Eddie Brognano

On Feb. 2, The Stoughton Norwegian Dancers held their annual Norse Afternoon of Fun Performance. The dancing performance occurred at 1:30 in the main gym at Stoughton High School.
The event was led by the organization’s directors, Wendy Furseth and Macy McElmury, who both played a significant part in preparing for the event.
“As directors, our role is to keep everything running smoothly and on time. This year, I had the opportunity to work behind the scenes a little more, so I made sure the dancers had what they needed, our parent group was supported, and all of the other community groups that were a part of the event knew where they needed to be and when,” McElmury said. “My co-director, Wendy, was then able to guide the audience through the performance by explaining each dance and ensuring the program ran on time.”
Not only was the afternoon filled with dancing, but it also featured several community traditions highlighting Stoughton’s rich Norwegian heritage.
“Throughout the performance, we took breaks to spotlight key members of our community, like the Liz Nelson Community Appreciation Award winner and the upcoming year’s Syttende Mai King, Queen, Prince, and Princess. Toward the end of our performance, we had our 4th-grade dancers join us, as well as any alumni dancers who had come back to watch the performance. We ended the day with our signature dance — the Norwegian Halling, which is where our boy dancers are able to showcase their gymnastic skills, strength, and comedy,” McElmury said.
Dancers, parents, and other helpers put in months of effort and work tirelessly on the day of to make it happen.
“We work with our amazing parents to get the school set up, bake lefse and yummy treats to sell, and sell raffle tickets and admission tickets to help get more people at the event. We do quite a bit of marketing ahead of time on the local news and through social media to ensure as many people in the area know about the event,” McElmury said.
Although the event only lasted through the afternoon, planning began early.
“We start planning for [the next] Norse the day after it’s over. An event like this takes time. But the heavy lifting starts up in October,” Furseth said.
Not only do the directors spend months planning, but so do the dancers. They dedicate hours to rehearsing intricate routines and dances. The group practices before school, but special effort is put into preparation for the Norse Afternoon of Fun.
Three-year dancer Ellie Gilbert emphasized the dedication required to prepare for the performance.
“The dancers practiced Monday-Thursday from 6:30 to 7:45 am every week leading up to the event. We had a 4-hour practice session on the Sunday before February 2 in order to figure out spacing and where to be at a certain point in the event. At the beginning of January, we started dancing with our 4th-grade partners to teach them three dances, along with gymnastics and shoulder lifts,” Gilbert said.
The dancers also practice during summer, in preparation for The Norse Afternoon of Fun.
“We prepare the set of dances before the school year starts so we can start learning those certain dances first and practice them like wild to make sure they are looking good for Norse,” Furseth said.
The Norse Afternoon of Fun is a highlight of the year for the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers and a tradition for the entire community. It serves as a kickoff to the upcoming Syttende Mai celebrations while also bringing appreciation for Norwegian culture and dance.
“This year’s event was another fantastic afternoon! We saw over 800 community members fill the gym to support the Norwegian Dancers and nearly sold out of all bake sale items! Our raffle brought in a record amount of sales, and the performance itself went well,” McElmury said. “Every year, I love to see this event come together, and I’m already counting down the days for next year’s Norse Afternoon of Fun, which will be February 1st, 2026.”
For those interested in joining the team in the coming year, the Norwegian Dancers will have tryouts for the 2025-2026 season the week of April 7 and encourage any 9th, 10th, or 11th-grade student to audition.