Album Notes

After re-locating to New Mexico, USA from Scandinavia in 2001, Scott and Johanna have performed over 200 shows at festivals, theatres, arts councils, schools and libraries including: National Public Radio, USA; Maricopa Libraries, AZ; Storytelling Festival of Taos and Folk Festival of Albuquerque, NM; the Scandinavian, the International Storytelling, and the Summer Solstice Folk Festivals of Los Angeles, CA; and Hyllings Festival of Lindsborg, KS.

Johanna, born in Helsinki, Finland, started to create performances of dance/mime/storytelling in 1986. She received her education in mime and theater at the Lecoq School in Paris, France and in Classical East Indian Dance and Mime in Chennai, India with Savithri Jagannatha-Rao and Kalanidhi Narayanan. Before 2001, she led a dance and theater company Theater Bava in Sweden and toured throughout Sweden, Europe, USA and India. She performed at festivals such as Avignon in France, La Batie in Switzerland, Tampere in Finland, Differenta Sensationi in Italy, Theater of Creation in Pennsylvania, USA, Kobenhavn Sommerscene in Denmark, and Dance and Theater festivals in Stockholm, Malmo, Uppsala, Vilhelmina, Falun, Varmland and Skane in Sweden.
Scott, born in Iowa, USA, is a poet, musician, songwriter and painter who spent 15 years in Europe. Parallel to his artistic work, he also worked as a therapist for Ballet companies such as Dance Theatre of Harlem, English National Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet and Hamburg Ballet.
He also taught at Danmark’s State School of Modern Dance and worked with Theater Bava.

There lived a man on the islands southern shore
- Wake up now already from your slumber –
He had a lovely daughter so beautiful and fair
- But you have been sleeping for too long –
This is the first line of a Medieval Ballad that was noted down on an island off the coast of Finland.
The Medieval Ballads originated in France, sometimes in the 1200's. From here the habit of singing ballads spread all through Europe and to America.
And when they came to the middle of the sea
The waves foamed white as far as they could see
- Row me over the water with these oars –
The tradition also reached Scandinavia and on the islands off the coast of Finland they survived to our days.
On this CD we have arranged traditional ballads and Johanna translated them into English.
The maiden she walks on the sea shore of sand
- There is a cold wind blowing from the sea –
She holds a silver pitcher in each of her hands
- There is a cold wind blowing from the sea –

Original songs printed 1934 by Swedish Literature Society in Finland. Used by permission.