Landesverband der Donauschwaben, USA

 

 

 

TANZGRUPPEN BERICHTEN

DEZEMBER 2009

 

 

 AMERICAN AID SOCIETY TANZGRUPPEN 

 

Forwarded From Chicago American Aid Society Donauschwaben

Jugendgruppe

 

Forwarded by Ron Farland, Jugendgruppe Representative

 

          This summer was rather quiet in comparison to summers past, however, that did not mean that the Jugendgruppe was not keeping busy. In addition to practicing on Friday nights and relearning older dances we were busy collecting and organizing items for the rummage sale, which took place on the last weekend in June. The sale was a successful fundraiser, but it was certainly a lot of work to organize especially for Matthias Wissmann who was the director of the rummage sale.

 

          On the 4th of July we had a great group of Kindergruppe members move up to the Jugendgruppe. We are very excited that Kristin Gunther, Nancy Henz, Matthew Katzenmayer. Bridget Kennedy, and Samantha Leicht will be dancing with us in the future. We also honored those who graduated this year. Jill Farland graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor's degree with honors in English literature. Jim Lange graduated from University of Illinois at Champagne Urbana with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. Erika Neumayer graduated with a bachelor's degree with dis­tinction in apparel design from Dominican University.

 

          On the weekend of July 17th, many members packed their bags and headed to Michigan for the "Seventh Annual Hans Wissmann Pottowattamie Camping Trip". Although it was a bit chilly, we all had a great time including performing for the local campers. Over a dozen of the Jugend' parents accompanied us to join in the fun and we want to thank them for all their help in cooking our meals and supporting us. We also want to send out a special thank you to Hans & Hedi Wissmann for making this camping trip possible.

 

          The following weekend some of our members traveled to Milwaukee for their Annual Germanfest on the lakefront. Some of our members including, Alex Anetsberger, Nick Balcerak, and Steve Farland, performed with the Rheinischer Verein Fanfaren Chor and we were there to cheer them on. In August the Jugendgruppe performed at the Schwaben Picnic also at the Heimatfest in Lake Villa.

 

The Jugendgruppe poses for a picture

with the owner of the campgrounds, Rosie Keller, 

before performing for the other campers.

Even though the weather was a little chilly, it didn't stop

the Jugend from having fun taking the rowboats out 

for a ride on the lake during the camping trip.

 

          The summer was full of Jugend birthdays! In June, Nicki Anetsberger, as well as Katrina Mueller celebrated their birthdays. Elizabeth Tilli celebrated her sweet 16 birthday in July and Katie Klein, Kelsey McMahan, Mark Bappert, Bryan Bappert and Laurie Davis, also had birthdays in July. In August, Stephen Mueller, Jim Lang, Alex Anetsberger, Amanda Bappert, Matthias Wissmann and Steve Farland celebrated their birthdays.

 

          Congratulations goes out to Ingrid Lisauskas who sang the national anthem beautifully at the Fire game on August 29th! Many other Jugend members went to the game to support her with many of the Kickers members.

 

          Unlike the summer months, the autumn was extremely busy for the Jugendgruppe. All of the Jugend members enjoyed their time over the Labor Day weekend in Detroit. The Labor Day weekend is always a weekend in which we all get to spend time with our friends from other clubs and celebrate our heritage. We performed a dance with the Donauschwaben Jungendgruppe for the second year in a row. Performing with our fellow Chicagoans is a great way to show our camaraderie.

 

          The following weekend the Jugend helped out the Schwaben Verein in the kitchen and the bar at the German Day celebration at Lincoln Square. We were happy to help during the busiest parts of the evening when our speed and agility were needed. We also marched in the 44th annual Steuben Parade carrying the giant German Flag.

 

          For the next three weekends the Jugendgruppe members were very busy working at the A.A.S. Oktoberfests. Thanks to the efforts by our members and the other volunteers, all three weekends were a great success and we can't wait to do it again next year.

 

          On October 21st, we were asked to dance at the Sox Game for their Oktoberfest theme. Four girls and four boys were asked to dance for this event and we were happy to do so. At the front entrance we danced from 5:00-7:00pm to the band Paloma, who played. We had a great time dancing for the bystanders and even teaching some lucky people to dance. Once the game started, we all got some food and some beers and enjoyed the first half of the game. At the 5th inning, we were taken from our seats to another area to wait to dance on the dugout. We were instructed to only wear flat, rubber-soled shoes so we would not poke a hole in the top of the dugout. We were also told not to do any spinning or twirling so we did not fall off onto the visitor players. After the 7th inning, we danced for 26,541 people who were at attendance. We were honored and excited to have danced there and we all bought pins to commemorate the event. Maybe they will ask us back next year!

 

Ingrid Lisauskas sings the national anthem magnificently at the Chicago Fire Game.

Eight Jugend members dance in front

of over 26,500 people

at US Celluar Field

during the Sox game.

Ingrid Lisauskas, Jill Farland, Steve Farland,

Erika Neumayer, Nicki Anetsberger,

Peter Lisauskas and Erik Lisauskas pose

for a picture with the sign saying

that the American Aid Society 

of German Descendants Youth group

was performing at US Cellular field.

 

          On Friday, October 9th, some of the members performed in Huntley for an Oktoberfest. Even though it was a far drive, we enjoyed seeing all the happy faces as we danced. Onno Huckemann, the new Councilor of the Federal Republc of Germany was in attendance.

 

          Another very enjoyable evening was the Kirchweih. The Jugendgruppe looks most forward to this event and we were happy to have so many out of town guests in attendance. Karin Schulz flew in from Los Angeles, Hans Greyer flew from Cleveland, Bianca Bering, Tony Bering, Kimmy Schwager, Eric Schwalbe, and Kurt Seiberling all drove down from Detroit and Michael Hutz came from Milwaukee. Many other members came home from college for the event as well. Matthias Wissmann and Julie Davis won the Strauß this year and everyone had a great time celebrating with them.

 

The Jugendgruppe poses from a group picture

after the Kirchweih march.

Matthias Wissmann and Julie Davis laugh 

during the group picture 

after winning the Kirchweihstrauß

The snake portion

of the Jugendgruppe Kirchweih march

Monika Neumayer, Alex Anetsberger,

Laurie Davis, Nick Balcerak, Jamie Mazur

and Mark Bappert smile for a picture at Kirchweih.

 

          This year we have a special treat planned for the Cham­pagne Brunch, which will be held on December 6th. On Decem­ber 5th, many of the Jugend will be making our own sausage (under the supervision of Mr. Stein, of course) as a fundraiser that can be pre-ordered and picked up at the champagne brunch. Christian Ehrat, Alex Anetsberger and Steve Farland have all helped make the Wurst for functions, such as 4th of July and Heimatfest, and can't wait to do it again with other members. The brunch is from 10:30am - 2:00pm and is only a $12.00 donation for an all you can eat buffet.

 

          Congratulations are in order for our member, Jackie Baumann Cortez and Dave Cortez who are expecting a baby girl in early March. Congrats Jackie and Dave!

 

          We would like to thank all of those who have helped us and supported us. We especially thank the anonymous donor whose donation to the Jugendgruppe will help us continue to cherish our heritage and have fun as well.

 

By Erika Neumayer

 

 

Kindergruppe Report

 

 

Forwarded By Christine Slabinger

 

         

Heimatfest

 

            With the end of summer, Heimatfest arrives. The weather cooperated and the day turned out beautiful. Those who arrived early were able to attend Mass in our hall. The kids had fun on the playground as usual, but the new benches that have been added by the Kindergruppe were a big hit with parents and grandparents alike. When it came time to perform, the kids marched around and then performed for all the members and guests to see.

 

 

Labor Day Weekend in Detroit

 

            After weeks of planning, our weekend to Utica, Michigan, for the annual Treffen finally arrived. Most of us had a busy week packing, ironing our favorite dirndls, making appetizers and getting ready for the road trip either by bus or car. Many of our Kindergruppe families left on Friday and after the long car ride, the kids anxiously awaited some swim time in the pool with their friends while the parents got a chance to sit down, relax with the appetizers, snacks and drinks and do some socializing while keeping an eye on the kids.

 

          Saturday the sun was shining bright as we made our way over to the Carpathia Club in Sterling Heights, MI. The kids attended a workshop for their group dance, made crafts, played games, and jumped in a moonwalk. All the kids enjoyed that. The Carpathia Club had an outdoor line for express brats, hot dogs, pizza, peanut butter and jelly, and of course ice cream for the kids to enjoy. Parents and members alike enjoyed meeting up with family or rediscovering old acquaintances from their Jugend days as well as meeting and making new friends from the different clubs.

 

          The weather was great the entire weekend and everyone had a great time. The schedule of the dancing, either in the hall or outside in the tent was well planned so that we could go and watch the Jugend when they performed and the Jugend could come and watch us dance. The Kindergruppe did a great job with the dances and many of the people from other Clubs really appreciate and love the fact that so many Kinder are continuing the traditions of their youth.

 

          After a fun-filled, activity packed weekend, everyone was sad to leave and have to spend all that time driving home.

 

German Day

 

          A beautiful weekend made the annual German Day parade and fest a success. Our Kindergruppe sat on the American Aid Society float waving the German flags and having a great time with all the people along the parade route. It was nice to see so many people coming out to support the Parade and wave back to our kids. It makes it a lot more fun for everyone if there are people for the kids to wave to on the float. Then on Sunday, the Kindergruppe found themselves back in Lincoln square to perform outside to the delight of many parents, grandparents and fest goers alike.

 

Oktoberfest

 

            A heartfelt thank you to all the Kindergruppe parents who came out on one or more of the Oktoberfest weekends to lend their hands to help make the events run smoothly and be a success. This year we worked side by side when many of the Chicago Kickers parents and we got to make some new friends along the way. It was also nice to see so many Kindergruppe parents and families that came out to support the Oktoberfest and the Club. Danke.

 

          Congrats to the winners of this year's Strauss - Eileen Kennedy and Eric Iwaniec. A huge thank you goes out to the Fritz's, Megan's grandparents, John & Barbara Gabler, and Megan's aunt, Mary Mihalovits for donating the Rosemary. Without their generous donations, Kirchweih would not be held.

 

Pumpkin Carving

 

 

          The kids all came out for our annual pumpkin carving. Every year the kids get more and more creative with their pumpkins, even the younger ones. Some of the pumpkins were scary looking, some cute and some even gross looking. It was a nice variety and shows that we have many very creative kids in our Kindergruppe. This year, the Kindergruppe carved their pumpkins on a night when a general meeting was held. The kids turned off all the lights in the middle of the meeting, lit their jack-o-lanterns and paraded them around for all the mem­bers to see.

 

Schlachtfest

 

 

          A big thank you goes out from the Kindergruppe to Frau Ringwald who generously donated $50 to the Kindergruppe for the birthday wishes and to Martin Koenig for his $25 donation.

 

 

 

 

 

   

CARPATHIA CLUB TANZGRUPPEN

 

Forwarded From Carpathia Club Donauschwaben

 

 

Kindergruppe Updates

 

          The Landestreffen weekend was a big success! Our weekend started by hosting a workshop for all the Kindergruppen. What a great turnout. The kids all enjoyed dancing together and hopefully they met some new friends from the other cities. The Kinderplatz kept all the volunteers very busy all weekend long. The games were always busy. The duck pond was a huge success. Thank you to Mike Cole for building such a beautiful pond for our ducks. In addition to the games, there were craft tables set up where the kids made friendship bracelets, hacky sacks, and bookmarks. Kids of all ages also learned about the different symbols of the Donauschwaben Wappen as they colored at the coloring table. I think everyone learned a little something that weekend. Thank you to Kathi Cole for organizing this project. As usual the kids did a fabulous job dancing, as did all the other groups. We are already excited about going to Philadelphia next year!

          Schuhplattler has become a favorite for our Middlegroup boys. Even after practice is finished and we have moved on to our other dances, the boys are still practicing their 5-Step. I have heard some do it all the time… in the house, waiting to go rock climbing, even in church! All their practice has paid off. It was a crowd favorite at every Oktoberfest we danced at this fall. At the Oktoberfest, the Middlegroup boys played a joke on some of the patrons as they went into the audience looking for volunteers to learn the Schuhplattler 5-Step. What these volunteers didn’t know was that there was a “ringer” in the group, Kurt Lingerfelt. After a few steps, Kurt was dancing away while the other volunteers wondered how he learned it so quickly. Thank you Kurt for playing along with our lessons and being such a quick learner!

 

Christine Pesta

 

 

 Christine Pesta 

 

 

 

 

 

Jugendgruppe

 

 

          The end of the summer is a special time for the Jugendgruppe – Labor Day weekend to be exact, is what most of our dancers look forward to. This weekend is a time to see their friends from all over the US and Canada. Our Jugendgruppe was especially happy to play host at this year’s Landestreffen der Donauschwaben. They welcomed the other groups and each group was eager to show a new dance or two. Sunday night was, of course, one of the biggest Donauschwaben Jugend ‘dance party’ of the year. The Jugendgruppe also sold t-shirts which were designed by Hansi Geyer specifically for this year’s Treffen, and other designs as well. Almost everyone made ‘Time for a Schnapps’ or at least bought the t-shirt! The following weekend we opened the Carpathia dance season with the Hawaiian Abend. This event is always special as the new royalty is announced. This year’s court is Paula Dietz, Lauren Seiberling, and Brian Butka. Congratulations to Lauren, Paula and Brian. This fall the Jugendgruppe danced at the Rochester Mills Brewery for their Okotberfest, Waterford Lady of the Lakes Oktoberfest, and at the GACC German Unification Day. The Jugend also performed at Carpathia’s Weinlesefest and Kirchweih.

Karin & Robert Schwalbe, Debbie Kapraun und die Carpathia Jugendgruppe

 

Rob Schwalbe_Debbie Kapraun_Karin Schwalbe

 

 

 

 

SCHUHPLATTLER & KULTURGRUPPE

 

          The Carpathia Kulturgruppe had a busy summer and these past couple months have been busy as well starting with the Landestreffen in September and concluding with Weinlesefest in October. The Carpathia Kulturgruppe not only performed once each day at the Landestreffen but was very active behind the scenes. Our members were involved in nearly all aspects of the treffen; set up to clean up, beer to brats, Kinderplatz to parking and many areas in between. Special thanks to everyone who rolled up their sleeves and helped out at Donauschwaben Treffen, 2009. The Carpathia Kulturgrupe had the opportunity to host another dance at Carpathia, Weinlesefest.  We would like to thank the other dance groups for performing and joining in with us on the dance floor and to all those in attendance for coming!

 

          The Carpathia Kulturgruppe meets on Sunday @ 5pm. We are always looking for new members and you do not have to dance to join us. If you would like more information please email the group at kulturgruppe@gmail.com . The Carpathia Schuhplattler Group is in search of...

1)    A bench maker – a carpenter willing to make at least two benches, hopefully four, so we can once again perform the Bankltanz.  We will purchase the wood, etc. We only ask you donate your knowledge, skill, and time.

2)    A Veteran - a former dancer that can help us other former members remember how to perform Arschower, Auerhahn, and others.

 

          The Carpathia Schuhplattler group performed at the Rochester Mills Oktoberfest and Weinlesefest recently and had the honor to dance, each time, with the next generation of Schuhplattler dancers. What fun it is to dance and look around and all see the young dancers having as much fun as I did when I was their age.  Thanks again to all those making that possible.

 

          The Carpathia Schuhplattler Group practices every Sunday @ 4pm in the practice room at Carpathia. New dancers are welcomed and encouraged. 14 and older please, with exceptions, of course. For more information please contract Carsten Grotloh - 586.255.6527 or Adam Schwager - 586.420.4371.

 

Cartsten Groloh

 

 

 

Adam Schwager Stephanie Kemmer Carsten Grotloh

 

 

 

 

 

CHICAGO DONAUSCHWABEN TANZGRUPPEN

 

Heim der Donauschwaben

Forwarded From Chicago Donauschwaben

 

Kindergruppe Updates

 

 

          Since our Spaghetti Dinner in October, the Kindergruppe has been, and will be, keeping busy during the Holiday months. On Friday, October 23, we danced and sang for a festive crowd at Immanuel Lutheran Church's Oktoberfest right here in Des Plaines. Our newest members, with the help of our veterans, did an outstanding job showing off their newly acquired dance moves, and the children’s singing was particularly lovely, especially considering that they sang their songs from memory.

 

          Aside from our normal practices in November the kids stayed busy with the annual Christmas Wreath Sale fund-raiser. They got to have a little fun one Saturday afternoon with one of the ever-popular ceramic-making events.  This gave each child the opportunity to make his or her own ornament. Children could also choose from other keepsake pieces to decorate and give as gifts. Thanks to Jen K. for taking charge of the Wreath Sale and to Maria Toth for organizing the ceramics event.

 

          Looking forward to December' the kids also have lots going on.  On Sunday, December 6th at 4pm we'll be performing at Edelweiss Restaurant in Noridge, Illinois.  This is something that's sure to be a treat for anyone dining that evening.  On December 1st after our normal rehearsal we'll have our joint Christmas Party with the Jugendgruppe, complete with pizza, presents, and other goodies. That evening, the children will also drop off gifts and food for Operation Des Plaines Christmas, to benefit the Des Plaines Food Pantry and those it serves. Finally, the kids will Perform for you all at the Klub's Weihnachtsfeier on Sunday, December 20th.

 

Thank you for all of your support in 2009!

Viktoria Johnson

 

 

 

 

 

ST. LOUIS TANZGRUPPEN

 

 

Forwarded From German Cultural Society St. Louis

Kindertanzgruppe Update

 

 

          Wow! It’s been an amazing year and the year isn’t even over.  The Kindertanzgruppe has been dancing their way into the hearts of young and old alike. With great enthusiasm, last January we began by wearing a creative hat. Much like a composer, the Kinder each adding their own steps, collectively choreographed a routine. As Olivia said, “Frau Birgit, we’re going to wow them!” And wow them we did performance after performance. From late August to mid October on most weekends the Kindertanzgruppe was on someone’s agenda. Functions like Kirchweihfest, Strassenfest and Oktoberfests galore gave us opportunities to boast of our well rehearsed moves. In September, we took the ‘show on the road’; 650 miles to be exact, to Detroit Michigan. It was there that the country received a glimpse of the awesome St. Louis Kindertanzgruppe as we presented a 15 minute recital on two consecutive days.  With only one more scheduled event left for the season on Saturday, December 5, at the DKV evening, we hope to ‘knock your socks off.’

 

          To the parents, grandparents, relatives and friends who devote countless hours to shuttling children to practices, performances and who give of your time in so many ways: You are to be applauded! It is all of you that help contribute to the success of the Kinder and the German Cultural Society organization. Our little performers are lucky to have such caring, loving support.

 

Monika Lorenz

Vice-President

 

Mittlere Tanzgruppe Updates

 

            What a fall season we have had! We started dancing at the Kirchweihfest on August 23 and have performed every weekend since. We had our final performance October 18. The highlight for our dance group had to be the Labor Day weekend trip to Detroit. After they made their first performance, you might say “the crowd went crazy”. The announcer gave us such a wonderful compliment. You could hear comments being made everywhere about how “good” the St. Louis Middle Dance Group is. They certainly set the bar for other groups to follow. And, they deserved all the applause. These kids have worked so hard this year to get these very difficult steps perfected. They will certainly be ready for the youth group in a year or so. This coming year we will concentrate on the waltz and polka steps.

 

          We will start up practices again in January. We are always looking for new dancers age 9 to 13. For more information, please call (618) 538-9975 or email ruthvp1@gmail.com

 

For the Middle Dance Group,

 

Ruth Vanderpluym

ruthvp1@gmail.com 

 

 

 

 

 

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