Sample family dance program
Bill Martin
Somebody asked me to post my family dance program, which I agreed to do,
not because it is so brilliant but because I'd like to hear what other
folks do for a kids-and-parents type dance. This is the program I used
last night at Merilee Karr's family dance that she produces for Portland
Country Dance Community. There is nothing innovative or earth-shaking
here.
When the band was ready to do a sound check, I blew my train whistle to
start off the music and then ran out to form up a long snake of dancers
without partners. We did the grand march spiral in and out a couple of
times, unwrapping into a circle, went left and right, forward and back a
couple of times. Then I lead them up into a crowd around the band and we
clapped the music to a close.
1. Circle (Waltzing Matilda without the mixing) Circle left and right,
forward and back with a shout, do-si-do partner, do-si-do corner, swing
partner, promenade.
2. Longways (Galopede)
3. Couples scatter (Variation of Le Set a Crochet) Couples promenade with
arm around partners waist, find another couple, lefties (gents) hook left
elbows and couples turn in a line of four, couples face and circle left,
circle right, do-si-do corner, swing corner, circle left, swing partner
and resume random promenade.
4. Square (Wild Goose Chase or Grapevine Twist) Break: Circle left, circle
right single file, swing partner at home, promenade.
5. Waltz - Gives the adults some relief!
6. Longways (Horserace) Lines forward and back, do-si-do partner, swing
partner, top couple join two hands and sashay over the top of one line, at
same time second couple sashays over the other line. Upon reaching the
bottom, come up the other line and sashay down the center. Traffic rule:
Whichever couple is moving down the line goes over the top of the other
couple if they meet. It's a race and people really get into it, especially
if you call it like a racetrack announcer! It's hilarious to watch the
competitive adults dash unashamedly up and down the lines in order to beat
a 3-foot tall couple to the finish line. Look out, kids!
7. Couples scatter (Birdie in the Cage) Circle left and right, birdie and
crow #1, circle left, birdie and crow #2, swing partner, promenade on to a
new couple. Designating #1 and #2 couples didn't work so well in practice.
Probably should have done an Appalachian circle type-a-deal. But everyone
improvised merrily.
8. Potluck time!
Other dances that I use are set dances such as Wheelbarrow Reel, Duke of
York, Virginia Reel, and squares including Rip 'n' Snort and Go Downtown.
Some times I'll use the longways dance Tap Cu which I learned from Kevin
Carr. It's a great party dance but a little tough for adults with pint
sized partners. Here is how I call it. Not sure if Kevin did it just this
way:
Tap Cu - longways mixer, but I don't do it as a mixer at family dances.
Forget matching the phrasing to the music. Good dance for crooked tunes.
1. Long lines forward and back
2. Allemande right partner, allemande left, two-hand turn
3. Allemande various body parts, like noses, foreheads, knees, bottoms,
etc.
4. Do-si-do once and a half to end up standing back to back with partner,
squat down a little butt to butt.
5. Caller yells "Tap Cu!" (Top Koo) and partners spring away from each
other with a shout, then swing.
6. For a mixer, top lady goes down the outside to the bottom while all the
ladies move up one to new partners. At the family dances I have the top
couple cast off to the bottom.
My philosophy: Stick to a repertoire of about five figures but vary the
formations a lot. Recognize a dance that is a winner and use it every
time. Variation from the beginning of the dance to the end is desirable,
but you can use that same dance program every month, once you have one
that works. I like to use real dances rather than too-cute "kids" dances
(although there are always some of those that turn out to be fun.) The
dances are enjoyable in themselves, the caller doesn't need to get carried
away with being a "children's entertainer" to help things work.
Now don't leave me hanging out here. Let's hear what you guys do at this
type of dance. I await with notebook and pencil in hand.
Bill Martin
KMsSavage
With a Daddy-Daughter scout dance fresh in my mind, here's a typical program
for me. At this particular event I attempted to maximize the parent-child
interaction, along with wearing out the kids. During the silly dances most of
the dads just watched.
--Macarena (gets their attention, they all know it)
--Heel & Toe Polka
--Come Haste to the Wedding
--open waltz
--Va Reel
--The Margate Hoy (c. 1728)
(3-couple sets, proper. a1: Ladies skip around the gents. a2: Gents around
the ladies. b1: Top couple down the middle, return to top, cast to foot. b2:
All partner swing.)
I do this for one-night stands, weddings, period dress balls, etc. Everyone has
a lot of fun laughing like fools! Last week, with live music: the band almost
fell over laughing.
--Chicken dance
--Open polka
--Cumberland Square Eight ("How about a square dance?" I had to plug my ears
from the gleeful screams!)
--Hokey-Pokey
--Jamie Allen, or La Bastringue variation (swing neighbor)
--Bunny Hop
--Friendship basket (http://members.aol.com/KMsSavage/page2.html) ending in the
grand spiral
--Last waltz
Sharp/Smukler
In article <6c6hot$pjd$1...@news1.teleport.com>, "Bill Martin"
<mar...@user2.teleport.com> wrote:
> Somebody asked me to post my family dance program, which I agreed to do
...
> Now don't leave me hanging out here. Let's hear what you guys do at this
> type of dance. I await with notebook and pencil in hand.
>
> Bill Martin
In addition to your many fine ideas, here are some things I also often include:
The Chair/Hat Game (I don't know if this has a real name or not)-
Set up 3 chairs side by side facing down at the top of the hall. A line of
single dancers faces chair #1 and chair #3. I sit in chair #2 wearing a
hat. The music starts (any music at all -- tell your band that this is
where they can use that crooked tune). The 1st person in each line sits
down in the chairs beside me. I put my hat on one of them, and sashay to
the bottom with the other. The one who is left moves to the middle chair,
2 more people sit down, and on and on it goes. This was so successful this
New Year's Eve they made me repeat it in the 2nd half.
Un Deux Trois Poussez! (lots of folks around my neighborhood play good
Quebecois music) longways
A1- f&b; R elbow turn
A2- L elbow turn; do si do, ending back to back (and butt to butt) w. ptr
B1- All say, "Un, deux, trois, poussez!" On poussez, all bow and bounce
off each other; sw ptr
B2- Cpl #1 to the bottom
Another simple longways is Rural Felicity, put about 6 cpls per set-
A1- f&b; cpl #1 sashay to bottom
A2- f&b; sashay home
B1- all do si do; 2 hand turn, end in arches
B2- cpl #1 tunnel thru to bottom, others move up
The 2-hand turn is my swing of choice anyway for such groups.
Many versions of La Bastringue. I usually keep them with partners for
first few times thru, then it's something like: "do si do ptr, turn your
back on your partner and sw the next" If they are not paying att'n to
gender they may need a clear walk thru about changing places to progress
as a mixer ("innies and outies" for promenade) or just give up on the
mixer idea. I like to play with who goes into ctr and back: all;
gents/ladies; grown-ups/kids; rich/poor; democrats/republicans (might be
risky); those with email/without; etc.
Simple contra to teach progression (if you want to go that high)-
Ellen's Green Jig
A1- do si do neighbor; acts do si do
A2- acts bal and sw
B1- circle L; circle R
B2- "dive for the oyster, dip for the clam, shoot thru the hole to the
promised land"
Similarly, Haste to Wedding works well and it doesn't matter which gender
is where. I do it as contra or Sicilian -- contra seems a little easier.
and variations on j&l, for example,
a1- circles
a2- stars
b1- long lines f&b; acts sw
b2- down 4-in-line, do not turn around; as you back up, arch in middle
ends duck thru
this variation avoids sending people down the outside (off on their own to
get lost). It also pleases those who want the swing.
heel-toe polka
Darling Nellie Gray or really any simple visiting square. Out to the R,
circle, sw opp, sw ptr, on to the next.
Other squares this level: Solomon Levi.
I do a variation of the Hokey Pokey I learned from Sue Ribaudo in which we
are animals. Put your front paw in/out (hind leg, trunk, wing, tail). The
tune is slightly different in a nice blues-y way. She also taught me the
"boogie woogie freeze."
Play party games: Jump Jim Joe, I've Been to Harlem, Zodiac, Goin' to
Boston, etc. There's a book by the Amidons.
Finally, at the Ralph Page Legacy Weekend, Dudley Laufman did a workshop
in just this thing, called "Dancing for Everyone." The syllabus (soon to
be available from the RPLW committee -- contact NEFFA for info) includes
directions to all the dances he did there.
Of course the goal with such groups is to move to music and have fun. We
don't worry about doing anything "right"! (or partner/neighbor math,
booking, etc. :-)
David Smukler
to email me use my aol address: davidssm at you-know-what
--
Good judgment comes from experience which comes from bad judgment.
KMsSavage
(Sharp/Smukler) suggested
>The Chair/Hat Game (I don't know if this has a real name or not)- Set up 3
chairs side by side facing down at the top of the hall. A line of single
dancers faces chair #1 and chair #3. I sit in chair #2 wearing a hat. The music
starts (any music at all -- tell your band that this is where they can use that
crooked tune). The 1st person in each line sits
down in the chairs beside me. I put my hat on one of them, and sashay to the
bottom with the other. The one who is left moves to the middle chair, 2 more
people sit down, and on and on it goes. This was so successful this New Year's
Eve they made me repeat it in the 2nd half.
An ancient figure originally called "Favors: the Rose," done with a flower.
CW re-enactors know it as the Fan Dance. They usually hand the fan off to
the 3rd or 4th person in the other line, and dance down the middle with a whole
swarm of the complimentary gender. (As a caller, you haven't survived a
re-enactment ball unless the Fan Dance has been solicited at least three times.
They'd do it all night if they could...goes faster without chairs.)
Also fun on Halloween with a plastic pumpkin (the folks in drag always get in
the "wrong" line) and in late Dec with a mistletoe headband.
--Karen
Ann Arbor
Bill Martin
Sharp/Smukler <shar...@localnet.com> wrote:
: "boogie woogie freeze."
Whazat? Come on, spell it out. By the way, your post is a goldmine!
: Boston, etc. There's a book by the Amidons.
Also a book on dancing with kids by Rick Meyers from Andy's Front Hall.
Comes with tapes, upon which my wife and myself played with the High
Strung String Band in our first limping effort at oldtime dance music.
Long, long time ago. Recorded in an unheated basement "studio" during a
record freeze. We wore sweaters and stocking caps and we put on mittens
between takes.
Bill Martin
Sharp/Smukler
In article <6c8jmg$hbf$1...@news1.teleport.com>, "Bill Martin"
<mar...@user2.teleport.com> wrote:
> Sharp/Smukler <shar...@localnet.com> wrote:
>
> : "boogie woogie freeze."
>
> Whazat? Come on, spell it out. By the way, your post is a goldmine!
>
> Bill Martin
Hi Bill,
If I can find it, I'll send you a tape (I owe you the favor for those
great tapes you sent me!), but it's not the sort of thing you can easily
spell out in a note, and anyway the recording may still be available, in
which case it should be purchased from the artists rather than given away
freely. The idea is that kids dance freely to Boogie Woogie music. The end
of each phrase is "and then you stop! (Now you're doin' the 'Boogie Woogie
Freeze')." The kids have to stand like statues until the music resumes.
Easy, but fun for all.
David Millstone
dances he called for a recent family dance. Along similar lines, here's a
program from a one-night stand for some adults, a group of folks at a
medical conference; two of the 45 people there had previous experience
with this sort of dancing. They enjoyed themselves immensely and the final
circle dance contained nearly all the folks who had started the evening
some two hours earlier. Many of the dances here are also ones I'd use at a
family dance. Note: CDSS has been soliciting information on this subject
and will be presenting such dances in their newsletter. If you're not a
member, it's definitely worth joining. [end of advertisement]
This was the program for that particular evening: We started with a
general warmup, done in a large circle to music:
Circle left, circle right, into center and back, turn partner, turn
neighbor, swing.
The emphasis was listening to music, hearing four and eight beats for a
figure, no fancy footwork needed, giving weight in turns, and an
opportunity to try several styles of swinging. I demonstrated one form of
a standard contra swing and also demonstrated an elbow swing and a
two-hand swing, which I prefer to an elbow swing because you can look at
your partner.
Circle Mixer
Formation: Two concentric circles, women on the outside and men on the inside
A1. Right-hand turn; left-hand turn
A2. Two-hand turn; do si do partner
B1. łLook to the left and swing the next.˛
łLeft˛ = left diagonal, person in opposite circle; this is the progression
B2. Promenade the one you swung
(Without the swing, Bob Dalsemer refers to this as łTennessee Mixer˛ in
one of his books.)
Haste to the Wedding (Sicilian Circle)
Tune: the same
A1. Groups of four: circle left, then right
A2. Right-hand star; left-hand star
B1. Do si do partner; clap twice, two-hand swing, once around
B2. Do si do opposite; clap, form an arch & move on to next
Bridge of Athelone longways, 810 couples
(learned from Mary Cay Brass)
A1. Forward and back, cross over
A2. Repeat (end up in original place)
B1. All face music, first person in each line casts to the bottom while
others follow the leader; actives arch at bottom
B2. Others go around the arch, meet partner and come up center through the
arch; all couples (except actives) make an arch with partner
C1. Active man (at foot of set) comes up under arch while his partner
comes up the outside, behind the women; active woman then goes does under
the arches to foot of set while active man goes down outside, behind the
men
C2. All swing (Others may swing when active woman has passed under their
arch, but not before!)-- Some couples near top of set get longer swing
than others
Cumberland Square 8 (square)
Tune: łMy Love Is But a Lassie Yet˛
Alternate tune: something well-known that people can clap to, such as
łArkansas Traveler˛
A. Head couples gallop over & back
(I do this with men passing back to back going over, then have couples
just change grip and return on same track)
A. Side couples do the same
B. Head couples right hand star; l. h. star
B. Sides couples do the same
A. Head couples basket swing (!)
A. Sides basket swing
B. All swing corner
B. Promenade this one (new partner) to manąs place
Easier ending that I usually use for family dances, if people canąt find
their corners:
B. All circle left, once around
B. Promenade around back to place
After opening figures, call dance twice through with head couples going
first, then after a break, call twice with side couples going first, and
then a break for last time through.
??? Easy longways, short sets (8 cpls is good)
(from Dudley Laufman) Reels work better than jigs.
A1. Head man leads menąs line forward and around the womenąs line and back
to place
A2. Head lady leads her line around men
B1. Swing partners at home.
B2. Clap 1-2-3, 1-2-3,1-2-3,1-2-3 (4x in all)
Head couple sashay to foot of set
Note: This inanely simple dance is probably the one I always go to when
calling for one-night stands and family dances‹it inevitably leaves
beginning dancers feeling happy. The final figure. with the active couple
sashaying down the middle gets people clapping in time to the music, and
the clapping usually carries over to the first two figures of the dance.
The Black Joke (Sicilian Circle)
Tune: the same
A1. Clap once, circle left (1 1/2)
A2. Clap, circle right, back to original place
B1. Patty cake to opposite & partner
(Clap your own hands together, then r.h. with other; together, left)
Swing partner, make arch, pass to next
With no break, but changing from the jig to reels, this moved directly
into an improvised
Big Circle hash, combining these moves
€ circle left, right, do si do partner, swing partner, promenade;
€ ladies into center and back, gents the same
€ do si do neighbor and swing, swing partner
€ sashay into center and back with partner
€ ladies to center and back, ladies to center and cross to other side of
set; circle; gents to center and back, gents to center and cross to other
side of set, swing partner
€ Basket: ladies into center and circle left.
While ladies are circling, gents move in a step or two and circle right
Ladies stop and form an arch with neighbor, gents circle until they are
behind partner then‹still holding hands‹ duck under the arch to the left
of their partner
Ladies bring their joined arms down behind the men
All circle left, right (carefully! small steps), then into center and
all the way back, dropping hands and moving to the outside of the ring
where all swing partner
€ Tunnel: as all are promenading, one couple starts by making an arch (two
hands holding two hands), next couple in the promenade comes under the
arch and also arches, and so on, forming a tunnel. After all have gone
under the tunnel, the first couple to form arch drops hands and goes under
tunnel (the end of the tunnel is now dissolving and going through the
newly-formed tunnel) and then continues promenading
€ wind up the apple peel
€ Last figure is always: circle left, right, ladies into center and back,
gents in and back, all join hands and into center and back with big shout.
final waltz
=====
Other dances which I use a lot for family dances, depending on the crowd
and the season, include:
La Bastringue
Chimes of Dunkirk
The Sweets of May
Virginia Reel
Galopede
Brandie Shetland longways, short sets
not a contra
€ First couple sashay to bottom of set
€ Reel the set (r. h. to partner, l.h. to neighbor)
€ When active couple is back at the top, they join both hands and make an
arch, go down over the ladiesą line and back up over gentsą line until
they are back at the head of the set.
€ Weave the set: Everyone joins both hands with partner. Active couple
takes several steps to callerąs left (active man pushing) while other
couples go to callerąs right; actives move down one place & everyone
reverses direction; actives continue until they have reached bottom of set
The Haymaker longways sets of 4 or 5 couples
(from Dudley Laufman)
First man and last lady, forward and back (These are first corners)
First lady and last man, forward and back (These are second corners)
Similarly with right hand turn, left hand turn, do si do, swing
Strip the willow: 1st couple reels the set, r.h. to partner, l.h. to
opposite; 1st couple forms an arch at foot of the set
March: Starting with new top couple, march down center and under the arch,
back up the outside to form new set, with original 1st couple now at foot
of the set
Heads and Sides easy square
A1. Head couples forward and back
Do si do opposite (or circle left once around)
A2. Side couples do the same
B1. Do si do (or allemande left) corner
Swing (or do si do) partner
B2. Promenade partner
Fun to teach several variations, start with one pattern, then mix up the calls
Set a Cloché easy mixer which I use for adult crowds
(from Mary DesRosiers)
Formation: Couples standing anywhere on floor, gent with right arm around
partnerąs waist, lady with left arm on his right shoulder
A1. Promenade
A2. Gents link left arm with other gent, two couples whirl counter-clockwise
B1. Ladies chain, over and back
B2. Swing opposite, who is new partner
At family dances, I almost always call łZodiac˛ (sometimes called
łZudio˛), a play party game that I picked up years ago. This gets the
dancers singing and clapping, as well as moving their feet, and it gives
the musicians a break, making it all the more exciting when they start
back in again. (At the regular West Lebanon, NH, P.T.O. Family Dance,
where Iąve been calling for fifteen years, children come up to request
that dance if I havenąt already called it in an evening.)
I rarely call contras in such settings. If needed, I will use łJefferson
and Liberty˛ or łBroken Sixpence˛ as relatively simple contras but I
almost always go through a two or two and a half hour family dance without
resorting to contras.
======
General observations:
I think the most important rule is the old K.I.S.S. (łKeep it simple,
stupid!˛) principle stressed by Ted Sannella and others. At an event with
mostly non-dancers (family dance, most weddings, parties, etc.) my object
is to get people of all ages to have fun moving with each other to the
music. Any dance which requires a lot of explanation on my part is
probably inappropriate.
Family dances: In longways sets, instead of referring to the menąs line
and the womenąs line, I usually talk about the 1s and the 2s. (Since I'm
not calling contras, this is not a source of confusion.) With lots of kids
present, Iąll definitely include dances with clapping or stomping, such as
łChimes of Dunkirk.˛
The best sources I know for simple dances are the łChimes of Dunkirk,˛
"Listen to the Mockingbird," and łJump Jim Joe˛ collections (books and
tapes) put out by Peter Amidon, Andy Davis and Mary Cay Brass, and Bob
Dalsemerąs collection, łWhen the Workąs All Done,˛ also in book or tape.
Itąs a common observation that the less experienced the dancers, the more
experienced the caller needs to be. The same holds for musicians, I
believe. A crowd of beginners is where you need rock-steady rhythm and
crisp melodies. I like to work with musicians who, more than belting out
the current hot Irish three-part reel with an unusual chord structure,
know tunes that the dancers may know, such oldies as łArkansas Traveler˛
and łTurkey in the Straw.˛ Hearing a familiar tune makes it much easier
for beginning dancers to note the musical phrases. As a result, they need
the caller less since the music is giving them clues about when to turn
from one figure to the next.
Lisa Inman
Wow--thanks to Bill Martin, David Millstone, and David Smukler for all
the great family dance program information. They've already shown some
good programming sequences, here's my repertoire contributions:
In general: I call many family dances for kids and adults together (two
a month) which include many very young kids (ie 2, 3, 4 yrs old). Lots
of fun, quite informal... For me the key to successfully building a
program that includes the youngest is the singing play party games (see
below); also a repertoire that is gender free--just relies on partners
doing things without regard to who is "gent" or "lady"; and also
dances that aren't totally reliant on knowing right from left for
success.
Singing play parties: Those in the New England Dancing Masters books by
Andy Davis, Peter Amidon, Mary Cay Brass and Mary Alice Amidon
--previously mentioned in this thread (Jump Jim Joe, Chimes of Dunkirk,
Listen to the Mockingbird)--include some of the very best. The singing
really seems to help connect the little ones to what's going on (besides
being wonderful). I also think that these play party games are so
successful because they are good dances for adults too--they come from a
tradition of community dancing for all ages, often when church thought
"dancing" was sinful but "playing games" was okay, so they aren't really
"just" kids' games.
Play parties that I consider part of my rock-solid family dance
repertoire, used dozens of times, always successfully: (*=in NE Dancing
Masters books and recordings listed above) are:
*Jump Jim Joe: I like the version I learned from Sherry Nevins, as done
in Seattle: instead of ending with "find another partner and you JJJ"
end with "find another circle and you JJJ"--this is a wonderful
adaptation. A circle can be 2, 3, 4, ... up to any number of people. So
as you finish up you drop hands, turn around, and join in with whoever
shows up for another circle--circles of all sizes all over the floor.
There is something very inclusive and magical about this. The circles
just seem to coalesce from nowhere. We do JJJ at every Port Townsend
family dance for several years, except for one Scandinavian one (and even
then we contemplated Yoomp Yim Yoe..)
*Old Bald Eagle--couples in circle
*Alabama Gal--longways set, great tune
*Noble Duke of York--longways set
*Circle Round the Zero--circle no partners
*Zudio--longways
*Sally Go Round the Sun/Sunshine--circle no partners
*Bobolinka--easiest first longways set for the youngest ones
Paw paw patch--long ways
Go in and out the windows--circle game
Rig a jig jig--circle game
Bow Belinda: we do as in the book "Hullabaloo and other Singing Folk
Games" compiled by Richard Chase (1949). It is a longways Va Reel/Sir
Roger de Coverly dance (but a play party, not that sinful dancing...I
have one book with some old timer's recollections of play party dances
where couples would sit these out because they were afraid they were too
close to "dancing"...) The tune is "What Shall We Do With a Drunken
Sailor" so it is nice and spunky:
(1) Bow, bow, o Belinda, Bow bow o Belinda, Bow bow o Belinda, won't you
be my partner? (First corners--person at top of one line and bottom of
other line--go into center of set on the diagonal and bow to each other
and back out of the way, second corners--the other top and bottom
folks--do the same)
(2) Rights hands round, o belinda x3, won't you be my partner(Same, they
go in and turn right hand turn)
(3) Left hands round.... (Ditto, left hand turn)
(4)Both hands round...(you guessed it)
(5) Shake that big foot, shy all around her x3, won't you be my partner?
(Corners meet again, with a do-si-do)
(6) Promenade round, o Belinda...(all face up, take promenade hold and
come up the set and cast off as couples to the left, down to the bottom
and up the center of the set to where they started)
(7)Tunnel through, o Belinda...(All but couple one make a two hand arch,
top couple go through the arches to the bottom of the set, all shift up a
place.
As you see, with seven verses, keep the sets short enough (5 couples or
so) so you can sing it all for everyone...
OTHER GAME DANCES WITH NO PARTNERS:
The fan/broom dance mentioned by others is great for getting people
moving to the music, having fun, and indirectly learning top/bottom/set
sense. Someone mentioned the men's/women's lines--doesn't really matter,
I just have two lines of people.
Arches game (learned from Bob Dalsemer 6/95): Circle, no partners,
circle to the right single file with two people making a two hand arch
over the line. Music plays and stops without warning a la musical
chairs, arch comes down (gently) when music stops a la London Bridge and
tries to catch someone. Anyone caught goes to center and if there's
someone else caught they meet in center and join up and make an
additional arch over the line somewhere, if not they hang out until
someone next gets caught and then joins up with them. This is
cumulative, more and more arches, fewer and fewer darting under them.
It's fun. Any tune, crooked or "square".
Traffic Jam (by John Krumm I believe)--single people scattered around the
room, "square" tune. Either do to an ABAB tune, or do one time through
to A1A2 and next time through to B1B2: Clap, clap, clap; stamp, stamp,
stamp, walk (anywhere) four steps [8] repeat [8]; Slide to your right 8
counts whichever way you're headed, but don't crash, slide to your left 8
counts. This is a good starter/ice breaker especially if there's anybody
nervous that we might be taking this dancing stuff very seriously.
OTHER LONGWAYS SETS:
*Chimes of Dunkirk--sweet tune and sweet dance
*Sweets of May--keep sets short enough that all, including little ones,
can skip around the lines on time (5 couples max?)
Virginia Reel
Waves of Tory--I know several versions and tend to amalgamate one that
suits the occasion (and simplify, not do R stars/L stars cuz I'm not sure
they'd figure out who to do them with, I do turns instead). It includes
a dip and dive the set
SICILIAN CIRCLES
Like previous posters on this thread, I also find Haste to the Wedding to
be a great dance for this setting. If the progression is new to the
group, I teach it first: fwd and back and pass through to the next (then
pretend dance dance, okay, now) fwd and back and pass through to the
next, etc. until they've got it. Then I teach the rest of it and all
works fine.
For variety, and when I don't have a band that wants to play Haste to the
Wedding, I call the Sicilian Circle (no name) in Bob Dalsemer's "When the
Work's All Done" introduction. This is a bit easier than H to the W.
A1: circle L, circle R
A2: right hand star, left hand star
B1: do-si-do neighbor (opposite); do-si-do partner
B2: partners holding hands and facing other couple: fwd and back, fwd
and pass thru to the next
MIXERS:
With many young children, I generally call few or no mixers. The little
ones often do not want to leave their favorite partner. Or if there's
just a few in this category, I encourage all to dance but for an adult to
dance with this little person attached to them as a unit=one person and
dancing with another person as their partner.
Heel and Toe Polka--it seems corny but I recently resurrected it and
found why it has been on the rec. leaders' lists for so long--it's fun,
it works.
Sasha (learned from Bob Dalsemer, 6/95)--has its own tune, a fun
German/Russian folk dance amalgamation.
SIMPLE SQUARES:
Solomon Levi has to be my most favorite most all purpose beginner
square--both with family dances with young kids and adult beginner
squares:
It is originally a singing square with its own tune, but I just call it
to any good southern square dance music (crooked or "square").
[Name 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th couples; ID corners]
Bow to your partner, bow to your corner, wave to the folks across the
square, all join hands and circle to the left, other way back
Left hand turn your corner [I don't say allemande at family dance, left
hand turn says it in regular English...] turn around and swing your own,
and promenade the hall.
Figure: (1st couple) stand back to back, separate round the outside
track [walk all the way around the outside of the square] pass your
partner going around [halfway round] and pass them coming back [pass
partner at home to face your corner; everyone face corners] Everyone left
hand turn your corner, but swing your partner, promenade around the ring.
Repeat for 2nd cpl, (chorus: circle L, R, fwd and back or such), 3rd
cpl, 4th cpl (simple break) then 1st and 3rd couples at the same time,
then 2nd and 4th couples at the same time, then everybody all at once.
It's a simple pattern, but a feeling of surprise and accomplishment when
they do it with 2 couples or 4 couples all in motion (I don't tell them
that that is coming up when I do the walk through).
Cut Away Six (or Divide the Ring)
Appalachian big set, couples with couples in circle: circle left, circle
right, do figure, swing opposite, swing partner, find another couple to
circle etc. With simple figures: stars, birdie in cage (since I do this
all gender free, ie any two people or "units" make a couple I tell them
to confer and decide who's the bird and who's the crow), stop and whirl,
rip and snort, etc.
SCANDINAVIAN:
We recently pulled together Scandinavian dances suitable for the family
dance for a Santa Lucia dance in December which was very wonderful. They
all have their own tunes. We use them in our regular repertoire too:
Crested Hen
Ma's Little Pigs
Fjaskern
Rankankalia
1234 and 5
7 Jumps
Gustav's skoal
Our Port Townsend monthly dance we end with two rituals--we have a
closing circle of everyone (musicians, everyone) and go around the room
and each say our name--it is very nice and the young ones so often
proudly proclaim their name loud for everyone; then we sing a goodnight
round that I learned from Bob Dalsemer at John C. Campbell Folk School
(the dance goes from 7PM to about 8:45 PM). Can't put the tune here but
the words are:
"Good night to you all and sweet be your sleep; may silence surround you
your slumbers be deep; good night, good night, good night, good night."
These dances are so much fun. In Port Townsend we are now making it so
that the band has some core musicians holding it down, and any other
beginning/intermediate/advanced musicians can come and play along, adults
or children.
Glad to hear others are doing these dances too. Anyone else contribute
to this thread?? We'd love to hear...
P.S. I found that I could successfully word search our library's
interlibrary loan database for "play party" and come up with some of the
old books I could request interlibrary loan (we can request and get
mailed to our library any book in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, or Alaska
public libraries). On the internet I was less successful--my searches
mostly turned up alt.sex newsgroup postings....
Lisa Inman
Port Townsend WA
Lisa Inman
Lisa Inman
Robert Bley-Vroman
> Our Port Townsend monthly dance we end with two rituals--we have a
> closing circle of everyone (musicians, everyone) and go around the room
> and each say our name--it is very nice and the young ones so often
> proudly proclaim their name loud for everyone; then we sing a goodnight
> round that I learned from Bob Dalsemer at John C. Campbell Folk School
> (the dance goes from 7PM to about 8:45 PM). Can't put the tune here but
> the words are:
> "Good night to you all and sweet be your sleep; may silence surround you
> your slumbers be deep; good night, good night, good night, good night."
I have been at these dances at the Folk School and find the tradition of
the good-night song wonderful. Are there other regular dances out there
that use a good-night song?
Here is the tune which Lisa mentioned, in abc notation:
X: 1
T: Good Night
T: Round
C: Traditional German
Z: abc by Robert Bley-Vroman, February 1998, vro...@hawaii.edu
M: 3/4
L: 1/4
K: D
A | B A G | F2 F | E D C | D2 ||
F | G F B | A A A | G F E | F2 ||
D | D2 D | D2 D | A,2 A,| D2 |]
Good night to you all, and sweet be your sleep.
May silence surround you, your slumber be deep.
Good night, good night, good night, good night.
Can be sung as a three-part round.
For information about abc notation, see:
http://www.lll.hawaii.edu/contra/dances/tune-sources.html#formats
and the links there.
The song can be found, along with many other good songs for
community dance and song evenings, in:
Folk School Songbook
John C. Campbell Folk School
Rt. 1, Box 14A, Brasstown, NC 28901
The book can also be ordered from CDSS.
http://www.cdss.org/sales/folksong.html
Robert Bley-Vroman
Honolulu
http://www.lll.hawaii.edu/contra/
Bob Hume
The discussion has been interesting and informative. A few things I
do:
1. Rather than gents and ladies, I use "foxes" and "bears"
for the two roles. This makes the dances not based on gender, and
boys and girls feel less odd dancing with the same gender. For my own
sanity, I think of foxes as Female, so line up on left in contra-like
dances, and bears as Boys, so line up on right.
2. A popular non-dance event during the course of an evening
is a "yahoo contest." This wasn't my idea originally. A girl,
perhaps 6 or 7, came up to me during a break in the action and asked
when we were going to have the yahoo contest. As I reverse engineered
it, everyone lines up and I go down the line with a microphone, and
each person gets to yell "yahoo" into the microphone and sound system.
They get a kick out it. Audience applause determines the winner.
Beth Parkes
Bob:
I like the foxes and bears. I have used birdies and crows (a holdover from
good old "birdie in the cage").
One litte nit to pick: ladies are always on the right of their partner.
Gents on the left. The same is true when you line up for a contra line! You
just have to look at it from the dancer's point of view, not the callers!
Just $.02
Beth
Bob Hume <bh...@micronet.net> wrote in article
<35006b4f...@news.micronet.net>...