New resident Linda runs a dance school in Mariestad

Many people know many others - but not everyone knows everyone. That’s how Linda Skärfstad Stål describes the feeling in Mariestad. After moving here from Stockholm, Linda started her own dance school in the town. Today, she can’t imagine a better place to live.

It has now been 24 years since Linda Skärfstad Stål left Stockholm and moved to Mariestad. At the time, she worked with dance and theatre, and her work brought her together by chance with a musician from Skaraborg. Moving to Mariestad was not an easy decision, but since he lived there with his children, there was really only one thing to do.

“That’s what you do when you’re in love - you don’t see any obstacles! I realized quite quickly that he was the man of my life. Today, I’m so happy I found this gem of a place! I enjoy it so much that I can’t imagine living anywhere else."

"What I like best about Mariestad is its proximity to the water! I was born in Västerås and lived for many years in Stockholm. I think I would have found it difficult to move to a place without water - it would have made me feel confined. And Mariestad is just the right size; it feels close-knit without being intrusive. Many people know many others—but not everyone knows everyone.”

From dance teacher to running her own dance school

When Linda moved to Mariestad, she left behind the social and professional network she had built in Stockholm. But she had no intention of giving up dance. Once she had settled in Skaraborg, the phone rang - the owner of a dance school in the neighboring town of Lidköping had heard that a dancer had moved in.

“Starting out as a dance teacher helped me connect with more people in the industry. I had no experience teaching dance, but I quickly realized I enjoyed it. After I had been working in Lidköping for a while, a fellow dance teacher at a school in Mariestad told me I should open my own dance school, because she felt there was a need for one in Mariestad as well.”

Said and done! Linda opened Dansstationen Mariestad.

Today, the business has grown. Linda employs several dance teachers, and there are two dance studios where they hold classes. The range of courses is broad and varied - from children’s ballet groups for three- to four-year-olds to groups for adult dancers.

Altogether, around 300 people dance in the studios each week (some more than once), and for Linda there is one thing more important than anything else: the joy of dancing.

“It should be fun and joyful to dance! We offer a wide range of styles for beginners as well as more experienced dancers. But we don’t do competitive dance, we focus on the artistic side, dancing to perform and express yourself on stage, but above all simply because it makes you feel good and happy. We want to focus on the joy of movement and a great atmosphere - without too much pressure to perform!”

The voice in many elevators

When Linda isn’t at Dansstationen, you can find her at her other job. Then she works from her own studio at home. Linda’s background in theatre now comes in handy in her second profession - as a voice actor/voice-over artist.

Under the name SpeakerLinda, she takes on assignments such as being the voice in commercials on TV, radio and podcasts, as well as voice-overs for various types of instructional videos - and when you ride an elevator, there’s a good chance it’s Linda’s voice you hear.
But what does a voice expert say about the Skaraborg dialect?

“I like it! Even though I probably don’t have a very strong dialect myself, Westrogothian words I’ve picked up definitely slip in now and then. Every dialect has its own charm, and I think we should really take care of them. The best word in the Westrogothian dialect is the way you say ‘fun,’ because it sounds very fun - it’s great!” Linda laughs.

This text has been translated with the help of AI.

This text has been translated with the help of AI.