HOLLAND (WTHC-AM/FM) — Tulip Time’s Dutch Dance, a festival staple for more than 80 years, may be at risk.
Festival officials are calling for Dutch dancers, along with seamstresses, tailors, costume directors, and dance directors, in a message emailed to media on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.
Jenn Ryckbost, the festival’s Dutch-dance director says “without all these pieces, Dutch Dance doesn’t happen. A lot of community members don’t realize the huge effort that goes into creating Tulip Time’s No. 2 attraction.”
The tulips, of course, will always be the No. 1 attraction, with millions of bulbs already in the ground.
“As a Dutch Dancer,” Ryckbost said, “I have developed lifelong friendships with people that I now look forward to seeing year after year when we Dutch Dance at Tulip Time events. It is something that has brought enjoyment over and over again for me. We need help from the community to rebuild Dutch Dance to ensure the tradition can continue.”
Tulip Time is making it easier to sew and inspect costumes, teach the dance to new dancers, and for dancers to pass inspection, while still maintaining the accuracy and tradition of the original costumes.
According to Ryckbost, Tulip Time will need help to bring back kinder dance, middle and high school dance as well as alumni.
“The stories we hear from past and present dancers are amazing,” Ryckbost said. “They talk about how Dutch Dance got them involved in the community, gave them a sense of pride for their hometown, and is something that has been passed on from generation to generation. A lot of locals don’t realize that Dutch Dance is one of the main reasons tourists come and spend their money in Holland during the festival.”
Anyone interested in volunteering to support Dutch Dance without being a dancer can attend an informational meeting set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, at the Tulip Time Festival offices in downtown Holland at 42 W. Eighth St. The public is welcome to attend.
The next Tulip Time Festival is set for May 7 through 16, 2022. Details at tuliptime.com.
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