Hambo Workshop with Roo Lester

Saratoga International Folk Dancers is proudly offering a special workshop on the Hambo with Roo Lester. All levels of experience welcome.

Roo Lester

Roo Lester is a nationally acclaimed dance instructor known for her clear teaching style and skill with beginners and experts alike. Roo is a recognized authority on and foremost exponent of Scandinavian Dance.

Roo Lester began folk dancing as a kid, and has been observing, learning, and studying Scandinavian dance since she saw the Hambo on the dance floor when she was in college, earning her Masters in Dance, with a focus in Dance Ethnology, from UCLA. She began teaching Scandinavian dance after her first visit to the San Diego State University Folk Dance Conference where she met Ingvar Sodal. Since 1983, Roo has traveled extensively in Scandinavia studying dance and participating in dance and music events including testing her skills and dancing in courses and competitions. She has been the American coordinator for several dance and music camps in Scandinavia and published a number of lengthy descriptions of Norwegian dances including Telespringar, Hallingspringar, and Valdresspringar. In addition, she wrote a guide to Scandinavian Dance Basics, and has published several articles.

Among the venues where she has taught are Christmas Country Dance School, Buffalo Gap; Florida Folk Dance Camp, Mendocino Folklore Camp, Folklore Village, Kentucky Dance Institute, Maine Dance Camp, Mainewoods Dance Camp, Ogelbay, Old World Music and Dance Events, Pinewoods, Scandia Camp Mendocino, Scandinavian Week, Texas International Folk Dance Camp, Hardanger Fiddle Association of America, and Stockton Folk Dance Camp. She also serves on the board of directors and is currently involved with the NFO’s membership and Heritage Award committees.

Roo teaches many different kinds of Scandinavian dance but has focused especially on what she calls the turning dances of Norway and Sweden. Her teaching is infused with a great love of dancing and a desire to help others to love it too. Today she is recognized as one of the foremost exponents of Scandinavian dance in the United States. Her hallmarks include her clear, positive teaching that incorporates background information, styling, and technique and her ability to present the basic concepts of dance to dancers of all levels in a fun and lighthearted manner.