The Folk Dance Club Alpenroesli was formed in November 1981 by eight members of the Swiss Club Matterhorn. The purpose was to study and learn traditional folk dances of Switzerland and to share this ethnic art form in its authenticity with Swiss Canadians and the Alberta community at large. By practicing and performing, we hope to keep the original dances alive for decades into the future and pass on a Swiss tradition to our second and third generation of Swiss Canadians. We also dance for fun, camaraderie and friendship.

Our group has had between eight and fifteen members, with most of the original eightdancers still participating. We are an all-female group, which is also traditionalin Switzerland.

All our dancers wear traditional costumes from different cantons. Some of our dancershad theirs handed down from mothers or grandmothers. Most costumes worn today werecreated between 1920 and 1930.

All dancers take turns learning and teaching new dances. The instructions and musicare bought in Switzerland. Some of our dancers have visited and observed folk dancegroups in Switzerland to make sure we keep the authenticity of the dances.

We have enjoyed performing at a variety of functions and events:

  • Swiss National Day,
  • Landsgemeinde,
  • Yodel Club yearly entertainment evening,
  • Spruce Meadows (Masters Show Jumping Tournament),
  • German-Canadian Club,
  • German Days in Kimberley BC,
  • IFTO World Congress 1983,
  • Princess Island Park Calgary,
  • village of Stettler during their Heritage Day Celebrations (1985),
  • Turkish Canadian Cultural Association's Folklore Festival (1986) Heritage Park Fall Fair (1987),
  • as well as at the Calgary 1988 Olympics,
  • the 1988 Yodel Festival and the 1997 Police and Fire Games.

Each year we also have several performances at Seniors' Lodges and community events as a wayof promoting our country to the Canadian community.