This is the manuscript submitted and the article appeared in "Dancing USA" Jan/Feb 2003 issue. Ballroom Dancing at Bergen Danser 2002 By Tommy Kwon

On our last day in Bergen, Norway this spring, we struck a gold mine. I could not believe my luck. It was the day for "Bergen Danser 2002," the fourth annual dance exhibition day in the market place. The park-like area in the middle of a street with fountains and monuments was a block or so from our hotel. The place was already crowded when we arrived there at around 10:45 a.m. The exhibition was to start at 11 a.m. and last till 5 p.m. A huge raised stage measuring about 30 feet by 30 feet was set about 3 feet off the ground, a white canvas tent pitched over the stage shielding the bright sun. With the sides of the tent rolled up, you could see the stage from three sides, the rear side being blocked except for the entrance.

A sideshow caught our eyes and ears. On the other side of the fountains and monuments a band was playing. The band of a drum, two tubas, a French horn, and three trumpets played marching songs, folk songs, Viennese waltzes and polkas. Dressed in brown twill flat caps, long sleeve shirts, breeches that came down just below their knees and white stockings, seven men and women of the band looked typical Scandinavian. The tone of the band was sweet and smooth. Sweet melodies halted the feet of passersby. There were about three dozens onlookers. Music was so good that I wanted to dance right there on the street. It was now getting close to the opening time and the band moved to the front of the stage, not onto the stage, and entertained the waiting crowd until the main program began.

Various children's dance groups came on the stage early and they were followed by adults and professionals. Children's group size varied from 1 to 14, and their age ranged from kindergarteners to college kids. If it was a dance, they danced it here-from Swan Lake ballet to Norwegian folk dance, to Arabian belly dance, to American Hip Hop, to American country western line dance and to international ballroom dance. Here are some highlights of ballroom dancing we saw.

A young girl and a boy, ages 9 to 10, came onto the stage and charmed the audience with a sample of Latin dance. The girl in a black short dress and the boy in black T-shirts and pants danced a samba twice around the stage. They exhibited samba walks, whisks, twinkles, breaks and traveling Botafogos, and Volta right and left, all the while bouncing to the lively rhythm of a samba tune. When the music changed to a cha-cha, they danced it with equal charm and grace, exhibiting their crossover breaks, open breaks and underarm turns, progressive breaks, chase steps and kick swivels. Young girls in the audience shrieked amid thunderous applause.

There followed two other young couples with a string of international ballroom dances. They took turns after each number to give each other breaks. The younger couple, 12- or 13-year olds, was dressed in black, except for the girl's pink knit top. The starting music went, "Soul sister, soul sister, . . ." in a slow but crisp cha-cha beat. The young couple began their dashing moves and danced around the floor with various steps and figures, swishing their feet and swinging their arms and hands, flashing their fingers, their slender bodies moving with speed and grace. They rocked, turned and spun to the happy staccato rhythm of a cheeky cha-cha tune. Audience responded with shouts and clapping.

They returned with a lively energetic jive. As the song went, "I've noticed you around, . . I find you very attractive, . . Will you go to bed with me? . . . ," the young couple swung, swayed, rocked, turned and spun. Young girls in the audience shrieked and screamed. They thrilled the audience with a sizzling samba. To the maddening rhythm of a samba they flexed their arms and fluttered their shoulders. The last dance they did was a seductive rumba. They rocked gently, turned slowly and swirled gracefully to the seductive rhythm of a romantic rumba tune, as the song went, " . There ain't no sunshine, . . Nano, nano, . . ."

The older couple, ages 16 to 17, was both dressed in black. The loose neckline of the girl's knit top and the waistband of her trousers were trimmed white. They started with a lively playful cha-cha. The level at which they danced was not much different from the professional level of dance I saw during competitions. Their moves were polished and smooth. The second dance they did was a bolero. They moved slowly but deliberately, turning and swirling gracefully. They bent and stretched their slender supple bodies this way or that way, all the while the girl's face beaming with smile and boy's expression stern and unmoving. Young girls in the audience burst into screams and applause.

They returned to the stage with a paso doble, a lively Spanish dance. "Tan-tan-tan-tan, . . Tara-tan-tara-tan, . . .," It was "Carmen de Sevilla." They circled the floor with their chests held high, shoulders stretched wide, and heads inclined forward, promenading, prancing, striding, turning, spinning, their arms raised high or arching above their head, their feet swishing or kicking high, and their heels stomping the floor aloud. Audience exploded into loud applause and shrieks. They danced a cha-cha with equal vigor and charm to a Spanish tune that went like, "Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, . . . Senorita, . . ." Their final number was a lively jive. They sizzled the audience with their brisk dashing moves twice around the floor, as the tune went, "Dooby, dooby, doo, dooby, dooby, doo,. . ."

A young couple of college age came onto the stage. The young man was in black top and bottom and the young lady was wearing red knit top and long slim black skirts. They waltzed twice around the floor, turning and gliding to the sedate rhythm of one-two-three, twinkling, hesitating, promenading, and spinning, all the while their shoulders rising and falling like gentle waves. They were professional dancers. After a brief pause, music changed to a tango. They danced an international tango exhibiting its power and drama, promenading effortlessly, stepping lightly, changing directions abruptly, and snapping their heads right and left, all the while looking elegant and regal, and masking joys.

The music changed again, and they turned and swirled to the brisk three-beats-to-the-bar of a Viennese waltz. They rotated a few times continuously on the spot and paused. The two bodies slowly melded into the shape of letter "X," man stretching his right leg backward while raising his joined left hand high and the lady tilting her head and upper torso backward facing the ceiling and extending her left leg forward. They made a pretty picture. After another brief pause, they danced a foxtrot, progressing slowly around the floor, gliding and turning, their shoulders rising and falling smoothly. They dazzled the audience with a quickstep, hopping and bouncing joyfully around the floor like a couple of children at play, exhibiting their intricate footwork. They had danced five numbers in the International Standard.

Now the lady dropped her long skirts-right there on the stage in full view of the audience. She now appeared in a short skirts with ragged hemline, ready for another five numbers in the International Latin. They started with a samba. Standing about 10 feet apart, they began dancing, approaching each other, pumping and flexing their arms and shoulders. They danced samba twice around the floor, swishing their feet, swinging, flexing and fluttering their arms, waving and flashing their hands.

In between dances, they had less than 10 seconds. Now it was a cha-cha, a lively, carefree fun dance. They rocked provocatively, swayed and swung flirtatiously, and turned and spun cheerfully to the staccato rhythm of a cheeky cha-cha tune. Now it was rumba time. They turned and glided across the floor gracefully, their eyes blazing with love and passion, their arms and hands moving slowly and their slender bodies curving and twisting seductively. They thrilled the audience with their final number, an energetic jive. Bursting with unbridled energy and enthusiasm, they rocked, kicked, spun, swooped, swayed and swung to the insistent beat of "Come back no more, . . Hit the road again, . . Don't you come back no more, no more, no more . . ." At the end of each dance, the audience responded with shrilled screams and thunderous applauses.

It was tango time. At the tune of "El Choclo," a couple danced a seductive Argentine tango. The lady was in a white tube top and skin-tight lustrous burgundy velvet breeches that came down just below the knees and the man was in black top and bottom. They walked and turned, the lady's long legs flexing, swinging like a pendulum, or wrapping around his leg. After the first couple had danced around the floor a few minutes and stepped aside, a second couple came onto the stage. The lady was in a red dress and the man in black shiny silk shirts and black dress pants. The lady's head leaning closely against the man's chest and yet allowing room for her leg movement, they danced a tango at a quicker tempo.

The third couple followed with yet another tango. The lady was wearing a white sleeveless muslin shell and shiny black dress pants, and the man in golf shirts and gray dress pants. They danced at a slower rhythm, the lady's long legs swinging high and flexing gracefully. Now, all three couples danced together, each couple dancing its own patterns and figures. The couples went slowly around the floor following the line of dance. It was a beautiful sight. The audience burst into a loud applause.

I realized it was now 3:45 p.m. We had been completely absorbed in the exhibition for the last three and half hours, standing there in the sun with my camcorder. One-third of the program still remained. These included Bergen Freestyle Dances, Bergen Dance Society, Salsa Tropical, Polish Dance Group, Samba Tropical, Bergen Salsa Club, and Rock 'n' Roll. But we had to return to the hotel and catch the bus to the airport. Reluctantly, we turned our feet around and lumbered through the crowd still glued to the dance exhibition.

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