Karin Westberg Brennesvik

Takk for alt du gjorde for å inspirere folk til å jobbe med bygdedansen, du var et forbilde og har satt dype spor hos mange. Takk for samarbeidet med aktører i Seljord, særlig i forkant av landskappleiken i Seljord i 2011.. Hvil i fred Karin. På vegne av utøvere innen folkedans og folkemusikk i Seljord.

I first met Karin in '84 at Mendocino, and then joined the group at her first camp in Norway in '86. She opened the painted door, and filled our lives with joy and magic! The most inspiring teacher and mentor throughout the years, she has swept us away with her elegance, finesse, power, and delightful sense of fun. Her smile lit up every room, like a spirit on fire, which will live with us always. The gifts she gave so many, especially Arnhild and all the Norwegian friends who feel like family, the music and dance which soar in our hearts and soles, and the countryside, which feels like home. With endless love and gratitude.

Karin, Rich and I met you in 1988 and you changed our life and put it in an entirely new and meaningful direction. I learned so much from you, not only about Telespringar, but about life. Among other things you taught me that no matter how well we plan things out, things have a way of taking their own surprising and meaning-filled direction. You opened me up to take in whatever comes and go with it to discover what it has to offer. You taught me that the things we do are not what matters most, but how we do them and the people we do them with. Takk og klemm for alt, Karin.

We met Karen at a Telespringar workshop in Mill Valley California in about 1986. What we remember most about her was her insistence that we practice the basic step. We did for a full half day. It was the dance! Everything else in the dance she said was based on the basic step. Make no doubt about it, she was correct. Later we travelled to Norway to visit her at her house. She was very kind and showed us the school that she was converting into a dance studio. It had not yet been completed but we could imagine that it would be a wonderful space in which to dance. We stayed with her overnight. She did not have an extra bedroom so we slept on the floor on cushions from her sofa. We kept rolling off the cushions and it was a night to remember. We miss her wonderful smile and full acceptance of strangers like us who just showed up at her door on summer day in the late 1980's. We saw her on several other occasions here in the USA and Norway. She was always open and friendly to us when we met again. We were lucky to know her and her wonderful spirit for life and dance.

Farnk & Jane Tripi Aug 26, 2020

Det er med vemod me høyrer at Karin er gått bort. Heilt sidan me var i lag i den aktive Oslo-tida, fekk vera med i eit strålande bryllaup, med mykje kontakt også etter at dei nygifte hadde drege til Kongsberg for å starte frisørforretning, var det bygdedansen og folkemusikken som samla oss. Kurs, kappleikar, konferansar, jamvel turnear og framsyningar på Norsk Høstfest i USA, der Karin gjorde ein formidabel innsats i mange år for å formidle norsk tradisjonskultur for eit stort publikum. Ho var oppteken av dei kvalitative sidene og dei særeigne verdiane i slåttespelet, dansen og kvedinga. Me vil takke henne og familien for ein stor og langvarig innsats i arbeidet for våre felles kulturverdiar.
Signe minnet!

Karin meant so much to so many of us. I treasure the memories, especially of sitting up until 7 a.m. talking (and she loved to talk!) She also changed the direction of my life forever. Takk for alt, Karin. Rest in peace.

Karin will always hold a special place in my heart since in 1993 she introduced me to her passion which became mine - Springar! Takk for dansen og takk for alt!

I first met Karin with the group she brought to Mendocino in the early 1980's and met her many times afterwards in both the US and Norway and I especially remember the wonderful times when she stayed at my home in DC. Karin had a tremendous influence in the Scandinavian Dance Community here in the US. We will miss her terribly and remember he with much gratitude.

I met Karin on the HARPA tour in 2008. She was such a wonderful hostess, inviting me into her home and sharing her stories and cooking with me. My condolences and prayers to her children. from Louisiana, USA

No simple words can do justice in expressing what Karin Brennesvik gave to the world. She will be remembered for so many things. Her dedication and commitment as a tradition bearer will go unsurpassed. And she did it with su h love and great passion. We are all better dancers to have been so lucky to have studied dance under Karin.

Dear Karin, you left so many beautiful footsteps across the globe. Thank you for your wonderful gifts to us, and for your great inspiration and inner strength as a woman dancer. We will always remember you!

Coming to Karin's camp in 1989 was a turning point in my life and the start of dancing and playing music with joy and expressiveness. My life is richer for having known her.

Karin and all her friends brought the world of Telemark and Sigdal music and dances to the Pacific Northwest starting in 1984. She was an inspiration to all of us and kept coming back so we could continue to improve. We got to meet her children Arnhild and Erlend along with many of the Norwegian dancers and musicians under her wing whom she made sure would carry on the traditions of these special Norwegian areas long after she was gone. Takk for alt Karin!