About our Workshops

Workshop Notes

Problems viewing this site?

You may be using a browser that doesn't support web-standards.

Get Firefox!

This page was updated
October 15, 2007

Workshop Notes

Kodaly New Jersey

St. Anthony’s Church, Port Reading, NJ
Saturday, October 13, 2007

Teaching Traditional Dance and Singing Games to Children

Dear NJ Kodaly Workshop Participants,

Many thanks to Kristen for her organizing and welcoming. Mary Alice and I had a wonderful time dancing with all of you.

Here are some notes on the dances we did in the workshop:

Circassian Circle p. 1 in notes
in NEDM’s Listen to the Mockingbird collection We used Fancy Hornpipe from NEDM’s ‘Any Jig or Reel’ CD. Always start teaching this dance by having the students promenade and defining ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ (gent/lady or moon/star or whatever).  I like doing this with fourth
graders who have a little dance experience.

Tree Song p. 6 in the notes
In NEDM’s Down in the Valley collection Sometimes we do this dance with children when WE need to calm down and stretch a bit.

Old Brass Wagon p. 6 in notes
In NEDM’s Down in the Valley collection This can be an a cappella singing game, or, with the CD (or live music) a great early dance to instrumental
music.  When Peter teaches it he walks through the figures first, and then says “Now just do whatever Mary Alice says,” and puts on the CD.

Kindergarten Reel p. 2 in notes
In NEDM’s Listen to the Mockingbird collection but just in the book, not on the CD, because the idea is that you lead this with whatever instrument
you play: piano, French horn, recorder, electric guitar, whatever!

La Bastringue p. 1 in notes
In NEDM’s Chimes of Dunkirk collection We used this as a vehicle for a lot of 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/gent, outside is the star/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.

Going to Alberta
In NEDM’s (forthcoming - Nov 1 release) 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.

Bridge of Athlone
In NEDM’s Listen to the Mockingbird collection This requires a 3-part tune.  ‘Listen to the Mockingbird’ has a three part jig: ‘Blarney Pilgrim’ that works great for this dance.  We really like dancing it to the three-part
‘Reel de Rimouski’ on NEDM’s ‘Any Jig or Reel’ CD, which is what we did in Woodbridge.  We find this to be an engaging dance for 2nd - 6th and great for a community dance. 

Bridge of Athlone
traditional English dance
music: any 48 bar jig or reel
formation: longways sets of partners

Choosing Partners

We think it is a real gift to children to teach them how to choose their own partners.  I like to frame this in ‘Kings’ and ‘Queens’ language to help the
children get over their self consciousness over choosing partners.

I have them all practice the words: ‘May I please have this dance?’ ‘Yes thank you.’ and then practice answering me, and then practice
asking me.  Then I demonstrate what it looks like to ask a partner to dance, by asking one of the ‘Queens’.  Then, I have that Queen sit down, and I ask her again, showing the 10 steps:

  1. The approach.
  2. Eye contact.
  3. The question.
  4. The answer.
  5. King puts out his hand.
  6. Queen stands and takes King’s hand.
  7. They hang on to each other’s hand and
    walk to the top of the hall.
  8. The King stands on the King’s side, the Queen on
    the Queen’s side and they face each other,
    nose, toes and bellybutton, taking two hands.
  9. Then they drop their hands, and, voila, there
    they are. 
  10. Then I have a volunteer Queen ask a King, then a volunteer King ask a Queen, and then all ask. 

This can be quite wonderful, and the children who succeed in doing this should be quite proud of themselves.

Kings and Queens p. 4 in notes
In NEDM’s (forthcoming - Nov 1 release) Sashay the Donut collection
We like to use ‘On the Danforth’ from NEDM’s ‘Other Side of the
Tracks’ CD for this dance. 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.

Lucky Seven p. 1 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).

Comment ca va? (Not in notes)
In NEDM’s (forthcoming - Nov 1 release) Sashay the Donut collection
Formation: circle of couples (not a mixer)
Music: Any reel (French Canadian is nice for this.

Exactly the same as ‘La Bastringe’ except for B2.

Blaydon Races p. 1 in notes
in NEDM’s Chimes of Dunirk collection. We like using ‘Old Favorite’ or ‘Coming Dawn’ from NEDM’s ‘Other Side of the Tracks’ CD for this. We did this is a mixer, but you can also do it with younger children without changing partners. We often call this at weddings.

Zip It Up not in notes
In NEDM’s (forthcoming - Nov 1 release) Sashay the Donut collection
ZipItUp.pdf

Sashay the Donut p. 4 in the notes
In NEDM’s (forthcoming - Nov 1 release) 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. A great! dance for 4th grade and up.

Durham Reel p. 2 in the notes
In NEDM’s Chimes of Dunkirk collection. We used ‘Slow G’ from NEDM’s  forthcoming ‘Sashay the Donut’ CD. This dance was first published in John Playford’s ‘Dancing Master’ in 1651.

First Night Quadrille p. 1 in the notes.
In NEDM’s Listen to the Mockingbird collection. A great dance for, say, 4th grade and up who have a fair amount of dance experience.

Sasha p. 7 in the notes.
In NEDM’s (forthcoming - Nov 1 release) Sashay the Donut collection. You can also download the music from our www.dancingmasters.com website.  Do it quickly; we will probably take that free download off once ‘Sashay the Donut’ comes out in November. A great dance for all ages!

Circle Waltz Mixer

In NEDM’s (forthcoming - Nov 1 release) Sashay the Donut collection. We used ‘In Continental’ Waltz from the ‘Sashay’ CD for the music. This is a wonderful dance for a wedding.  Sometimes we do it at a community dance, and give folks the option of doing a two hand turn in the place of the short waltz at the end of the sequence.

We had a wonderful time with you last Saturday.  Keep on dancing!

Best,

Peter and Mary Alice