Folk Dance and Folk Music
FOD is a folk dance and music festival for young people aged 16-30 who love folk dance and music or are curious to try it. At the festival, we dance and play music around the clock, and everyone is welcome!
In the mornings, we meet in groups to dance and play music, and later in the day, we receive instruction in dances and music arrangements from this year's instructors. There is one or more workshop modules each day, and in the evening, we jam and dance as long as we want.
There are three delicious vegan meals a day and late-night snacks, and we sleep together in classrooms.
Group Play and Dance
In group play and dance, participants are divided into smaller groups of about 10-14 people who create a performance with both music and dance together. The participants bring their own music and dance ideas, so whether you have composed a melody, know a bit of tango, are totally in love with a song, or have an idea for a coherent theme, bring it along. Along the way, you can get input from the instructors who can help the group move forward if they get stuck or provide good ideas for choreography and arrangement. The groups showcase what they have created on the final night of the festival in a big performance.
Big Play and Big Dance
You can freely choose whether you prefer to participate in big dance or big play. In big dance, the dance instructor teaches this year's dances, and you can learn something new whether you have been dancing for 10 years or if it is your first encounter with folk dance. In big play, the music instructors teach several music arrangements, and finally, big dance and big play are combined into a joint performance that is shown on the last evening along with the group performances.
Workshops
In each workshop block, there is always plenty of opportunity to choose what you want to learn. We strive to always have a workshop in music for advanced participants and one for beginners, as well as the same for dance. We have previously had workshops in beginner Sønderhoning, Scottish tunes, and advanced Värmlandspols. Additionally, there are often volunteers and participants who create their own specialized workshops, whether it is learning a bunch of ballads, nerding out on the harmonica, or working with queer partner dance.
Common Dance
In common dance, all participants (both musicians and dancers) and the volunteers who want to and are not on duty gather to learn dances together. This way, we create a common dance repertoire and get to dance with (almost) everyone at the festival, which usually turns out to be both cozy and sweaty.
Ball Night
At ball night, a professional band comes to play for dancing, so grab a new friend, enjoy the music, and dance away. We have had bands like Mads Hansens Kapel, Farvergade, and Trias play, and it is always a party. Here, you have the opportunity to try out what you have learned in common dance, dance your favorite dance, or maybe take an experienced dancer by the hand and learn something new.
Intro Games
On the first evening at FOD, you meet the group you will be with for group play and dance. You get to know each other well through a series of intro games.
