s.t.v.
bavaria

Web: stvbavaria.org

Celebrating their 90th anniversary this year, audiences all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe have turned
out to watch the colorful "Dirndls" twirl into the arms of Lederhosen-clad "slap
dancers" as S.T.V. Bavaria performs.

Schuhplattling in Cleveland dates back to the early 20’s when four
couples joined the German-Austrian singing society "Blau Donau."
This
group of Alpine dancers, singers, and musicians would later form the Schuhplattler
und Bauerngruppe Blaue Donau.

In January of 1966, various Schuhplattler
groups from the U.S. and Canada united
to form the Gauverband
Nordamerika, which also holds a bi-annual convention and dance
competitions. On October
21, 1966, members of the Schuhplattler und Bauerngruppe Blaue Donau voted
to become independent of their parent singing society and remain in the Gau.
Thus, the Schuhplattler und Trachtenverein "Bavaria" as
it is known today, was formed.

SPECIAL NOTE ON GAUFEST 2013 & BAYERISCHE LOEWE 2014

Every other year, Cleveland Oktoberfest’s own STV Bavaria participates in a North American competition (Gauverband Nordamerika) against eighty-two member organizations. In June of this year "Bavaria" hosted the 24th Gaufest in Sandusky, Ohio where they placed 1st in the group competition! They also had couples place 1st and 2nd in the 16-34 category, 2nd in the 35-49 age group, and 3rd in the 60 and over category. By virtue of their achievements, "Bavaria" will be invited to compete at the Bayerische Loewe (Bavarian Lion) in Germany, where they will face off against the most elite Schuhplattln clubs in Bavaria! The competition is on June 21, 2014 in a small town near Augsburg, Germany.

Winning is nothing new for STV Bavaria. This marks the 9th time they’ve won the North American championship. "Bavaria" has finished 2nd twice, 3rd twice, and has not finished out of the top ten in the country in over forty years! We congratulate them on their outstanding cultural achievements and wish them continued success, especially in Germany.