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This page contains links to stories about Enzian travels to Gaufeste, both in North America and Germany.
Thirteen of us attended the Gaufest (a three-day German dance festival held every two years at varying locations in the U.S.): Carolyn Marquardt, Roger Mowery, Kathy Bruni, Kurt & Jenny Graupensperger, Trina Murphy, Roland Krebs, Rick Senzig, Cheri Bull, John Lofgren, Toni & Iris Auer, and Chris Barnes. Roger's family lives in the Midwest, and eight of them attended the Gaufest, too, including Roger's little granddaughter, Audrey, who celebrated her first birthday on August 2. Roger had invited them to attend so they could see first-hand what it is we spend so much of our time doing; none of them are involved in Schuhplattler, or anything similar. We bought a dirndl for Audrey to wear, so she fit right in.
We had all arrived by Thursday evening, and had fun at the welcome dance, reconnecting with our friends from other clubs. Friday was the day of the adult Einzelplattling competition (where one couple dances at a time), and there were two judging rooms set up-one for the 16-34 age group, in which 46 couples competed, and one for the other age groups. The competition took place Friday morning, but the results weren't announced until Saturday night. Two of our couples competed in the 35-49 age group, which was comprised of 22 couples: Kurt & Jenny placed 8th, and Trina and Rick placed 18th. Two of our couples competed in the 50-59 age group, in which seven couples competed: Toni and Kathy placed 3rd, and John and Cheri placed 7th. There were five couples in the 60+ age group, and Roger and Carolyn took first place! Couples that place in the top three in their age group qualify to compete in Germany the following year, so Roger, Carolyn, Kathy, and Toni will be able to compete in the 2010 competition (the Bayrische Löwe), which will be held on July 17 in Bavaria.
After the competition, there were workshops of various kinds, including one on how to take measurements for ordering Tracht, one on Goassl (whipping) techniques, one on folk music, and one on Muller masks. In addition to the workshops, there were meetings for the Vorplattler (dance leader), Vorstand (president), and Fahnenträger (flag bearer). During the Heimatabend Friday evening, there were performances of traditional Bavarian music by a variety of groups, followed by Ehrentänze. Our group performed the Lechgauschlag, and it went well. At the same time, in another building, a band played more modern music for dancing, interspersed with Ehrentänze, so it wasn't possible to see all the groups perform, or to be in both places at once.
Saturday started with the Gruppepreisplatteln. Sixteen groups competed. As each group danced and was judged, we spectators made our own observations and tried to decide who we thought the winning group would be. We got fired up about the possibility of Enzian participating in this contest at the next Gaufest (2011, in Orlando, Florida), so we paid special attention to this contest.
In the afternoon, after the conclusion of the dance contest, many of the attendees went to the Bauernmesse—a Catholic mass, in Bavarian dialect—that is a traditional part of a Gaufest. Later that evening, we all were shuttled out to festival grounds owned, in part, by the host group, for the evening banquet, parade of flags, awards ceremony (for Einzelplatteln), and dance. The evening was capped by an impressive fireworks display—an unusual ending for a Gaufest banquet evening.
Sunday's events included a picnic on the same festival grounds, with the Gruppepreisplatteln awards, a second parade of flags, speeches, more Ehrentänze, and open dancing. Sunday night, there was a theme party back at one of the hotels, with a MASH 4077th theme. An excellent band from Germany was playing, and we all had a lot of fun dancing, admiring the variety of costumes, and partying. It was a hilarious ending to a great Gaufest.
Roger and Kathy hold their Einzelplattling pins; photo with Sepp Pichler
A large part of the allure of this trip for our members is the direct connection with local Schuhplattler dancers. As we typically do, we attended the dance practice of D'Windachtaler, a Schuhplattler group in the town of Hofstetten (an hour's drive south of Munich), and enjoyed the opportunity to mingle with them and experience small-town Bavarian culture first-hand. On this trip, we attended their practice two different times—the first time we have done so. We also attended the dance practice of another Schuhplattler group, D'Würmtaler, in a town north of Munich called Obermenzing. We enjoyed a Brotzeit (a meal consisting of bread, cheese, and cold cuts) while dancing with them in their historic clubhouse, the Carlhäusl. We were also fortunate to be invited to the practice of the Goasslgruppe (whip crackers) of D'Fuchsbergler in Stoffen, where we had the opportunity to improve our whip tying and cracking capabilities and learn from the experts. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and an evening of camaraderie with their group, eating, drinking, dancing, cracking whips, and playing music under the stars in the warm summer night.
In addition to practices, we attended two Gaufeste (festivals of Schuhplattler dancers). The Lechgaufest was held in the town of Rott. The Lechgau is a small German Gau (federation of clubs), with nineteen Vereine (member clubs). We performed an Ehrentanz (honor dance) both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, and reveled in meeting up with friends there and watching the other groups do their Ehrentänze. Of course, as with nearly all Bavarian events, there was also plenty of beer and food available.
The following weekend, we attended the Huosigaufest in Diessen, attended by the 28 member clubs, as well as number of visitors, including Americans from Seattle, New York, Denver, and Minneapolis, among others. In addition to the Fest itself, there was a Trachtenmarkt (an open-air market of vendors selling items related to costumes and tradition) and the Bayerische Löwe, the annual Schuhplattler competition between all the clubs in Bavaria. The Bayrische Löwe is generally held in October, but was held in July this year. This was only the second year that Americans have been allowed to compete in the Bayrische Löwe, and it may be the only time that the date of the competition was changed to occur in the summer, so it was an historic event for those of us visiting. The Americans that competed placed well, and it was interesting to see how the Bayrische Löwe is conducted in comparison to the competitions that our Gau holds.
In addition to the dance-related events, we had a full schedule of sightseeing and fun, including a visit to a Bavarian farmhouse open-air museum, a trip into the mountains via the Nebelhornbahn to enjoy the views, demonstrations of traditional skills like knife-making and Federkielstickerei (the art of embroidery on leather using quills from peacock feathers), a visit to an Alm (the summertime mountain pasture for cattle and the caretakers' dwelling), and numerous shorter trips. A recounting of everything we did would continue for many pages, but suffice it to say that it was a trip to remember. Some of us are already thinking about our next trip to Germany in 2008, when the Lechgau will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
The Gaufest itself was a new experience for many of the attendees from our group. There are 80 Schuhplattler Vereine (clubs) that are members of the Gauverband Nordamerika. I believe that they said there were representatives from 76 clubs present. About 1800 people attended this Gaufest, including a number from Germany (at least 10, and probably more). We were honored to have the Deutsche Gauvorstand (president of the governing body of all German Schuhplattler clubs) and his wife present, as well as several other officers from various German Gauverbände. Cooperation and mutual visits between the American Schuhplattler clubs and the German clubs has steadily increased since I have been involved in German dancing, and it is heartening to see the friendships between our two countries expand.
In addition to the events at a Gaufest, there is always shopping. For those of us on the West Coast, it provides a rare opportunity to try on items before buying them, and to select from a broader array of merchandise than what may be listed in a catalog or on a Web site. Our members took full advantage of all the shopping opportunities!
The pre-Gaufest dance on Thursday night provided an opportunity for lots of dancing and socializing, and the first Ehrentänze (honor dances) took place that night. A number of our members left early, or weren't in attendance, since the trip from Seattle to Buffalo was a long one, with several flights delayed or cancelled due to weather in the Cincinnati area (through which most of the flights were scheduled).
Friday was when the adult Einzelpreisplattln (individual couple dance competition) took place. Sixty-five couples were entered. Roger and I were number 29, and it seemed like forever until our turn came to dance. John Lofgren and Carolyn Marquardt also competed, and they were number 63, so they had to wait several hours. Competition was fierce, and neither of our couples placed in the top three, but each participating couple got a commemorative pin and a certificate. The top three couples will compete in Germany next year at the Einzelplattln competition for all the German Gaue. After the Einzelplattln, the afternoon was free for regular members; there were meetings and a VIP reception for club officers. The evening included a Heimatabend, with performances by various musical groups, and a social dance, interspersed with more Ehrentänze.
Saturday featured the Gruppepreisplattln (group competition), as well as a workshop on the history of Schuhplattln and, for the women, one on how to style one's hair in a historically and culturally appropriate way for the time period in which Schuhplattln originated. Since no woman had short hair in those days, it is a challenge for the women of today, with their much shorter hairstyles, to emulate the correct styles, so Don LaCourse, a professional hairstylist and Schuhplattler, provided examples of how women with all lengths of hair could style it correctly.
A Catholic mass, in German, preceded the formal banquet Saturday evening. The evening entertainment included a parade of flags; singing of the anthems from Germany, Austria, Bavaria, Canada, and the United States; speeches by various dignitaries; and continuing Ehrentänze. We performed our dance, Alztaler, Saturday evening, with nine couples, including five children, and it went very well. It was great to have so many couples performing our Ehrentanz!
The weekend culminated with a "picnic" Sunday (which was held indoors, so it doesn't really qualify). The featured event was the Jugendeinzelplattln (youth single-couple competition). For the first time, kids from Enzian Schuhplattler participated. Our three couples were couples number 7, 44, and 59, so we had lots of time to wait before our final couple performed. They all did a great job, though, and brought tears to my eyes. After the Jugendeinzelplattln, the winners of the various competitions were announced, and prizes were awarded.
The event ended with a very informal party Sunday night. The kids were happy to have their own party room with events appropriate for children, while we adults danced and talked and ended the Gaufest on a high note. It sounded like everyone was already planning to come to the next Gaufest, the summer of 2007 in Hershey, PA, so it must have been a pleasant experience for one and all!
We attended the Lechgaufest in Stoffen and the Huosigaufest in Peissenberg. In between the two weekend events, we went sightseeing in Austria, primarily in the Zillertal, and visited a Schuhplattler group in the Südtirol (northern Italy). We have two different accounts of the trip: Carolyn Marquardt's article and Kathy Bruni's. Check them out!
Eight of our group, and a friend from the Tyrolean Dancers of Portland, went to Germany in July 2002 to attend two Gaufeste. The first one was in Seestall, Bavaria, in the Lechgau. We stayed with families in the nearby town of Hofstetten and attended their dance practice. Our host families and the Schuhplattler club, D'Windachtaler, were all incredibly hospitable. We all had a wonderful time!
The second Gaufest we attended was in Altoetting, Bavaria, in the 1. Gau. We walked at the front of the Gaufest parade—a parade of 8500 Trachtlers!
In addition to the two Gaufeste, had a great time shopping, sight-seeing, and being together.
Check out the complete article and pictures here.
In July of 2001, eight of our members attended the Gaufest of the Gauverband Nordamerika. This bi-annual festival of Schuhplattler dancers was held at the Nevele Resort in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York. We had four days of fun there: workshops, dance competitions, dances, meetings, and general festivities, not to mention shopping!
Two of our couples competed in the Einzelplatteln exhibition, where a couple dances by themselves (rather than with a group). There were 34 couples that participated in the Einzelplatteln, and our two couples danced very well. Because this was the first year for this kind of event, it was not judged as a competition, but there were four judges present who were to provide feedback to the dancers.
Our group performed Enzianer as our Ehrentanz (honor dance). Each club that wants to can perform an Ehrentanz at the event. More than 70 clubs attend the Gaufest, and most of them do an Ehrentanz, so there are many performances throughout the four days. Despite our Ehrentanz having been scheduled for eleven o'clock on Friday night, we had a large and enthusiastic audience, which was very encouraging.
We had a wonderful time and made some new friends, including Paul St. Jean and his wife Helèné from Ottawa. Paul was the musician who played for our Ehrentanz and our two Einzelplatteln couples, since our own musician was unable to attend.
Awards are given out at the picnic on Sunday afternoon, and we won the Weit Preis! This trophy is awarded to the club that travels the farthest to a Gaufest (distances determined by the American Automobile Association) and participates with at least four couples either by performing an Ehrentanz or Preisplattling. We will have the trophy until the next Gaufest, when it will be delivered to the next winner. In addition to the trophy, they presented us a plaque that the club can keep as a reminder of having won. Now, we just need to find a place to display the trophy and plaque!
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