Bergljot Roswick was my first dance, particularly song dance, instructor. When I was four years old and ran from the sidewalk into the parade to join the children's dance group, it was Bergljot who welcomed me (and my mother carrying my one year old sister) sight unseen. She wasn't young then and over twenty years have passed.
She taught me so much, not just examples of songs and dances, but about the associated traditions and her personal history. Her passion and respect for Norwegian music and dance captivated me. I danced through middle school, high school, college and beyond. I'm studying folk music in Norway and plan to write my term paper on singing for dancing. There are countless individuals who have supported me throughout the years, but Bergljot's influence shaped the path that my life has taken.
She didn't have an easy life, but she lived it well. As a school girl, she and her classmates would dance in secret in the classroom while the teacher was out to lunch. As an adult she worked as a nurse, while teaching dozens of children and adults to dance. When I dance and play and especially when I sing, I hope that I am making her proud. This is the tradition that she shared with me and I will do my best to share and protect it.
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