I stared to dance, in the local folkdance group when I was 7. My older sister and brother were in the group, so it was natural for me to join.
At that age of 7 you start with singing games and easy music dances. At the age of 14 I started to dance Hallingspringar. In our dance group we learned all different types of Norwegian folkdance: singing games, song dances, figure dances, gammaldans (runddans), bygdedans and different styles of swing. For us it was natural to learn the Hallingspringar. But we also tried the Rørospols. I have always loved to dance. 
I was lucky because at that time we had a VERY good dance miljø in Hemsedal and also Hallingdal. People like Arne Anderdal and Egil Syversbråten, who I grew up with, had a good influence on me. They brought me into the kappleikmiljø and gave me many dance friends all over Norway. I had the chance to dance with a lot of the great good old dancers from Hemsedal and Hallingdal. I tried to go to all the springar parties I could find, just to know that there was great dancers there.
I was also very active dancing in NU (Noregs Ungdomslag). That organization gave me a lot of great dance experience. It was in that organization I started to teach dancing. First when I was 17 with the kids in the leikarring.
Later I studied in Rauland, folkmusic/folkdance, at Telemark College of Education. At that school I learned to dance many of the great bygdedances in Norway. I also learned how to teach for various occasions and groups. At the moment I teach kids from ages 6 to 16. That is in the local dance group called Hemsedal Barneleikaring. Since I am a teacher in elementary (1. to 10.) it is natural for me to bring the Norwegian folkdance into the school also. 
In the school we sing a lot. And I have been so lucky to study the folksong from Hallingdal with Gunnlaug Lien Myhr. We have been a group called Hallingdal Kvearlag. Gathering once in a while. In that group we have learned a lot of all the great songs from Hallingdal. And if some of you want to learn one or two songs from Hallingdal I would be glad to teach you. I can do some tralling and some springar songs.
At this time I am teching in Tuv School in Hemsedal in 2. grade. I got married in 1996 with Gunnar Rudningen and together we have to sons, Andres 8 and Halvor 5 1/2. My husband is a farmer and a joiner/carpenter. We live in Hemsedal. 
I have been dancing at kappleik for 20 years. I started the summer of 87 at Jørn Hilme with Ole Christian Nymoen, from Hemsedal. We danced at landskappleken in Trysil in 89 and did so well that we came in A class. Later I started to dance with Knut Skrindo, from Oslo/Ål. We became A-class dansers in 2000. Seven years later I had my best season ever. Knut and I won A-class at landskappleiken 2007 at Geilo. That was extra special since Landskappleiken was in Hallingdal. And later that summer, Håkon Tveito and I won A-class at Jørn Hilme. That was also very special, since it was 20 years since I first started to dance at kappleik, at Jørn Hilme.
This will be my 5th time to the USA. photo credit: Harriet Gerber, Karen Roske, and submitted by the artist
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