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Date published: 4/2/2002
The pace of the Danish National Dance Team's performance at Paragon Gymnastics last week was exhaustive. The troupe's 14 men and 14 women frequently changed outfits whenever they showed signs of sweat, which flowed steadily as they sped through routine after routine of gymnastics and dance. The Danish athletes' bodies were void of fat and plumped with muscle. They all are products of a country where gymnastics is a way of life. Performing gymnastics in a noncompetitive, dance structure is a part of the thread of Danish society. The sport is lifelong for many Danish citizens. The Danish Gymnastics and Sports Association has 5,000 clubs in Denmark, which is a country little bigger in size than the state of Maryland. "In Denmark, nearly everyone goes to a club for sports, be it gymnastics or handball," DNDT tour director Johannes Bjerres said. "Good fitness is important to everyone in our country." The DNDT's Lars Christensen said the sport keeps gymnasts of all levels actively involved, from toddlers to people in their 80s. "More people can do gymnastics this way," Christensen said, "You have us and the little guys who just want to do it because it's fun." He carried a message promoting fitness and an active lifestyle along with his teammates to four area elementary schools--Chancellor, Smith Station, Ferry Farm and Parkside. "We want to get across that gymnastics is for everyone--no matter how good you are, how old you are or what health you are in," he said. Chancellor Elementary School Parents and Teachers Association president Janet Bahmer said the dance team provided more than just a thrilling performance for the school's third- through fifth-graders. "It was like a cultural exchange day with gymnastics," Bahmer said. The DNDT has been in existence since 1994. Each team, selected annually from more than 200 applicants, tours for 10 months around the world after a year's training in Denmark. Prior to last week's visit, the team made stops in Colorado and California. They still plan to visit New Mexico, Nevada and Texas. The DNDT, which usually hits larger venues than Fredericksburg, came to Paragon as a favor to Paragon owner Ken Wood. He housed some team members last year when they were stranded in a airport in Washington. "They're amazing," Wood said. "What they do is a way of life."
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