe because the stage was excellent for amplifying the stamps during the Plattlers, so we made a lot of noise, and people came to see what that was all about! This was our first year performing for this event, and it went very well.
We held our third annual Enzian workshop on March 17 and took group photos, as well as working on dance basics and a couple of dances we are incorporating into our repertoire. We followed the event with a potluck dinner so we could all socialize and relax after the five-hour workshop.
We performed at the Lawton Elementary School on March 1 for their Cultural Night. Tracy McDonagh and her kindergarten class were studying and representing Austria. Other classes at the school chose other countries to represent, so it was a multi-cultural event. Each classroom was decorated with pictures and other items from the chosen country, and volunteer parents served food from the country, as well. We were the first performers in the multi-purpose room, but several other groups followed us, and the room was filled with an audience of students and parents. We had several of our junior members dancing with us, and it was the first performance for one of them, Elizabeth Dambacher. After our performance, we got the audience up to participate in the "Chicken Dance", and that was a crowd pleaser. It was a fun event!
2006 Performances and Events November 26, 2006 - Our last performance of the year was at Seattle Center for the annual Worldfest at Winterfest. Snow was falling as we drove to the Center House, and we were a bit worried that we might not have an audience, but no problem there! The seats were full and our performance went well. Afterward, many of the group went out together for dinner, and had a wonderful time.
November 11, 2006 - Enzian performed at the Steilacoom Community Center for the Tacoma Austria Club. The food there is always delicious, and the audience is an appreciative one, so it is lots of fun!
November 4, 2006 - The group performed at Crossroads Mall in Bellevue for the annual Cultural Crossroads festival. The stage there is small, but the audience is always appreciative.
A new event this year was the Oktoberfest at the Tulalip Amphitheater on October 21–22 in Tulalip, WA. This being the first year, the crowds were small, but the weather really cooperated!
October 20, 2006 - Seattle Yacht Club Oktoberfest, Seattle, WA. We performed twice during the evening.
On October 19, 2006, we taught a few dances and performed for the Everett Community College German Club in Everett, WA. They were an enthusiastic audience, and we had a great time.
We entertained the students at Whatcom Community College in Bellinham on October 18, 2006 for their Oktoberfest. The local deli brought in tasty German food, and we entertained the assemblage for a couple of hours. It was an appreciative crowd.
The second annual Oktoberfest NW at the Puyallup Fairgrounds October 6-8, 2006 in Puyallup, WA, was a rousing success. Lots of folks showed up and had a great time. We performed a lot and had a great time.
October 1, 2006 found us dancing at the Tumwater Falls Harvest Festival in Tumwater, WA. The stage was much better than last year, thanks to the efforts of organizer Carla Wulfsberg, and we drew quite a crowd for our performances.
On September 30, 2006, we performed for the Plattdeutscher Verein Harvest Fest at the German Haus in Seattle. It was a fun evening, with plenty of dancing on our favorite floor.
With Oktoberfest performances in full swing, we are busy! September 22–24, 2006, half the group performed at the Edelweiss Deli Oktoberfest in Oaks Park (Portland, OR); the other half stayed in Seattle to do a performance for the Oktoberfest put on by the Austria Club of Washington. On September 30, 2006, we performed for the Plattdeutscher Verein Oktoberfest at the German Haus in Seattle. October 1, 2006 found us at the Tumwater Heritage Festival in Tumwater, WA. We will be busy October 6–8, 2006 at the second annual Oktoberfest NW in Puyallup.
Our performance at the NW Folklife Festival on May 29, 2006 garnered lots of compliments. Despite the relatively late time we had been allotted (5 p.m. on the last day of the festival), we had a large crowd, and the half-hour performance went smoothly. The varied program started with the playing of the Alphorn and included Rehberger Landler, in which we sing in Bavarian dialect as well as dance; Sterntanz, a dance where we make star patterns with greenery-bedecked Spitzen; and the ever-popular Kreuz König, also known as the flying dance. Of course, we also included a couple of Schuhplattlers—Reit im Winkl and Allgäuer, as well as a men-only dance (Ambosspolka) and a women-only dance (Dirndlradl). A folk dance, Steiregger, completed the program.
Three of our group attended the Westcan Maifest in Edmonton, Canada, May 19–21, 2006. This three-day event is held bi-annually and hosted by a different Schuhplattler group. Representatives from six Schuhplattler clubs from Canada, plus our group, had a wonderful time at dinner Friday night, workshops all day Saturday, a dinner/dance with Ehrentänze Saturday night, and a relaxing brunch at a Bavarian farm out in the country. We also squeezed in time to go to the West Edmonton Mall and Fort Edmonton. It was a great trip that helped cement the ties between our Trachten Kamaraden. Schuhplattler clubs from Victoria, Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Windsor danced, visited, ate, and drank together. We only wish more of our group had been able to make the journey!
We spent the weekend of May 12–14, 2006 in Leavenworth, WA, for their Maifest. The group marched in the parade on Sunday, then performed twice on Saturday and twice on Sunday. Each set contained different dances than the others, except that we did the Bandltanz (the Maypole dance) and the Holzhacker (the woodchoppers' dance) once each day. There is something magical about dancing in front of the gazebo in Leavenworth, with the sun shining and the breeze blowing and a crowd of people watching. Unfortunately, it also one of the worst surfaces we dance on—the concrete is completely unforgiving. Still, we had a wonderful weekend of dancing in the sunshine, camaraderie, and fun.
May 6, 2006 was a busy day for Enzian, with two performances at different venues. In the morning, we performed for the Eastside German Language School Maifest. Several of our newest members were performing for the first time, and they did a great job. We performed the Bandltanz (the Maypole dance), as well as a suite of other dances. In the afternoon, the group performed for the Austria Club of Washington at their Maifest. We always have a great time with them, and this year was no exception. The Happy Hans Band played for social dancing, and everyone danced to their heart's content.
On April 28, 2006 Enzian Vortänzerin and Webmeisterin Kathy Bruni was honored by the Ethnic Heritage Council with the Aspasia Phoutrides Pulakis Memorial Award. This award is given annually to an individual who has contributed significantly to a Northwest ethnic community.
[April 2006] Chris Barnes, our buttonbox player, purchased a new Strasser buttonbox accordion earlier this year, and recently got internal mikes ("pick-ups") added to it. Not only is it a beautiful instrument, but also it sounds a lot richer and fuller with the internal mikes. We are looking forward to his accompaniment to our dance performances from now on!
We held our second annual dance workshop for Enzian on March 18, 2006. In addition to working on existing dances and skills, we taught Der Nagelschmied, the Folkastoana plattler, and the Grassauer plattler. Our Trachtenmutter, Carolyn Marquardt, presented information on Tracht. We had a lot of fun working on dances, socializing, and finishing the day with a scrumptious potluck supper. It was a wonderful day that included most of our members and several guests.
Eight of us performed on February 16, 2006 at the East Hill Elementary Multi-cultural night. The school xylophone group played several numbers, including a couple composed by students, and the were wonderful. There were poetry readings in several languages, and performances by the band and orchestra. Our performance was last, and at the end of that, we got the crowd on its feet to join us in "Das Grosse Gerennen," a relatively easy dance. Everyone who joined in ended up smiling, so it must have been fun!
2005 Performances
This was a hectic weekend, with three performances—one Friday night in Lacey at a private Oktoberfest, one Saturday night in Seattle for the Austria Club of Washington, and one Sunday afternoon at the Tumwater Heritage Festival. Our performances went well, our audiences were enthusiastic, and we got to do some social dancing (to the fabulous Hans Rainer Band—at each event), as well, so it was a fun weekend. My feet sure got tired, though!
This year's Autumn Leaf Festival on September 24 & 25 was a wonderful event for our group. We had twenty performers there, including two musicians and six children. While it seemed like a lighter crowd than usual—perhaps due to the outrageous gas prices since Hurricane Katrina affected oil production in the Gulf Coast—our Bavarian tunes, loud stamping, and enthusiastic Juchzeln got lots of attention. Our sets went smoothly, despite the difficulty of dancing on broken bricks and uneven pavement; our audiences were very appreciative, and we got lots of kudos afterward; and sales of our DVDs, hat pins, and shot glasses were good. As usual, we had a group party on Saturday night, which was graced by several more musician friends, and it was a blast! Thanks to all the Enzian members, friends, and families, who made this such a great event!
The camping trip is an annual event, and one of our favorite group activities.
Enzian 40. Jubiläumsfest—June 10-12, 2005
Enzian's celebratory weekend for our 40th anniversary was a big success, and a really fun time for all. Our guests from Calgary and Vancouver, B.C. in Canada, San Francisco, and Portland, as well as Enzian members, former members, and Austria Club members seemed to all enjoy the weekend activities. We had about 40 people at our Friday night Heimatabend, where we ate, drank, talked, and danced until midnight. At the Saturday workshops, six dances were taught; three figure dances and three Plattlers, so the dancers got a workout! We had a few hours to rest before the formal event Saturday night.
It was great to see so many former members at the Saturday night Fest, and to welcome Austria Club members, as well as our out-of-town guests. All adult attendees received a complimentary shot glass (empty, unfortunately!) designed in time for this occasion. The cook at the Burien Elks prepared a tasty and filling dinner-chicken cordon bleu, jaegerschnitzel (pork cutlet with brown mushroom sauce), bratkartoffeln (roasted potatoes), green beans, salad bar, and rolls. Cake was served later in the evening.
The Hans Rainer Band played for dancing all evening long; their music mix included waltz, swing, tango, schottische, foxtrot, and even a hambo. "Happy Hans"-Hans Rainer, Senior-and his band played for Enzian Schuhplattler at many events from Enzian's first performances and at events throughout the years; his son, Hans Rainer, Junior, played with his father for many years and is the current bandleader. The band's mix of great musicianship, lively playing, and witty commentary added to the evening's gaiety. Hans invited the three Vorplattlers-Roger Mowery, our current Vorplattler; Eric Kuboth, the former director of the group; and Rudi Schaffner, the founder of Enzian Schuhplattler-up on stage to participate in a yodeling contest, adding a few hilarious minutes to the entertainment.
The official program began at 8 p.m. with a flag parade. The U.S. flag led the way, followed by the Canadian flag in honor of our Canadian guests, and the Austrian and German flags, as well as the Enzian Schuhplattler, Seattle, club banner and the club sign from the Schuhplattler Verein Enzian from Calgary. Hans Rainer played the Canadian and U.S. anthems on his trumpet, as some of the audience sang along. Our president, Carolyn Marquardt, then greeted the assembled guests and gave a short speech. She presented gifts to the visiting clubs who had members present: B.G.T.E.V. Almenrausch Schuhplattler from San Francisco; A.V.C. Edelweiss Dancers from Vancouver, B.C.; Schuhplattler Verein Enzian from Calgary; the Tyrolian Dancers of Oregon; and the Edelweiss Tanzgruppe from Leavenworth. Carolyn also recognized the planning committee for this anniversary event, and gave each of them gifts. She presented Rudi Shaffner, Enzian's founder, with an Enzian beer stein. Eric Kuboth received an Enzian Quersteg (the crosspiece between the suspenders worn with Lederhosen). Roger Mowery received a decorative plate picturing Trachtlers (people dressed in traditional costumes). In recognition of his support of Enzian, and his many performances with our group, Carolyn presented Lyle Weden with an Enzian club pin and certificate. Kathy Bruni, Vortänzerin (lead female dancer) and Pressewart (publicity chair), surprised Carolyn by presenting her with a gift, as well, and presented Vorplattler Roger Mowery with a decorative-and functional-cow's horn, painted with alpine flowers and fitted with a mouthpiece. Roger demonstrated its use to the crowd as he blew a few notes on it to get their attention. After Carolyn's presentations, Eric Kuboth gave a short speech.
Dance performances, referred to as Ehrentänze (honor dances) followed. Enzian Schuhplattler performed the Alztaler and the Steirer, then four couples from the children's group performed alone (for the first time!), dancing the Wendlstoana. Our Canadian guests combined to perform the Haidauer, and then all those assembled were invited to participate in dancing the Haushamer. It was great to see many former members dancing with us again for this dance! Once the floor had cleared, Enzian members again took the floor for the Goasslschnalzen (whip cracking), impressing the crowd as they snapped their whips in time to the music.
Throughout the evening, tickets were sold for chances to win prizes in our fundraiser. We had 56 great prizes, including a brand new dirndl (valued at $300) from the Bavarian Clothing Company in Leavenworth; a folding stool painted in Bauernmalerai; a Hummel collector's plate; a serving tray painted in Bauernmalerai, and another painted with alpine flowers; German beer glasses and beer; a German grill set (apron, mitt, and potholder); and baskets containing many different kinds of German goodies-cookies, candies, wine, and other foodstuffs. The tickets sold out early, and many happy prizewinners carried their winnings home.
Dancing, reconnecting with old friends, and looking through photo montages and albums rounded off the evening and left us all happy and ready for more.
We finished the weekend with another party Sunday morning-a delicious breakfast and more time to talk, play music, and relax before we bid our guests adieu. What a wonderful weekend!
2004 Performances and Events
Our last performance for 2004 was on November 27, 4:45 p.m., at Winterfest at the Seattle Center, Seattle, WA. We had eleven couples dancing on the stage, so it got a bit crowded, at times! It was a fun event, and we followed it by getting together for dinner at T.S. McHughes for dinner. This after-the-last-performance dinner has become an annual event, and we all had a great time.
November 6 was a busy day for us, with two performances on the same day. Many of our children were included in the group that performed at 2:25 p.m. at the Crossroads Mall in Bellevue. They--and the adults--gave a great performance on the small dance stage there. That evening, most of the rest of the group was at the Steilacoom Community Center to perform for the Austrian Heritage Society's Winefest there. We performed twice during that event, and were very popular with the audience.
We had three performances in a row on October 21, 22, and 23, so that was a busy weekend for the group. Thursday's performance was for the Festival Folkdancers Oktoberfest at Seattle Center. Friday night, we performed at the Seattle Yacht Club, and Saturday night, we performed at the Tacoma Yacht Club. We had lots of fun performing, dancing, and eating at each event.
We had a great time on October 16 at the Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, WA. This local event draws many German-speaking folks who appreciate good music, provided by Alpenfolk, and good dancing.
On October 9, six couples were in Hermiston, OR, performing for the second annual Hohe Wüste Oktoberfest. The second annual event was a great success; the organizers did a wonderful job, with two bands, two dance groups, three food booths, and a beer especially brewed for this event, not to mention children's activities (including a hay bale maze, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, and inflatable "games". Despite the very slick floor, we danced and danced, and had a great time.
October 1-2 found us in Leavenworth, performing at the Leavenworth Oktoberfest for the first time in several years. We had nine couples performing. For one women and one girl, this was their first performance, and they did a great job. The audiences seemed very receptive, and we enjoyed being at the Oktoberfest again.
We had a great time at the Edelweiss Deli Oktoberfest at Oaks Park in Portland, Oregon, September 24-26. We had ten performances there, so it was a very busy weekend, but we were treated to deluxe accommodations and heard many excited comments, as well as requests for us to return next year.
We performed on September 20 at the World Airlines Entertainment Association reception at the Sheraton Hotel. It was certainly an interesting experience. The folks who booked us were very appreciative, but the audience was not at all attentive—too wrapped up in networking and other things, I suppose.
Our performance on August 14 at Lake Wenatchee State Park went well. The campers are always interested in our performance, get up to dance during audience participation times, and they ask a lot of questions, which makes it more fun for us. The weather was stiflingly hot, but at least the lake was warm enough to swim in, so we spent most our weekend in the water, when we weren't performing.
We had an enjoyable performance at the Shoreline Community Arts Festival on June 26 in Shoreline. We had a good crowd for our performance, and also enjoyed watching the dance groups that were on before and after us. There was a lot to see and do at this festival!
On June 12, we performed at the Benson Barn for a birthday party. The honored guest was a 90-year-old German woman, she was thrilled to have us dance for her party. We also had a good time, dancing, eating fabulous German desserts from the dessert buffet, and meeting and greeting the guests. Such fun!
We had a great performance at the Northwest Folklife Festival on May 31. Ten couples performed in the Center House to a large crowd, then we got the audience up for some teaching. Roger and Kathy taught D'Hammerschmiedsgesellen and Oberap, then "mixed it up" with a Boarischer mixer. We got lots of positive comments afterward, and everyone looked like they were having a good time, so it appeared to be a success!
May 23 saw us performing at St. Louise Catholic Church for the annual Ethnic Fest. We were last on the program, but still had a large and appreciative audience. We started by blowing them away with the Alphorn performance at the beginning of our set, and wowed them with the Kreuz König (the "flying" dance) later, with a variety of other dances in between.
On May 22, we danced at Concordia Lutheran School in Seattle for their Maifest celebration. It was a fun evening, with good German food, our performance, a performance by the children's dance group at the school, and a play (in German) by the older kids. It was an enjoyable event.
May 15-16 saw us dancing in Leavenworth for the annual Maifest. We marched in the parade at noon on Saturday, then did two performances Saturday and two more on Sunday, including doing the Bandltanz (maypole dance) both days. For the first time in a public performance, we did not only traditional weaving, but also basket weaving, for the Bandltanz. Both days, the dance went perfectly, so we were very happy about that! Our other sets went extremely well, too; now that all our members have at least a year's worth of dancing under their belts, we present a very professional appearance.
We had two performances on May 1: the Maifest at the Eastside German Language School (EGLS) from 10 a.m.-12 noon, and the Austria Club of Washington Maifest at the Benson Barn from 1-5 p.m. Eight couples performed at the EGLS Maifest, and we had nine couples at the Austria Club event. We performed the Bandltanz (the Maypole dance) at both events, as well as doing other dances.
March 26-28, we attended a mini-Gaufest with dance clubs from western Canada. The Austrian dance club from Vancouver, B.C., hosted the event, which was held at the Austria Club Vancouver. Dance clubs from Victoria, Edmonton, and Calgary attended, as did 16 of our dancers. We enjoyed a weekend of camaraderie, dance workshops, and good food, and came away with new friends and great appreciation for our neighbors to the north. Check out the photos page for a few snapshots from that event!
Our performance at the Annie Wright School on March 18 was interesting and educational. One of our members is a teacher at that school, and we participated in the annual International Talent Show. The audience loved our performance, and we also enjoyed seeing the various acts put on by the students. The beautiful brick schoolhouse was built in the late 1800's and is an elegant tribute to that time period.
Our performance at Seattle University's International Dinner on January 31 was also part of a fun night. We were one of eight groups performing that night, and the only one with its roots in a European culture. The audience of mostly college-age students whooped and hollered as we danced and seemed most enthusiastic. Hans Rainer graciously played for us, since our own musician, Chris Barnes, had another engagement that night. Hans did a great job of learning our dance tunes on very short notice (2 practices!), and we are very grateful for his help.
We had a lot of fun performing at East Hill Elementary on January 29 for their Multi-cultural Night. Of the three groups that performed, we the only dance group, and the audience was very appreciative of our two sets. The last dance we did was the Dätscher, and we got the audience involved-almost all of them got up to do the dance with us, and they were having a great time! The school gave us a big box of goodies in appreciation for our performance.
On March 5, five of us got together at Margaret's house to watch the German-language movie, "Asterix and Obelix." We had a good time trying to understand the (very fast) dialog, especially since it was dubbed in German—the original movie was in French! It was good practice, though, and Margaret filled us in on what was happening when we missed the story line.
On March 6, ten of us met again at Margaret's house for wheat-weaving and hairstyle design. The workshops were fun, the food was good, and the comraderie was excellent! We all agreed that we will have to do this again sometime!
Richard Smethurst and Mary Pearse got married, in Tracht, in Leavenworth on October 2, 2004, just prior to our performances there. The ceremony took place on the third-floor balcony of Pension Anna, with a view of the surrounding mountains. The haunting tones of the alphorn, played by Roger Mowery, acted as the prelude to the lovely service, and Chris Barnes played Edelweiss after the service. Carolyn Marquardt caught the bridal bouquet. The setting was lovely, as was the service; our congratulations to the newlyweds!
August 25 was an exciting dance practice for us, even though we actually didn't actually do any dancing. We spent the evening partying and looking at video, photos, and memorabilia from our trip to Bavaria in July.
As if that weren't enough fun, we got to meet the newly adopted daughter of club members Kurt and Jenny Graupensperger. Little Ellen Graupensperger was eleven months old that day, and had only recently emigrated to America from China. Despite being passed from person to person, as we admired her good lucks and sunny disposition, she remained in good spirits. Welcome, Ellen!
To make the evening even more exciting, we got to witness a marriage proposal! Richard Smethurst proposed to his long-time partner, Mary Pearse, after the two of them danced the Zillertaler Ländler for us. Congratulations to you both!
At our monthly business meeting, we designated our president, Carolyn Marquardt, as an honored member and presented her with a commemorative certificate and a coin for her mieder chain in honor of her twenty years of service to Enzian Schuhplattler. Among her many contributions, Carolyn has been instrumental in researching and acquiring the Tracht that Enzian wears, has arranged our group trips to Germany, and has served the organization as president and Trachtenmutter since 1992. She simultaneously served as Vortänzerin for eight years. Thank you, Carolyn, and congratulations!
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The club bylaws are now available on the site!
Read About Our 2004 Trip to Bavaria!
At long last, articles about our trip to Bavaria are on the Web site! Check them out, and see some photos! I have consolidated all our trip-related reports on one page for easier access, so you can also read about the trips from previous years.
Eight members of Enzian Schuhplattler went to Germany in July of 2004, where we performed at two Gaufeste and spent lots of time with our host clubs there, as well as sight-seeing in Austria for several days, and doing lots of shopping. We also made a short trip into northern Italy—the German-speaking South Tirolian region. You can read more about it on the page dedicated to our trip.
2003 Performances
Nine couples took to the stage for our last performance of 2003, at the Worldfest at Winterfest festival held at Seattle Center. We had a lot of our junior members performing, as well as a number of adults, and the audience seemed to really enjoy our presentation. We all went out to dinner afterward and had a great time together!
Six of our junior members performed at the Cultural Crossroads festival, as well as ten adult members. The stage was in a slightly different location this year, and I thought there wasn't as much space for audience members to easily view the stage, but we had a good-sized crowd watching our performance. The performance went well, and our kids drew a lot of attention. You may be able to see glimpses of us on television over Thanksgiving weekend. A cameraman from Channel 11 was on hand and took a lot of video of the performances, as well as doing interviews. The edited footage will be shown Thanksgiving night and the following two evenings (I think) to promote Winterfest at Seattle Center November 28-30. It will be fun to see what, if any, footage of our group appears.
The evening of November 8, we had 18 adult members performing for the Austria Club Winefest in Tacoma. The event was sold out, with a record crowd of over 200 attendees. Many in the audience hadn't seen us perform before (although we have danced at that event for many years), and they were excited about our performances.
October 25, we performed at the Tacoma Yacht Club for its Oktoberfest celebration. We really enjoyed the evening, and the audience was great. They were very attentive for all three of our dance sets. The food there was wonderful, too! They served some of the best Rouladen I have ever eaten, in addition to other wonderful dishes.
Five couples performed at the Seattle Yacht Club on October 24 for its annual Oktoberfest. The audience was very appreciative, and gave us a standing ovation, which was fun!
We had a lot of fun at the first annual Bellwether Hotel Oktoberfest in Bellingham--and so did the attendees! We performed twice in the afternoon and twice in the evening. In addition to our performances, there were children's activities (including a barrel-rolling contest), a bratwurst eating contest, and other fun events. We included an audience participation dance in our second afternoon performance, and a lot of the kids (and some adults) joined in for that. It was a fun time, and the Bellwether Hotel property is beautiful, with a view of the bay. We are planning to be there again next year; come and join us!
Although it took us a long time to get there, the (first annual) Hermiston Oktoberfest on October 11 was worth it! The event committee did a bang up job decorating, planning, advertising, and putting on the Oktoberfest. They had a great logo designed and screened onto beer mugs, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. They had four or five food vendors; many craft vendors; a hay maze, petting zoo, and those air-filled bouncing rooms for the kids; a special beer brewed just for this event by the Rogue River Brewery; two bands; and two dance groups. They did a fabulous job, and the event was so successful that they have already committed to holding it for the next five years, at least. We had lots of fun, of course--that's why we dance ;)
We had a great time at the German Heritage Society Oktoberfest on October 4. The Hans Rainer Band played, and they were wonderful, as always. We performed and enjoyed the knowledgeable appreciation of the German Heritage Society members, as well as the great dance floor. All in all, a great evening!
We had nearly the entire troupe with us for Autumn Leaf Festival September 27-28; there were 27 performers! We marched in the parade at noon Saturday, carrying our portable Maypole (and, as usual, folks kept hollering at us to dance, which is difficult unless we completely stop the parade!), as well as our Tafel (a portable wooden sign with our club name and information painted on it). We performed two sets Saturday and two sets Sunday to large crowds under an unseasonably hot sun. This was the first performance for one of our members, and he did very well. We performed the Bankltanz with four benches and eight men (twice as many of both as usual), and the Holzhacker with two logs--guys with axes worked on one, and guys with saws cut up the other. If there was a contest, the saws won!
September 13: We performed three sets at the Septoberfest @ St. Martin's College. This new event in Lacey, WA, was a lot of fun. We had eight couples present; two of our new members performed for the first time and did very well. We had six of our junior members in the performance; the crowd loved them, of course! We performed the very popular Holzhacker (woodchoppers' dance) at this event, and it was a big hit.
"One World, One Valley": September 6: Five couples and our button-box accordion player performed for an hour in the heat at this outdoor festival in Yakima, WA. The local group of German-speaking Americans hired us, and they were very enthusiastic about our performance. They fed us lavishly and provided lots of water and soft drinks afterward, which was wonderful. We had a very enjoyable day with them and at the festival.
Four of us attended the Almenrausch Schuhplattler Trachtenfest in Newark, CA, on August 16. We performed two Ehrentänze, ate great German food, and danced the night away. We enjoyed seeing the performances of the other Schuhplattler clubs in attendance and visiting with friends there.
We had a wonderful time camping at Lake Wenatchee State Park August 8-10, and we performed in the park amphitheater at 7 p.m. August 9 to an interested crowd of campers. They were intrigued by the men's split socks and their Gamsbärte, fascinated by the Goasslschnoizen (whips), and enthused about the dances we performed. Smoky Bear even danced with us for the Chicken Dance; his program followed ours that evening, so it was a natural lead in!
Fourteen of us participated in a new festival called Celebrate BC in Vancouver, British Columbia the first weekend in August. Held on the grounds of Expo 86, this event attracted many different kinds of entertainers and vendors, as well as a huge audience. We were there at the invitation of the German Canadian Congress, and they were enthusiastic about our performances and about us being there. Our first performance (Saturday) drew a big and appreciative crowd; the second one (Sunday morning) was not as well attended. That may have been because nothing else at the festival opened until 11 a.m., and our performance was scheduled at 10 a.m.! Hopefully, the scheduling will be better organized next year! We had a lot of fun, anyway, and the weather was beautiful.
Ten of our members participated in the folklore weekend at Walla Walla, Washington, July 18-20, put on by the North-American Federation of German Folk Dance Groups. We had a wonderful time learning to weave wheat into various designs, learning many new dances from the Schwarzwald, meeting other dancers from around the country and around the world, and performing an Ehrentanz (Ammerseer) at that event. The dancing was fun, the food was good, and the comraderie was wonderful. Several of us spent a little more time in the area and visited a few wineries, as well as the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival. We all had a great time. The instructor from this event, Klaus Fink, will be attending our dance practice on Wednesday, July 23, and we are really looking forward to his visit!
Nine of us, including one of the kids from our children's group, performed at the German Retirement Center Annual Picnic on July 12. We danced two sets during the four-hour event in front of a crowd of senior citizens and their families. It was a fun afternoon, with good food, other entertainment, lots of sunshine, and Gemütlichkeit.
We had a good time performing at the Village Green Retirement Center in Federal Way on June 7. Mary Finn, the mother of Enzian member Mary Pearse, was celebrating her 84th birthday there. She told us afterward that it was the best birthday celebration she can remember--high praise, indeed! We enjoyed visiting with the residents and partaking in the wonderful buffet lunch that was provided.
We had two performances on May 17, so it was a full day. First, we were at the Austria Club Maifest at the Benson Barn in North Bend in the afternoon, where we performed twice. We had five of our junior members in the performance, as well as ten adult members, and it went very well. The kids were a big hit, as always, and they are doing a great job! Our second set included the Bandltanz, the dance around the Maibaum, which included children from the audience. They seemed to have a great time.
Right after we left the Benson Barn on May 17, we drove down to Tacoma to perform for the Hermann's Sons Lodge (the German club in Tacoma). Fourteen adults in Fest Tracht performed there, and our two sets went well. We enjoyed the dinner, and the great dance music by the Happy Hans Band. It was a fun night!
May 18, we performed at St. Louise Catholic Church for their Ethnic Festival. Three of our junior members and four of our adults performed on a tiny stage. The performance went well, and the crowd seemed to enjoy us, so it was a good afternoon.
We performed three times on May 3--for the Eastside German Language School in the morning, and for a wedding and the BCC International Dinner in the evening. Our performance at the EGLS went very well, and we had four new members performing for the first time (three junior members and one adult). They all did an excellent job!
Since we had two performances in the evening of May 3, we sent two couples to perform at the wedding and four couples to perform at the Bellevue Community College International Dinner. The performance at the wedding was a surprise for the groom's parents (and the groom), and from all accounts, they were ecstatic about the short performance. Our performance at BCC drew whoops and whistles from the audience; they seemed to really appreciate our dancing! It was a fun night.
We got together for our annual Christmas party on Dec. 6, at the home of our president, Carolyn Marquardt. We had a great time together, eating great food, enjoying Gluhwein, singing Christmas carols (in German, of course!), and talking. It was the best Christmas party yet! What a great close to our 2003 season!
Alphorn (December 2002)
Thanks to the incredible generosity of Gregory W. Heinen of Lynnwood, WA, Enzian Schuhplattler is the proud owner of our own Alphorn!! Gregory designed and created the beautiful Alphorn and was looking for a home for the instrument that had cultural ties to its origins. Vielen Danke, Gregory!
Roger can already play the Alphorn some because he played trombone in high school, and the playing techniques are similar. Take a look!
If you are interested in reading about the origins and history of the Alphorn, try Everything That You Wanted To Know About The Alphorn by Christian Schneider.
New Nickname (October, 2001)
We have a new (very unofficial) moniker: Blood, Sweat, and Juchzen! There is a story behind the blood (see the next paragraph). The sweat is normal, since the guys are exerting themselves so much during the dances. Juchzen are the yodeling-type yells that we do during our dancing.
The blood is another matter...At the Chehalis Oktoberfest, one of our dancers fell on the very slippery dance floor (long before our performance) and cut her elbow. We put a band-aid on it and thought everything was fine. About an hour later, we went on stage to perform our first set of dances. As we were marching off, we noticed spots of blood on the floor, and then noticed that there was blood on her apron and running down her arm! None of the audience noticed—not even her daughter, who was watching her the whole time. We got her cleaned up and patched up well enough to last the evening. As it turned out, however, she had to get stitches in her elbow!
Musician (September 2000) We continue to enjoy having our own button box player, Chris Barnes. After several years dancing to taped music, it is a real thrill to have Chris provide live music for most of our performances! Thanks, Chris!
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