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Walter Kögler
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Walter Kögler was born on October 29, 1929. He toured North America in 1967, introducing his line of TANZ recordings out of Stutgart, Germany.
Trained as an electrical engineer, his hobbies included singing amateur theatre and folk dance.
In 1952 he and others founded the regional cooperative of song and dance organiztions. At a time when there were almost no German dance recordings, he procured imports from England, the United States, and Scandinavia, and in 1957 started his own recording label, TANZ. His company developed and marketed the first portable variable-speed record players and cassette recorders for the German market. His work provided dance teachers and leaders, schools, and recreational organiations with apparatus, recordings, books, and other materials, thus reviving the post-WWII dance scene.
He traveled as a folk dance leader and gave workshops in the Canada, Mexico, the United States, and several European countries.
Walter maintianed friendships with many of the folk dance leaders and researchers of the second half of the 20th century, several of them from the United States. He promoted famous folk dance teachers such as Alura Flores de Angeles, František Bonuš, Michael Herman, Rickey Holden, Ralph Page, and Rivka Sturman.
Walter died on June 14, 2007.
Among Walter's articles and publications are:
- German Folkdances (Deutsche Volkstanze). By Walter Kögler
- Technical Terms of Folkdance (Fachausdrucke Volkstanz). By Walter Kögler, a folk dance dictionary.
- Community Dances for Every Age. By Walter Kögler
Dances Walter taught include Atlantic Mixer, Black Earth Circle, Böhmerwald Ländler (Krumauer Ländler), Böhmischer Ländler (Ein Steirischer aus dem Bömerwald), Das Fenster, Dreitertanz, Dreimaltrapper, Einfacher Dreher, Grosser Achterrrüm, Holsteiner Dreitour, Klatschmixer, Kleiner Figaro, Kreuztanz, Münchner Français, Paschater Schottisch (Lunzer Bayerisch), Pfingstfreitag In der Probstei, Rheinländer Mixer, Ritsch Ratsch, Schlittschuhläuffer, Schlupfpolka, Schwäbische Tanzfolge, Schwartzerdner, Sprötzer Achterruem, Stopp Galopp, Tampet, Tampête (Dunkelschatten), Tampête (Stadtische), Tennengauer Bayrischer, Topporzer Kreuzpolka, Veitscher Ochsentritt, Viertüriger, Waldegtger, Wechselpolka, Veitscher Masur (Veitscher Ochenstritt), and Zwiefacher.