United Nordic Folk Dancers of America League Records

Inspired by the positive audience response at the George Washington Bicentennial Festival in Chicago (1932), Swedish, Norwegian and Danish folk dancers decided to form one League, uniting their individual dance groups under an umbrella organization. The first official meeting of the United Nordic Folk Dancers of America League was held on August 22, 1932. The executive board, composed of two people from each nationality, was charged with establishing the rules and purpose of the group. The stated purpose of the organization was to promote Scandinavian Folk Dancing in the United States and to create a feeling of “good neighbors” between the Scandinavian countries. The decided intent of the League was to “annually bring together all the allied clubs in the form of a Folk Dance Exhibition, Election of officers, and a Banquet.” By the 1940’s, the board was meeting once a month and the entire League was meeting for a party in March, a picnic in August, and a convention in November. Along with these gatherings, they performed at a variety of cultural festivals around the Midwest. The League also published a newsletter, the Herald, which kept members updated on the activities of the various clubs in the group.