The folk dancing group of Stainz was founded in 1977 and has currently about 65 members. From the beginning until today a total of 482 persons have been registered members of our group.

The aims of the group are the cultivation of folk dancing, folk songs as well as folk musik. Our dances are typical dances of the alpine regions. Based on the waltz and the polka many cotillions have developed combined with singing and clapping. The men perform serveral types of the "Schuhplattler" (slapping one's shoes and thighs) and master the "Peitschenschnalzen" (cracking whips) and the "Fahnenschwingen" (swinging flags).

The costumary musical instruments are the "Styrian concertina" (a diatonic accordion), a dulcimer called "Hackbrett" (a diatonic string instrument, played with wooden hammers), and a double base.

The "Stainzer Tracht" which is worn by the members of the group, is still used in the region around Stainz. Men wear green jackets, white shirts, black knickerbockers, blue stockings and big black hats. Ladies wear short costums - called "Dirndls" - from different areas of Styria. The long customs - called "Trachten" - are made of silk and brocade, all of the same style, only colour and design of the textile differ. They also wear different types of headgears.

A further important objective of our group is to establish links with groups in other countries. So we have already visited groups in Norway, France, Sweden, Russia, Italy, the Netherlands, Hungary, Finland, England, Spain, Estonia, Sardinia and Denmark.