Story behind the Hocus Pocus Hags

The Hocus Pocus Hags seem to be everywhere when it comes to the Illinois Valley festival circuit during the Halloween season.

Just this weekend, the Hocus Pocus Hags made appearances in La Salle, Peru and Princeton.

Who are they and how did they get started?

The Hocus Pocus Hags are a volunteer group of dancers who craft elaborate witch costumes and perform a series of German-inspired dances. Three of the founding witches – Denise Jeppson, Mary Nielsen and Jackie Curran – launched the group in Jeppson’s garage in Granville.

The idea started brewing when Curran shared a video of the German dance troupe Wolfschäger Hexenbrut (English transition: the Wolf Hunter’s Coven) performing their now-viral witch dance for the central European holiday Walpurgis. Jeppson saw Curran’s post on Facebook.

“Denise (Jeppson) said, ‘Wouldn’t you love to do this?’” Curran said. “I said, ‘Yes, I’ve been wanting to do this!’”

Nielsen, owner and instructor at Illinois Valley Jazzercise in Spring Valley, stepped into the role of dance teacher for the troupe. Thirteen witches twirled their brooms and stomped their boots at a single performance during their inaugural year of 2017.

“The next year we had 16 witches,” Nielsen said. The group performed two dances in 2018. “The following year it exploded.”

By 2021, about 40 witches (and the occasional warlock) ranging in age from teens to seniors in their 70s were dancing with the Hags. At last count, more than 60 witches/warlocks are dancing.

“They ask, ‘Can I get my picture taken with you?’ You feel like a celebrity in your costume.”

—  Mary Nielsen, co-founder of the Hocus Pocus Hags

Their calendar is busy with dozens of performances crammed into October. The troupe is in high demand and has developed a following throughout the region, especially among children and spectators ages 50 and older.

This year was their seventh season of performing at fall festivals, events and parades. Most of the Hocus Pocus Hags’ appearances are clustered around weekends, generally Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Show includes three German witch dances plus a children’s dance. The Hags also might dance to a popular American song. Performances typically last about 20 minutes.

Before and after performances, it’s not unusual for crowd members to request photo opportunities.

“They ask, ‘Can I get my picture taken with you?’ You feel like a celebrity in your costume,” Nielsen said.

Fans can continue to follow the Hocus Pocus Hags on Facebook for the most up-to-date information about their schedule and what’s next for the troupe.

“It’s nice to watch the crowd,” Nielsen said. “We feed off them. The more excited they are, the more excited we are.”

Additionally, the Hocus Pocus Hags dances have a charitable component to them. The dance troupe has donated back more than $6,000, giving back to the Illinois Veterans Home in La Salle, the Spring Valley Youth Center, Gateway Services, Bureau County Senior Center, Public Action to Deliver Shelter, Cops 4 Cancer, food pantries and other children’s organizations.