Maypole instructions

Lisa Matheson (Exchange)

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Oct 28, 1996, 3:00:00 AM10/28/96

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Does anyone know where to find instructions on dancing the maypole? I'm
looking for a simple pattern that 1-6th graders can do. Any help would be
appreciated.

Thanks - Lisa
lisa...@microsoft.com

Jonathan Sivier

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Oct 29, 1996, 3:00:00 AM10/29/96

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"Lisa Matheson (Exchange)" <lisa...@Exchange.Microsoft.com> writes:

>Does anyone know where to find instructions on dancing the maypole? I'm
>looking for a simple pattern that 1-6th graders can do. Any help would be
>appreciated.

There is a small book available through CDSS which has some interesting
Maypole dances in it. I don't have the title handy, but you can check their
catalog and/or webpage. However I found the dances in there a bit complex
for young kids so I usually use a very simple pattern. Using a tune with
8-bar phrases here is a pattern which works pretty well.

Simple Maypole Dance by Jonathan Sivier

Alternate boys and girls around the ring (or designate them as 1's and 2's)
with the boys to go CCW and the girls to go CW.

1st phrase - into the center and back twice
2nd phrase - everyone turns the direction they are to travel (CW or CCW), pass
the first person by the right shoulder, the next by the left,
the next by the right and the 4th by the left. Turn back in to
repeat.

In theory you could go past more than just 4 people in 16 counts, but in
practice I have found that, with the interweaving of the ribbons, the confusion
of which way to face and which shoulder to use and then the need to turn back
in to the center to go into the center again, you are doing well to just get
by 4 people. If everyone strictly alternates shoulders and only goes past 4
people you get a nice pattern on the pole, but don't worry if some go past an
extra person or use the wrong shoulder, it still works out OK.

I hope this is helpful.

Jonathan

Howard Mitchell

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Oct 30, 1996, 3:00:00 AM10/30/96

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>
> "Lisa Matheson (Exchange)" <lisa...@Exchange.Microsoft.com> writes:
>
> >Does anyone know where to find instructions on dancing the maypole? I'm
> >looking for a simple pattern that 1-6th graders can do. Any help would be
> >appreciated.

Lisa,

I missed your original post on this subject so I'm adding my bit to
Jonathon's reply.

This is a cut from my page http://www.tcp.co.uk/~mitchell/maypole

The Maypole Dances (as now danced in England) were first described by A.
C. Cowley (Ed) in
"The Maypole Dance (London: Curwen,1891) and then by Walter Shaw in
"Maypole Dances with
Instructions, Songs and Accompaniments (London: Curwen, 1910).

A more modern publication "Maypole Dancing by Sandy Mason" which
describes the dances in the
earlier books and adds somes modern variants is now available.

Roy Judge says "Whiteland College has has often been thought responsible
for introducing plaiting
and May Queens into English schools. For a discussion of this matter,
with the conclusion that the
College was probably assisting an existing development, see 'Tradition
and the Plaited Maypole
Dance, Traditional Dance, Vol. 2: Historical Perspectives, Crewe and
Alsager College of Higher
Education, 1983)'"

Sandy Mason says "There is some discussion in fokelore circles as to the
exact development of
these dances that made intricate plaiting patterns, but it is now
generally agreed that this kind of
dancing began in the pleasure gardens and theatres of London. After
becoming part of the
ballet-master's repertoire, it was taken up by some villages who added
ribbons to their
long-established maypoles on the village green. Maypole dancing was
further encouraged in the
1890's by the interest of John Ruskin, the art critic and writer, who
became associated with
Whitelands Teacher Training College for Women. His influence resulted in
fledgling teachers
spreading the custom and making making maypole dancing part of the
school calendar".

The dance is done with a pole up to 9 feet tall with ribbons attached in
multiples of 4 and being one
and a half times times the height of the pole in length. Half of the
dancers dance in an inner circle
(nearer the pole) and the other half in an outer circle.

There are basically two kinds of dance, the closed plait where the
pattern is wound around the pole
and the open plait where the pattern is made by the outer ribbons
winding round the inner ones.

The Barber's Pole - This forms a striped pattern, spiralling down the
pole like the traditional
barber's sign.

The Single Trace - The inner ribbons are held vertically against the
pole whilst the outer ribbons
weave a pattern over them.

The Double Trace - Inners and Outers work as pairs and make a
basket-weave pattern down the
pole.

Outside Trace - A basket-weave using both inners and outers.

The Spider's Web - A conical open plait

The Gypsy's Tent - A complicated open plait.

Plait the Rope - Dancers work in groups of four. The two outers plait
the pattern don the two inners
to form a rope.

Sandy Mason's book and the cassette "Maypole by Mosaic" are available
from Hobgoblin Music.
http://www.ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hobgoblin and I believe
that the CDSS stock both.