Der Deutsche Volkstanzverein von San Antonio was formed in August 1988
by Dr. Doug Hall, Sally Dunaisky, Marion Perry, and Richard Sierra in order to preserve
and promote the folkdance heritage of the German settlers of the San Antonio area. The
first actual performance by the fledgling group was in July 1988 at the Lutheran Youth
Convention held at Hemisfair Plaza, before the group was officially organized. In September
1988, the group was joined by Jan Moebus and Bob Mills. That December, the Volkstanzverein
performed for the German Wives Club at the Alsatian Inn in Castroville...folk dancing and
singing German Christmas carols. January 1989, Beverly Platz and Steve Kline joined to
bring the group up to four full couples.1989 saw the Volkstanzverein march in their first
Battle of Flowers Parade and perform for the first time at the Folklife Festival, San
Antonio College Folk Dance Festival, and at Wurstfest. The first costume of the group was a
Miesbach for the women and Lechtal for the men. The group has continued since, adding
costumes from Glottertal (Baden-Württemberg), Boerde-Lamstedt (Hannover), Gladenbach
(Hessen), and Bodensee (Switzerland); dances from all of the German-speaking lands; new
dancers (Caren Birdsong, Jayne Delaney, Laurel Ellis, Karine Fritsch, Rus Garner, Genny
& Matt Kraus, Jerome Kuntscher, Petesie Lee, Lynn Margotta, Stevan Parker, John &
Louise Scanlon, George Ann Simpson, Pat Wells, Jim & Maria Zeitz); and performing in
Mexico, Germany, and Austria, as well as festivals across Texas.
In 1990, with the help of Fred Prassel and Roy Carter,
Der Deutsche Volkstanzverein von San Antonio added "mit
dem Beethoven Männerchor" to its name. That same year,
the Volkstanzverein became a charter member of the statewide
German folk dance group — Der Deutscher Volkstanz Verband
Texas. On a rotating basis with other statewide German folk
dance groups, the Volkstanz hosts the Deutscher Volkstanz
Lehrgang in which German folk dances are taught by renown
teachers from Germany.
In 1994, it became a charter member of the North American Federation of
German Folk Dance Groups and its Tanzführer, Dr. Doug Hall, was elected treasurer of the
national group. As a part of its outreach in the promotion of German
culture, members of
the Volkstanzverein have helped the German folk dance groups at Judson H.S.,
Brackenridge
H.S., and John C. Hays H.S. of Buda, all of which have placed first in the statewide
German folk dance contests.
Members of the group have attended
German Folk Dance Workshops in the United States and Germany, as well as
participating in festivals in Germany, Austria, Mexico, and Texas.
Its repertoire of folk dances
from German-speaking regions has grown to over 35, with costumes from
different regions of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
