Come experience traditional rhythms and dances from Guinea West Africa with Duniya Drum & Dance under the direction of Master Drummer Fode Bangoura. Duniya brings a high energy interactive performance that is fun for the whole family. 

Featuring KARE Channel 11 News Anchor Gia Vang and her father, Tsong Tong Vang.

Witness this father and daughter duo as they share some unique and beautiful Asian wind instruments along with stories about the Hmong culture.

Experience a performance by the Native Pride Dancers featuring the Father/Son Duo, Sean and Jason Soukkala. The Native Pride Dancers, based out of St. Paul, MN and founded by Larry Yazzie, is an internationally renowned, high-energy group featuring an innovative blend of modern and traditional Native American dance styles. Their cultural heritage is reflected in their movements, songs, stories, and their authentic regalia.

Carol Sersland 

Carol grew up in Minneapolis, immersed in the Norwegian folk music and dance community that her immigrant father was at the heart of. They danced his rural Norwegian Telespringar at the first Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1976. Carol is the Artistic Director of the Norwegian Folk Dance Club and started Fjell og Fjord children's group when her own daughter was young. Carol performs in communities throughout the United States and on stages such as the Guthrie Theater. Carol wears the traditional bundad (folk costume) from her father’s home town in Telemark.

Ron Mathisen 

Ron is a folk dancer whose skills and company are always sought in dance circles throughout the US and Norway. Ron and Carol have danced together in the community for decades. His bunad is also in the Telemark style and he himself did the intricate needlework.

Kari Tauring 

A musician, scholar, and story teller of ancient Norse poetry, Kari joined Det Norske Folkedanslaget (The Norwegian Folk Dance Club) in 2008 in order to learn traditional Norwegian folk dance from Carol Sersland. Kari and Carol study the intersection of Nordic runes from 160 CE and dances such as Halling (with roots in the Bronze Age) and Telespringar (a 400 year old rural dance) and other Nordic movement such as skiing. The two perform together throughout Minnesota. Kari will play the Nevelur, a birch wrapped horn dating to 800 CE. She wears a folk costume based on the style of Gudbrandsdal, Norway. https://KariTauring.com  

Rachel Ulvin Jensen 

Rachel is a well known player of Hardingfele (Hardanger Fiddle) within folk music and dance communities as well as on stages such as the Guthrie Theater. Hardingfele is the Norwegian National Instrument dating to at least 1651. It has drone strings that vibrate in a nature magical way. The sound is trance inducing and drives the dances. Rachel is part of Twin Cities Hardingfelelag (Twin Cities Hardanger Fiddle Club), seeking to preserve this instrument and its tunes through performance and teaching. She wears a traditional bunad from North Trøndelag. https://tchardingfelelag.org/

Rince na Chroi (pronounced Rink-a na Cree), Gaelic for “dance of the heart,” was founded by Katie Stephens Spangler in February 2003. The dancers perform all over the Twin Cities and the Midwest at events such as the Minnesota State Fare, Irish Fair of Minnesota, the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival, Grand Old Day, Milwaukee Irish Fest, and many more.