Children of all ages are welcome to join us and learn Schuhplattler dancing! 

Contact Kindergruppe

For information about the Germania Almrausch Kindergruppe please contact AlmrauschSecretary@Germaniapok.com 

GERMANIA ALMRAUSCH KINDERGRUPPE HISTORY

The Germania Almrausch members who had children encouraged the children to learn the Schuhplattler dances. By 1971 the Germania Almrausch Kindergruppe had taken its formation under the direction of Gloria Hupe. 

Gloria first taught the Kindergruppe the Bandltanz, a maypole dance. The original children dancers were Hugo Fueglein Jr., Diane Hupe, Norman Licis, Audrey and Robert Rose, Charlotte Barnum, Joey Huettinger, and Cindy Plumb. By August of 1971 the Kindergruppe consisted of approximately eight couples and Hugo Fueglein Sr. helped Gloria teach. In 1973, their successor Kindergruppe directors were Bob and Dorrie Rose followed by Fred and Elizabeth Wilkins who directed the Kindergruppe 1975-1977.

It was also in 1973 that a teen (junior) group was formed with Carl Zuck and Gabi Bunk being the first recorded junior members. Ann Von Knoblauch and Fred Salchli directed the Junior Group until 1977 which is when all the teens moved into the adult group. Members Gábor and Christine Pattantyús, who took leadership of the Kindergruppe from 1978 until 1993, were proud to have the children present the Knappentanz (Miner’s Dance) at the Almrausch 19th Anniversary, a dance that was taught to them by Adam Levine. Gábor also brought the Ambosstanz to the Kindergruppe and taught them the Steire Figurin Tanz. 

After the Pattantyús’ retired as the Directors (15 years), Dan Bauer and Pam Capelli took the leadership and in 1994 they took the Kindergruppe to the 1st Mid-Atlantic Kinderfest hosted by Auerhahn SV in Oley, PA. Sadly, membership dwindled and when Pam’s family relocated to Florida, in July 1995, the Kindergruppe folded. It was revived in the year 2000 under the direction of David and Faith Yearack with their niece and nephew dancing and families Rose, Doedee, Zehner and Zuck.

In 2007, Dave attended a workshop hosted by our Patenverein Edelweiss-Passaic and from it brought the Besentanz to the Kindergruppe; at our 37th Stiftungsfest the dance was showcased using broom props donated to us by Edelweiss-Passaic. In 2010, Dave and Faith briefly re-introduced the Bankltanz at the urging of their son Erik; the benches for the Kindergruppe were handmade and donated by Hank Parslow. Faith co-directed the Kindergruppe through 2012; Jennifer Reichert became co-director in 2013 to 2015, and then again 2017-2018. Dave continued as its director until August 2018 holding the longest run as Director with 18years. Gertjan Doedee (aka GJ) became Dave’s successor and managed the kids group through January 2025. Bev Orser was the Kindergruppe co-director from 2019 through January 2025. In 2019 they started up the Bankltanz again for the junior members of our group and later started teaching the Kinder boys. GJ and Bev taught the kids a folk dance called the Der

Siebenschritt (Seven Steps). In February 2025, brother and sister Erik and April Yearack became the Kindergruppe Directors.

At the beginning of 2017, the Kindergruppe had grown again to more than 24 kids. The numbers always fluctuate as they take on academic sports and other interests and move on, and new kids join again. We teach the Kindergruppe dances that the adults perform and we look forward to performances we do with both groups on the floor.

KINDER TRACHT: The Kindergruppe girls first wore blue Dirndls, then red Dirndls with flowers, that were made by Dorrie Rose. Around 2002, when the Kinder girls of the re-formed Kindergruppe grew out of the remaining red Dirndls, they adopted a black spencer and burgundy Tracht skirts handed down by the adult women. Since the group continued to grow in size and the girls outnumbered the skirts, in 2005 the girls then wore a green multicolored skirt with pink hearts, and a mauve colored apron and shawl set, that was made by Anny Mueller of SG Alpenland Montreal; they first wore it at our 35th Stiftungsfest. Singer Helga Nowak-Razey later made a new mauve apron and shawl set for the girls out of a heavier, silkier fabric. In 2009, the girls adopted a blue Dirndl and a multicolored checked apron made by Bergland Trachten in Kansas and wore it for the first time at the 16th Mid-Atlantic Kinderfest. In 2014, the girls adopted the black flowered skirt with yellow aprons using unused material and gently used Dirndls the adults wore from 1976 through the late 1980s; and they found material so they can continue wearing burgundy skirts to match the adults. In 2018, we again made use of retired adult skirts and fabric sitting in storage by adding a grey-green with burgundy flowers skirt and burgundy apron to the Kindergruppe Tracht; a sewing project taken on by Barbi Stanavage. Barbi also worked on additional burgundy Tracht skirts for a growing children’s group.  Our boys wear grey Lederhosen that we purchase from Ernst Licht Embroidery and Imports and they alternate between white shirts and checked shirts.

MUSIC: The group’s first musician was Fritz Doneit who mastered his accordion with much encouragement from the group. Fritz played for many years for the adults and the children. When he retired his accordion he played piano for the children’s group into the early eighties. Fritz became a member of Germania in 1938, Honorary Member in 1999 and sadly passed away at age 98 in 2001. After Fritz, our Kindergruppe danced to the accordion music of Ursula Holl, Esther Odescalchi, and Steve Mazzuca, and then to the accordion music of dance member Marion Bauer who learned to play from band leader and longtime Almrausch friend, Joe Unger. Since year 2022, the Almrausch adult and children’s groups are fortunate to have our member, accordionist Erik Yearack to play for us, and when he joins us on the dance floor we rely on recorded music.

PERFORMANCES: Favorite past times include the Hunter Mountain German Alps Festival (until year 2000), the Hunter Mountain Oktoberfest (year 2000-2019), Belleayre Ski Lodge, Black Forest Mill Restaurant, and the Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall for Germania’s bake sale. The Kindergruppe currently enjoys dancing annually at Germania’s 3-day festivals (Maifest and

Oktoberfest), Yulan Fire Department’s Von Steuben Day German fest in Barryville, Tymor Park in Union Vale, and Glenville Oktoberfest. The group has also donated its time entertaining at hospitals, nursing homes and schools. The Kindergruppe is always a crowd favorite. Festival attendees often toss coin onto the dance floor after the Kindergruppe performs and this money is used by Germania Almrausch to purchase Tracht for the kids so that a family’s Tracht “rental” fees can remain low. We are proud to have our Kindergruppe dance with the adults whenever possible, and we honor them as the future of the Germania Almrausch Schuhplattler Verein.

Germania Almrausch continues to look for new members and hopes that many generations to come will join us and continue to bring Bavarian dance into the community, uphold true traditions and promote German social and cultural activities.