These dances are perfect for beginners. They are easy and yet their high energy will make them favorites that are often requested. A longways set is comprised of two lines of dancers facing each other. Each dancer stands across from their partner. Traditionally, the ‘gents’ are in the right hand line, the ‘ladies’ in the…
Author Archive | prospect
Choosing Partners
When we are giving workshops to teachers on traditional social dance, the most commonly asked questions concern partners and the joining of hands. Children, as well, have legitimate concerns about who they are with and the social consequences that might follow. Many dance programs have faltered on this issue by insisting on boy/girl couples without…
Building Community Through Traditional Dance
In many countries of the world, traditional dance is an everyday part of the culture. People come together to celebrate festivals, births, weddings, feast days and other life events through dancing. Everyone is a dancer. Traditional dances are generally not very difficult. Everyone can feel successful in a very short time. Although traditional dance is…
Dancing in the Classroom
Here are some tips for teachers on how to make dancing a regular part of classroom life: Clear out a dancing space. Be creative and bold, making the space as long and wide as possible. With clear assignments and some practice your class should be able to clear the room in less than a minute.…
How the Music and Dances Fit Together
Each figure of the dance fits with a specific phrase of music. Most tunes have two parts: A and Each part is played twice giving us: A1, A2, B1, B2. Each one of these parts has 16 beats. We have shown this in the directions for each dance as follows: A1 (16) A2 (16) B1…