LINDA BROOKS

Linda is a founder and director of Scandia DC. She has been teaching Norwegian and Swedish dancing for over 30 years and has performed and taught in many venues including the Kennedy Center, Scandinavian embassies and at events of many of the Scandinavian heritage groups. She was a coach and primary dance teacher and performer for several Washington Revels Christmas performances over the years celebrating the Scandinavian countries winter solstice traditions. She has studied and researched dances from both Norway and Sweden, and in 2003 she earned the Big Silver Medal in Swedish Polska dancing.

Linda is also on the teaching staff of the Nordic Dancers of Washington, DC and teaches Norwegian and Swedish bygdedans (regional and village dances) to that performance group.

Linda co-founded Scandia DC in 1985, and served as co-director of the group from 1985 through 2018.

DAVID AUTY

David has been enjoying the dances of Scandinavia for 35+ years, studying, teaching, performing and directing performances. He started performing with the Nordic Dancers of Washington DC in the 1980s, and recently returned to perform with them at Kalavala celebration at the Finish Embassy. He is currently on the teaching staff of Scandia DC.

Like many others, he was drawn to folk dancing in his college days, and in particular to the couple dances of Scandinavia. After graduating, he has been fortunate to continue this passion while living in Houston, Raleigh and now back in the DC area. As his dance experience grew, he performed at international festivals, embassies, and has directed several shows. Recently he was part of a group of Scandia DC dancers that participated in the Washington DC Christmas Revels focusing on a Nordic celebration of the winter solstice in music, dance & drama.

DAN KAHN

Dan Kahn is the director of Hambo DC, a weekly Scandinavian dance group that focuses on Swedish and Norwegian couple dances. In 2017 he earned a Bronze Medal in Swedish Polska dancing.

PASCAL PETERSON

Pascal grew up in a Scandinavian community in Portland, Oregon where he started dancing with the Stor Leikarringen in 1976, at the Sons of Norway. Throughout the years, he performed at many local Scandinavian festivals in the Pacific Northwest. He also danced international folk dance at Reed College, in addition to dancing jazz, modern, and ballet at Portland State University. In 1982 he helped organize and start the Norske Runddansere, in Portland, Oregon, which is a community folkdance group that is still going strong. He still has a relationship with them and dances with the group when visiting family in Portland. In 1996, he moved to California, where he danced and performed with the Nordahl Grieg Leikarringen under the guidance of Mikkel Thompson. He has attended the Scandia Dance camp in Mendocino, Ski Dance Camp in Vermont, Nordic Fiddles and Feet in New Hampshire, as well as the Spring Springar Spree, in DC. Pascal is also on the teaching staff of the Nordic Dancers of Washington DC.