ABOUT THIS WORK:

Holland, MI, host of the annual Tulip Festival, Dutch culture is very rich and every year tourists gather to watch the famous Klompen Dancers. These dancers wear authentic Dutch costumes and are known for the wooden clogs they wear as they dance. With so many high kicks, it is not uncommon for a dancer to break a shoe during performance. As a native of Holland, MI I grew up hearing these songs each year. When writing this piece I took some of the traditional Dutch folk songs that the Holland Klompen Dancers use and manipulated them into my own melodies. Each movement’s title is modeled after an important cultural icon found in Dutch culture.