HOLLAND, Michigan — After a two year hiatus, the sounds of traditional Dutch music and clogs hitting the streets of Downtown Holland will finally return this Spring.
As the 2022 Tulip Time Festival gears up for another year of celebrations, organizers have announced that the beloved Dutch Dance will finally return in May.
"Oh my gosh," said Tulip Time's Executive Director, Gwen Auwerda, "people are so excited that it's back."
The beloved tradition was canceled in both 2020 and 2021, even when the festival returned in a smaller capacity.
"We couldn't draw the crowds that Dutch Dance calls for." Auwerda said, "We get thousands of people that come out to the streets to watch, and with the COVID-19 restrictions last year, we were unable to do it."
Auwerda said that the dancing will return this year in it's normal capacity.
"We follow whatever health department guidelines are out there right now," she said, "so we aren't mandating masks or anything but we encourage people to do whatever makes them comfortable."
Kinder, 3rd to 5th graders, and Middle, 6th to 8th graders, Dutch Dancers are invited to join the dance. Registrations are open now until Feb. 12. Any student from the greater Holland area in grades three through eight are welcome, no previous experience needed.
"People have been really, really excited to see it come back," said Auwerda, "and I'm thrilled with that reaction from the community."
The High School programs are also dancing this year. Those schools who have previously attended Dutch Dance are coordinating practices at school. If you are a high school student interested in being involved, please contact your school directly. Alumni Dutch Dance will also be participating in the 2022 Tulip Time Festival. All Alumni Dutch Dancers who have previously danced in high school or completed the Community Dutch Dance program are welcome to join the dance.
The first practice will be held on March 30 at 7 p.m. at the Holland Civic Center. For the Alumni registration, click here.
"We're just trying to get everybody back," Auwerda said. "This is a program that really runs because of the very dedicated people behind the scenes that manage the dances and the costumes."
And the costumes aren't cheap. They're handmade for every individual dancer, which prices them at nearly $300 each. That's why Tulip Time started the Join the Dance Fund in 2019 to help offset those costs.
"We spent some of it in 2020, but then we didn't have a festival and we didn't have dancers," Auwerda said, "so we still have money left in that fund, and we will use that for new 2022 dancers that need a costume at the high school level."
Auwerda said in addition to Dutch Dance's return, there are two brand new Dutch exhibits coming to Tulip Time 2022 that have never been in the United States.
"So there's a lot to celebrate and a lot to happen," she said, "so I just hope people come and check it out."
Detailed program and event information for Tulip Time 2022 can be found by clicking here. Tickets for all shows can be purchased online, in person at the Tulip Time Festival Box Office located at 42 West 8th Street, Holland, Michigan, or by phone at 800-822-2770.
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