Annual General Meeting

Saturday, April 28th, 2012 5:00pm, new location: Anchor Inn Pub in Armstrong
Club will pay for the food; members will pay for drinks

Friday, May 18, 2012 Spring Dance / Bunter Abend at the Vernon Village Green Hotel, buffet dinner.

Our entertainment for the evening the Gruppe Kaktus from Berneck, Switzerland and the Dance Group Alpenroesli from Calgary

 During a cheerful social gathering back in 2005 the singing group "Kaktus" was formed. The five women were singing in a church choir in Berneck, --- loving to sing the songs through the colorful garden of musical notes. They feel at home singing opera and operetta, Folk songs, pop, and even foreign-language songs are in their repertoire.
The 5 women lacked the most important thing for a good performance, namely a Man.
As other places, here in Switzerland without a man almost nothing goes. As luck would have it, one of the team members, Louise, has a man which is the best; --- his name is Hansruedi, the musician.
On this journey through foreign lands, the Kaktus group pays special attention to spreading joy and happiness.
The five harmonious female voices, accompanied by a passionate Accordionist hit all the right notes on every occasion. Encasing family and company parties the Kaktus group will stimulate other events with her charm and wit. The aim is to encourage the audience to sing along and cherish the traditional songs.
 

Dance Group Alpenroesli.

The Swiss Folk Dance Club Alpenroesli was formed in November 1981 by 9 members of the Swiss Club Matterhorn, Calgary Alberta. The founders of our club were: Maria Krohmer, Helga Wagner, Kaethi Gyger, Roesli Rutzer (diseased), Margot Bigler, Marianne Spielmann, Edith Furber, Maya Ackermann and Li Zahnd. Naegli Nigg played the Schwyzeroergeli and Heidi Arikan the Accordeon. Still actively involved with dancing are Maria, Helga, Kaethi, Li and Naegeli.

Folk Dance in Switzerland is an art form that continues to change and develop both in form and function. The main elements and dance forms have their roots in the 18th and 19th century. They are: the "Schottisch, Walzer, Laendler, Marsch and Polka". Most of the dances the club performs have been created during the past 100 years and include both very traditional old dances as well as contemporary dances to popular folk songs.

The dances and the colorful mosaic of the different
regional traditional dresses (Tracht) represent a small sample of the diversity of Switzerland (a country that fits 16 times into Alberta.)
Some of our dancers had their "Tracht" handed down from mothers or grandmothers.

The club is the only Swiss folk dance group in Canada. The group has been able to participate at the Unspunnen Fest in Interlaken, Switzerland in 2006 where the dancers had the opportunity to showcase their skills and learn more about the development of Swiss folk dancing. The Club also performed at the North American Yodeling Fest in Banff in 2009. The highlight in 2010 was our participation at the Eidgenoessische Trachtenfest in Schwyz, Switzerland. This event happens only every 12 years!