The Stoughton High School Norwegian Dancers perform a Halling Dance that is uniquely theirs. In Norway, the Halling Dance is a man's show off dance typically done with only one man. It includes acrobatics, lots of footwork, spins and the Halling Kast. This final piece (the Halling Kast) is when the man kicks a hat off the end of a cane that is held high by a lady standing on a chair. It is a very impressive dance and competitions are held for this every summer in Norway.
The Stoughton Norwegian Dancers have not just one, but ten to eleven young men who all wish to participate in this Halling dance at performances. In order to entertain their American audiences, especially the young elementary school children, their Halling has taken on a truly unique flavor.
The introduction to the dance begins with this being a celebration. Audience members are invited to pretend with the Dancers that a wedding is taking place in Norway about 100 years ago. Back then, people would gather for an entire week to celebrate and so they would have to come up with ways to be entertained. Often the young men would start to compete with each other with feats of strength or tumbling, and you'll see that in the Stoughton Halling. At these week long celebrations, people would stay up all night long and get very tired and silly, so you will see some silly things going on as well. And then of course, there is the one person who is the spoiler of all fun things; the one who doesn't want to join in and do what everyone else is doing. So, in the Halling, you see that person emerge for awhile as the others find ways to get rid of him so he can't continue spoiling their fun. Culminating at the end is the traditional Halling Kast as the young teenage men attempt to kick the hat off the end of the cane.
The Stoughton Norwegian Dancers, made up of Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors at Stoughton High School, invite you to watch their version of the Halling Dance performed February 15, 2017. Enjoy!!