Take a free Dutch Dance lesson as part of Music Moves Us

With Tulip Time’s iconic Dutch Dance celebrating its 90th anniversary next year, Tulip Time is offering a free Dutch Dance lesson in August as part of the Holland Symphony Orchestra’s Music Moves Us.

The demonstration class will be taught by Jenn Ryckbost, the Dutch Dance program coordinator at Tulip Time Festival, at Centennial Park in downtown Holland from 10-10:45 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8. 

Tulip TimeDutch Dancers perform during the Tulip Time Festival.
It’s one of 10 Music Moves Us events taking place in Holland from Aug. 6-10. All are free and offer a range of music and dancing experiences from salsa to hip hop to Big Band dance lessons, leading up to the symphony’s “Music Unites Us – Brazil!” program at Kollen Park on Aug. 10. 

The Dutch Dancing lesson will give people new to the Holland tradition a chance to see if they like performing the moves. 

Dutch Dancers perform during the Tulip Time Festival.

While many Dutch Dancers learn the steps in high school, the festival has classes for all community members. Sign-up is in October and rehearsals begin in January for the May festival.

Building community

For Ryckbost, Dutch Dancing is a lifelong passion.

“I started dancing as a sophomore at Holland Christian High School. There were so many dancers back in the day, you could not dance as a freshman,” Ryckbost says. “So I danced my sophomore through senior year, then took one semester off for college because I was like, ‘Oh, I can't dance. I'm going to be too busy.’ And then I was upset with myself. I have danced ever since.”

Even when she was pregnant.

“I started to practice two days after I gave birth to my son in March. I carried him out of the house with me to practice,” she says with a laugh.

Dutch Dancers perform during the Tulip Time Festival.
Her love of Dutch Dancing might be genetic. Her mom, aunts, cousin, and sister are Dutch Dancers, and now her daughter is the family’s next generation to join the tradition.

“It’s a great community builder,” says Ryckbost. “You build these groups of 12 dancers who turn into family members over the years. You don't really connect with them all year long, but the moment practice starts, you become this little circle because you are dancing real close together.”

For more information about the Music Moves Us events, visit the Holland Symphony Orchestra’s website.

The Lakeshore WM is the media sponsor of Music Moves Us.