When Iceland’s Johann
two nights a week in a dance hall in Reykjavik, everyone. This tour was a terrific adventure
and I look after five or six classes which means that I have never forgotten and sometimes I
Olafsson discovered Line about 100 pupils each evening. wonder why I never followed it up to become
dance, he never dreamt it
a Line dance promoter in Asia.
My love of Line dance started way back in
would shape his life quite 1994. Some of my ballroom pupils had visited My music choice is still predominantly
the way it did…
the USA and had been impressed after seeing Country. To me, this is the root of Line
this new form of dancing. I did some research dance and I still love it best. Favourite
and got in touch with an Icelandic friend who choreographies of mine are Rob Fowler’s
I
am Johann and am 37 years of age. I was
at the time worked in a nearby US navy base. Strike 1, Alan Birchall’s Somebody Like
born in Reykjavik and I live in a small
I soon found out that there already was a big You and Darren and Lana’s Let’s Get
town called Seltjarnarnes with my wife
group of people dancing real American Line Drunk. Rather cockily my very own I
Theodora and four children. The kids
Dance every week. I got invited one day and I Can’t Stop Loving and How Long are
range from 18 right down to 11 months
just could not believe it! I was that impressed favourites too.
old, so I guess you could say we have a
that I enrolled the help of another friend and
fun filled life!
after a few visits to the base, we put together Linedancer magazine is very important to me,
a dance. We did “Ain’t Going Down Till The living on a quite isolated part of the North
I have been dancing since I was four years
Sun Comes Up” by Garth Brooks. It was a Atlantic. The website keeps me in touch
old and competed in Ballroom and Latin
very powerful, very energetic Line dance. with what is going on and also allows me to
American very early in my life. I have been
From there, we got a few gigs and soon introduce my choreography to the world.
a professional dance teacher since 1989 and
enough turned out to be a popular party act
in 2000 joined Iceland’s biggest radio station
and people booked us all over Iceland. I would love to do more teaching
Bylgjan as a promotion manager.
internationally. When I was a student I spent
In the spring of 95, I advertised my first class a long time in England and developed strong
Dancing on Ice
Seltjarnarnes is a wonderful part of the
and the response was amazing. But I never feelings for the country. As a matter of fact I
country. Close to Reykjavik, it is known for
thought I’d still be teaching today, that’s for am taking this opportunity to offer my services
its nature, wild birds and we often go for long
sure! In 1996, I got invited as the first person to festivals, clubs and events who would like
walks by the seaside.
to show Line dance in China. This was part of to experience some fresh air from Iceland as
a coach tour of the world’s best ballroom and I would love to come back! I remember that
I created my dance school, Danssmidjan in
latin American dance couple. My job was to when we did have a Line dance festival in
1993 and it became quite successful. At one
get the audience up halfway through the show Reykjavik in 2007, it was such fun to meet
stage, we had up to 1000 pupils learning
to have a go at a simple Line dance. This I did many UK dancers. I would just love to renew
every dance style possible and of course, Line
with some trepidation but our introduction to the ties of friendship and meet you all again
dancing featured prominently. Today, I teach
Line dance was amazingly well received by on a dance floor soon.
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