SVEA Lodge #253
Activity Clubs
As a local lodge of the VASA Order of America, SVEA 253 can charter official activity clubs, which then receive financial support from the District Lodge and Grand Lodge. Read more below about each activity club below! If you're interested in joining either of these groups, contact us!
Sveaskolan
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As a member of Sveaskolan, children 4-14 years of age learn about the Swedish language and Scandinavian culture, through crafts, geography, folk dances, and traditional songs. Members and their parents participate in traditional Swedish holidays like Midsommar (June) and Sankta Lucia (December) through traditional songs, ring dances, crafts, and playing games. Sveaskolan also performs at IKEA during these holidays.
Native Swedish speakers help children learn the language through instruction and hands-on activities in grammar, conversation, common phrases, songs and storytelling. Parents or grandparents do not need to be a member of SVEA Lodge #253, nor is there a fee or dues to be a member of Sveaskolan. Sveaskolan meets at 1:00 – 2:15 P.M. the first Sunday of every month, except for June, September (2nd Sunday) and December. There are also optional activity days; one in the spring and one in the fall.
Skandilocity & Dans Norden
Often performing together, Dans Norden (Northern Dancers) and Skandilocity can be seen at events such as German Fest, the International Festival, the Dunes National Lakeshore Midsommer, the State Fair, and the Indianapolis Swedish Svea Vasa lodge events. They play and dance to music from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Iceland, and Denmark along with a few other countries.
Skandilocity is the instrumental group and has been together in its current form since approximately 2012. They practice monthly. The dance troupe, Dans Norden, formed in 1986 and practices weekly on Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. at Joy of All Who Sorrow church at the corner of 16th St. and Delaware St. in Indianapolis. New members and visitors are welcome. No experience or partners are necessary. To help pay the rent, the charge is $5 for each practice with a maximum of $10 per month. At performances, the group often invites the audience to the dance floor to learn simple dances.
Both groups are led by John Seest and are part of SVEA Lodge #253 of the Vasa Order of America.
