Volkspele

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Volkspele is a South African folk dance tradition.

Directly translated, Volkspele means "folk games". Volkspele was the brain child of South African, SH Pellisier who was visiting Sweden in 1912 with a friend to become more proficient in carpentry. After finishing their day's work they met with other young people in their respective country's national dress to practise their folk singing and dancing. The South Africans were the only one's left out as they did not have any traditional dances.

Back in South Africa, Pellisier translated four Swedish dances and taught them to pupils at the Afrikaans High School in Boshof where he was Deputy Headmaster. During a Sunday School picnic on the farm Vuisfontein near Boshof on 22 February 1914 they performed the dances for the first time. The picnic games became known as volkspele.

With the help of the Reddingsdaadbond, an organisation which was established to assist poor Afrikaners after the Anglo Boer war, groups called "laers" were established throughout the country.

Get togethers called "saamtrekke" are usually organised where all the groups get together to sing and do Volkspele. At these "saamtrekke" the traditional Afrikaner national costume is worn.