Workshop Notes
Iowa AOSA - Cedar Falls, Iowa
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Peter and Mary Alice Amidon
Creating a Dynamic Learning Community with
Traditional Dance, Song and Storytelling
POST-WORKSHOP NOTES
Dear Iowa AOSA teachers,
We had such a wonderful time with you yesterday.
Thanks to Aaron Hansen (your new president) for
taking care of all our needs before, during and after
the workshop and to Tom Barry for providing the
perfect sound system and helping us with it, and to
the rest of your great Iowa AOSA leaders and, of course
to you, the teachers and students, for your enthusiastic
participation and your gifts of music-teaching wisdom.
Below are:
Your homework
Tell stories to your students:
Tell them folktales you already know and love.
We brainstormed some: Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Three Billy Goats Gruff, Cinderella, Boy Who Cried Wolf, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk; or tell stories from your childhood or from your life.
On the airplane ride we just took from Minn. to Detroit I sat next to a young woman who is graduating from college in May and looking forward to being and elementary school classroom teacher in September. She said that she was decided to become a teacher as a child, inspired by her fourth grade teacher who always told the class stories; both folktales and stories from his life. She said he taught her and her class with compassion and humor and made them all want to learn.
Go to a contra dance. Bring a friend, but choose for your partners experienced dancers. Here are websites for contra dances in Iowa:
- http://showcase.netins.net/web/treadway/barndance.html
- http://cibd.org/calendar.html
- http://www.cibd.org/
Announcements
Week-long 3-credit course for music teachers taught
by Peter and Mary Alice Amidon
Rich Traditions and New Creations: Dance, Song, Storytelling and Literature in the Music Classroom
(or “Everything we know”)
Mon - Fri, July 5 - 9, 2010
9 am - 5 pm each day
Hartt Summerterm
West Hartford, CT
general info:
http://harttweb2.hartford.edu/summer.php
our course listing:
http://harttweb2.hartford.edu/downloads/2010/summertermbrochure.pdf
The foundation of this class is the wealth of songs, dances, singing games, and folktales that spring from the Anglo American/African American oral traditions. We will sing and dance through a rich repertoire of old and new songs, dances and singing games that you can take back to the classroom, discuss how to make dance a successful, dynamic, ongoing experience for you and your students, and learn how to organize an evening of dancing for the school community as well as an all-school sing. The Amidons will share their discoveries of the power of connecting music and literature: telling stories, creating songs from poems, introducing songs with stories, creating a performance from a folktale, song writing, and bringing picture books alive with music. Each participant will write a song and tell a folktale.
- Limited to 24 participants
- Contact: Dee Hansen * 860-768-4128 * dehansen@hartford.edu
For announcements of Amidon workshops and publications sign up for
the Amidon email list :
Notes on the workshop
Blaydon Races p. 12 in handout
in NEDM’s Chimes of Dunirk collection
We used “Blaydon Races” from the forthcoming
CD (June, 2010 release) of Chimes of Dunkirk,
2010 Revision.
We did this is a mixer, but you can also do it with
younger children without changing partners.
We often call this at weddings. We always start
teaching this, as we do with any circle mixer, by
having the dancers promenade and defining the
gents/moons/peanut butter/inside partners and the
ladies/stars/jelly/outside partners.
Tree Song p. 5 in handout
in NEDM’s Down in the Valley collection
I introduced this with a story that I made up. Elements
of the story came from this singing game, the singing
game “Roger is Dead” (NEDM’s Down in the Valley)
and the traditional song “Chiney Doll”.
Lorraine Hammond, who composed this wonderful singing
game, is a songwriter and musician, and the best known
Appalachian dulcimer player in the country. She is in the
greater Boston area. The piano arrangement on the CD
is Peter’s, and will be available on the Amidon website within
the next few weeks (“sheet music downloads”)
We find this to be a calming, centering dance,
both for the children and for ourselves.
Knees Up Mother Brown
not in the handout
Young children love this.
Strolling in the Park not in the handout.
Instantly engaging for young children.
Shake Them Simmons
Wonderful for young children. Here are the music
and instructions:
A few of the Amidons’ Dance Teaching Tips
Mittens; front of your mitten on the front of your neighbor’s
mitten, thumb lightly on back; take hands drop hands take
hands drop hands; posture; teach the forward separately
from the back in the forward and back; shake partner’s
hand, hang on, take partner’s left hand for teaching promenade;
while promenading: inside person is the moon/peanut butter/gent,
outside is the star/jelly/lady; four steps of making a circle from a
promenade: “Hang on to partner stop walking, hang on
to partner face the center, drop hands, take hands.”;
9 ways of keeping the circle big and round on circle
left and right; dosido (gents start on inside, ladies start
going outside) flowing into two hand turn flowing into
promenade; when music starts clapping the first of
each 8 beats; doing the dance with your hands; “thick”
calling, then “thin” calling then no calling; saying the
call right before the ‘clap’ or before the first beat of
the phrase and figure.
Comment ca va p. 13 in the handout
In NEDM’s Sashay the Donut collection
Music: Any reel (French Canadian is nice for this;
for example, “Quebeqois Reels” on NEDM’s
“Sashay the Donut” CD
This is really a version of “La Bastringue”
with a more sophisticated B1 section
(after the Circle L, Circle R, and before
the promenade) that makes it a great
dance for 4th - 6th graders; it is not
too difficult, but it keeps them engaged
and the flowing B1 figures makes them
feel like sophisticated dancers. It is a
great dance to teach before teaching
“Simple Square” (Chimes of Dunkirk collection)
as that both dances have the corner (neighbor) allemande left,
partner dosido, corner allemande left, partner promenade
figure.
Here are your dance teaching tips - I did not edit
or rewrite them much, so you might need to add
a little remembered context of the discussion.
* Desensitizing hand holding exercises (mittens, etc.)
* various preparations for dancing as in identifying partner/corner
* telling children to let go of hands when giving dance instructions so they are more comfortable.
* children verbalize (repeat) dance instruction as they do them to help internalize them.
* isolate the trickier figures.
* hand dancing (map out directions in a different format - especially good for special needs children) (can also do finger dancing on the floor).
* Mary Alice’s joyful clothes and joyful way of being.
* Strategizing ways of a teacher staying actively engaged for every class throughout the day - keeping fresh, staying happy as opposed to automatic pilot (e.g. colored post-its or written reminders) and saying to yourself “I am going to have fun.”
* “2 seconds, great, but that’s not fast enough” Drilling with humor the more challenging moves (going from promenade to circle).
* Teacher as and “expert”, exuding sense that “I know what I am doing and I do it well” which makes students feel more comfortable and wanting to do the activity, wanting to learn.
* Maintaining a calm voice; keeps the attitude focused on what you are doing.
* Using sports analogy both in vocabulary (“athletic sashay”) and in the “teamwork” involved in succeeding.
* Learning to dance to the phrase of the music rather than counting.
* For keeping the integrity of the circle: Posture, and “wait and look to see what’s happening” before moving if you are not sure which way, say, circle left is.
* Teaching laughing when teacher makes mistakes.
* Focus on child who is positively engaged to get good energy for teacher.
* Storytelling introduction to song or dance (like the storytelling intro to “The Tree Song”.
* Importance of learning to follow directions through dance instructions which carries over into other curriculum. Knowing and researching the benefits dance and music have which carry over into other academic areas. Don’t get uptight about teaching reading all the time; but embrace what you are doing, and be aware of the research that supports that dance teaching and music have benefits that carry over into other curriculum areas. Hightlight to classroom teachers that music teaching increases fluency, thinking ahead, and expression.
* Teachers’ watchfulness and awareness and eye contact with the group/students.
* When you make a correction, say it AND do it.
* Wonderful quality of social dance for building community and developing social skills, as in mixers when you interact with different people and encouraged to chat and introduce yourself (like in our first dance “Blaydon Races”.
* Importance of Pourparler, conferences, and other sharing experiences with other teachers.
Country Life p. 3 in handout
on Amidons’ All I Really Need CD
This became a sort of anthem at the
all-school sing Mary Alice and I led when
we were both teaching music in Vermont
elementary schools.
I’m Growing Up p. 4 in handout
Mary Alice wrote this for a life-cycle theme
that some Poughkeepsie, NY 1st graders
were doing (where she was doing a residency).
It was inspired by “Hopes and Dreams” artwork
and writing Mary Alice had seen on the walls
of another elementary school.
From the Seed p. 7 in handout
This is our favorite “new” (to us) song;
children inhale it. Peter did an arrangement
for treble voices and piano that will be
available in the next few weeks on the
“Sheet music downloads” page of their
website.
Picture Books see pp. 16, 17, 18
for bibliography of books and of the background
music Mary Alice chose for some of the books.
Water
The Earth and I
I Miss You Every Day
Which is a perfect companion to the
Woody Guthrie song “Mail Myself to You”
(on the Amidons’ Faerie’s Gift” CD).
Summertime
Heel & Toe Polka p. 13 in handout
In NEDM’s ‘Chimes of Dunkirk’ collection.
With younger children and at community dances
we usually skip the right hand or right elbow turn
that follows the clapping, and we go directly to
‘everyone pass right shoulders with partner, walk
straight ahead, and take two hands with new partner.’
We have done this dance with children as young as
Kindergarten. Like other circle mixers, you can start
out teaching it with the children staying with the same
partner, and later one teach the changing partners version.
Going to Alberta p. 11 in handout
In NEDM’s Sashay the Donut collection
This is a GREAT way to teach the ballroom position (used for the waltz,
the polka, and for a contra dance swing) at the same time as a simple
polka step. We have found this to be a great dance for little kids,
big kids mixed ages, community dance, in short, for anyone. You can
do it as an a cappella singing game, or accompany it with piano,
guitar, accordion, or Orff instruments, or do it to the music of
the Sashay the Donut CD.
Lucky Seven p. 14 in notes
In NEDM’s Chimes of Dunkirk collection We used ‘Golden Keyboard’ from NEDM’s ‘Any Jig or Reel’ CD.
The grand right & left exercises:
First all
promenade to determine inside/outside
gent/lady or moon/star roles. Then all
face partner. Ladies crouch while men
weave around circle, starting on the inside.
Then Men crouch and assist ladies as they
weave around: right hand for outside, left
hand assist for inside. Then all stand and
face center and do a stationary grand right
and left just with the arms, counting up to
seven. Repeat that, but this time stepping
in place (two steps per arm reach). Then
face partner and ‘repeat after me’ some
of the rules: ‘I will not turn around, I
will not go back…’ etc. Tell them that it
always takes seven times to get it right,
and make sure, when it doesn’t go right,
that they all go back to where they started
from (rather than trying to fix it in the middle
of the grand right and left figure).
Level one: Wait 8 beats on 2nd half of A2 music.
Level two: dosido partner on 2nd half of A2 music.
Level three: At end of grand right and left allemande right the 7th person about 1 1/4 into a promenade.
Choosing partners p. 14 in handout
Kings and Queens p. 13 in handout.
In NEDM’s Sashay the Donut collection
We used ‘On the Danforth’ from NEDM’s ‘Other Side of the
Tracks’ CD for this dance. You might also use our other
version of ‘On the Danforth’ which is on our ‘Sashay
the Donut’ CD.
Before we teach this dance we will dub each child a King or a
Queen, and talk to them (sometimes while the music is playing
to help sustain the mood) about what it means to be a King and
Queen: They have royal posture, they never rush, they make
good decisions, they are very attractive; basically describing
the ideal King/Queen or, which, in my mind is being the
very best person they can be. This is in the style of an
historic English country dance.
Acres Grace p. 8 in handout
This is on the CD “Truth - The Musical, Original Cast Soundtrack”.
I wrote the songs and lyrics (mostly unison with piano accomp.)
and Stephen Stearns wrote the script and directed; performed
by the senior cast (high school age actor/singers) of Brattleboro’s
New England Youth Theatre.
LUNCH
Community dancing p. 9 in handout
We meant to discuss this in the workshop, but we accidentally
left it out. “Peter’s Community Dance Tips” on p. 9
of the handout includes a lot of what you need to know
to expand your dance program to include community
dancing. We urge you to go for it. Start small with
just one class or one grade level with their parents
and families. It is a real gift to your students and your
school community.
More Picture Books see pp. 16, 17, 18
for bibliography of books and of the background
music Mary Alice chose for some of the books.
Whales
Johnny Appleseed
Marion Anderson
Here is the music for the song to
which Mary Alice set this poetry:
In the Fiddle is a Song
Mary Alice also mentioned:
Hush Little Baby
Fox Went Out
Introducing song with a story:
Owl & Pussycat p. 6 in handout
Telling folktales
see “homework” at top of these notes for
suggestions for stories for you to tell to
your students.
Sir Gawaine and Lady Ragnell
Here is a summary of my telling of this story:
Acting Out a Folktale with your students
p. 15 in handout “Parameters for Acting Out a Story”.
From the Seed dance!
Here are the Youtube sites that inspired this dance:
(The song is p. 7 in handout)
and here is the “From the Seed” dance:
If you got the sun
*Walk sideways with hands miming sun rising.
and if you got the rain
*Walk sideways the other way with hands miming rain.
and you plant a little seed
*Crouch down.
in the old back lane
Then jump and turn halfway with
arms moving directly over head,
end pointing in opposite direction.
And you wish and you hope
hands clasped together in front,
take step to diagonal left, then diagonal right,
And you keep the weeds down
Crouch down, keeping head up.
You might find, oh
standing up, step and gesture with arm to left.
You might find
step and gesture with arm to right
a root growing down from the seed
mime with hands
in the ground
take one step forward (leaving other foot in place)
ending with forward leg bent a little and back leg
straight as arms and hands sweep from front to both
sides (separating) as if miming the flat surface of the ground.
Sashay the Donut p. 14 in handout.
In NEDM’s Sashay the Donut collection
Use any reels for this. I like doing it to ‘Flying Tent’ in
NEDM’s ‘Other Side of the Tracks’ CD. If you use
this music for the dance note that you have to call pretty
strongly and rhythmically in the beginning to help the
dancers define the phrase, but later on the musical
phrasing gets much more clear and the dance goes great
with the music.
A great! dance for 4th grade and up.
Sometimes we do this with large circles of about
10 - 12 couples. The sashaying of these larger
groups takes longer than all of the B1, B2 music,
so we just wait, once the sashaying was finished, for the
nearest start of an 8 or 16 bar phrase. In the workshop
we did the dance with 7-8 couples in each set, in which
case the sashaying can be done in the time allotted by
the B1/B2 music, so that each time through the sequence
can start at the beginning of the A1 music.
Galopede p. 13 in the handout
In NEDM’s Chimes of Dunkirk collection
We always do this to the specific tune ‘Galopede’
which is on the Chimes of Dunkirk companion CD.
We often end a community dance with this dance.
If you have a live band, have them play an extra
C section the last time through at the end of the
dance and have each of the successive top couples
keep going down the middle while the rest of the
dancers move up the outside. Sometimes we practice
this final figure ahead of time, sometimes we don’t.
The Chimes CD Galopede does not have the double C
music required to do this final “eggbeater” figure.
E-mail me if you would like a version of the Galopede
music that has a this double C music - I can e-mail
you an mp3. The “extra C” version of Galopede will
be included on the revised Chimes of Dunkirk CD
which we will be releasing in about a month.
Sicilian Vowel Dance p. 14 in handout
In NEDM’s Sashay the Donut collection
We used ‘Golden Keyboard’ (actually, the piano only comes in
at the end of the cut) from NEDM’s ‘Any Jig or Reel’ for this.
Do this with 5th or 6th graders who have a fair amount of dance
experience, and who have already learned the grand right and
left (‘Lucky Seven’ from our Chimes of Dunkirk collection
is a good teaching dance for the Grand Right and Left figure).
You should have at least 20 dancers (five groups of four)
to do this dance; 24 or more is even better.
It can work at a community dance if you have all the younger
children dance with an adult or older experienced child partner.
The main teaching point is, once folks are in the formation
of couple facing couple (Sicilian circle formation), having
everyone point to the left. Those pointing to the inside of
the circle say “I go inside first.” Those pointing to the outside
say, “I go outside first.” That is the direction they start going
when they do the big, no hands, stay-with-partner grand
right and left.
Circle Waltz Mixer p. 8 in handout
In NEDM’s ‘Sashay the Donut’ collection.
We used ‘In Continental’ Waltz from the ‘Sashay’ CD
for the music. This is a wonderful dance for a wedding
where you can do it the original way we learned it, doing
a short waltz instead of the two hand turn. In the original
dance gents are the “posts” and women are the “twirlers”,
but it works perfectly fine in a non-gender community
dance with a two hand turn. In order to make sure
that this works in a community dance you:
Limit the dance to Kindergarteners and older.
Tell K-3 students that they must dance with
an adult or a child who is 4th grade or older.
Start by having everyone promenade, and have
the older partner promenade on the inside.
Tell all the inside (left hand) partners they are
“posts” and all the outside (right hand) partners
they are “twirlers”.
All look at partner and say “goodbye”.
Posts stay in place and keep their feet planted
during the “twirl” figure.
Carefully teach the first “twirl” each “Post”
does with their left hand neighbor, from left to right.
Once the dancers get that twirl, the rest of the dance
can go pretty smoothly.
Now It’s Time to Go p. 3 in the handout
on our “All I Really Need” CD.
Thanks again for everything, and
happy dancing, singing and storytelling.
Best,
Peter & Mary Alice