Victoria Marquardt —The Schuhplattler is a distinctive form of expression in Bavaria. The name comes from the action of the dancer striking the soles of their shoes with their hands. The 'inventors' were simple folk: farmers, hunters, and woodsmen. The exact origins and history of the dance are uncertain. During the dance, the man has the freedom to move however he likes to the tune of a folk melody called a 'Laendler! He would make different figures, leap, stomp, and slap while his partner rota