Central Carolina Orff Chapter
Creating a Dynamic Learning Community with Traditional Dance, Song & Storytelling
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Many thanks for Meaghan and Shannon for all the work they did to set this up, including driving us hither and yon and taking us out to dinner. Thanks to Kathy Pause to hosting the workshop in such a beautiful space and helping out with sound. And thanks to everyone else for your help and your enthusiastic participation in the workshop; we had a wonderful time!
Below is a list of everything we did in the workshop with a few extra notes.
But first, a Shameless Advertisment and then Meet the Family.
* * *
SHAMELESS ADVERTISING
* Friday – Sunday, September 13 – 15
Led by Peter & Mary Alice Amidon, and Mary Cay Brass
a choral harmony singing fest on one of the most beautiful islands on the planet.
* *
For September/October release:
Fifty-Five Anthems for the Small Church Choir
arranged and composed by Peter & Mary Alice Amidon
book and companion CD sold separately.
* * *
MEET THE FAMILY
Sam, Mary Alice, Zara, Peter, Stefan
* * *
NOTES ON THE WORKSHOP
Blaydon Races – p. 10 in handout
in NEDM’s Chimes of Dunkirk collection
We used ‘Blaydon Races’ from NEDM’s 2010 Revision of the ‘Chimes of Dunkirk’ CD for this. You can also use any jig or reel medley for this dance. 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.
My Heart is Ready – not in handout
By Cindy Kallet. In Amidons forthcoming
“Twenty-five Anthems for Small Church & Community Choirs”
and also available for purchase on Amidons
Choral Sheet Music Download page; go
to the below link and scroll down to the song.
https://amidonchoralmusic.com/product-category/downloads/
The Sun is In My Heart p. 13 in handout
In New England Dancing Masters’ (NEDM’s) “I’m Growing Up” book/CD/DVD
This is a great first activity for young children; we find that it is calming both for them and for the teacher.
Five Little Bunnies p. 13 in handout
In NEDM’s “I’m Growing Up” book/CD/DVD
Form the Corn – p. 11 in handout
In NEDM’s “I’m Growing Up” book/CD/DVD
Good for all ages!
Galopede – p. 11 in 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. The 2nd version of ‘Galopede’ on the 2010 revision of the ‘Chimes of Dunkirk’ CD has an extra C music at the end for the ‘eggbeater’ figure where, after the top couple sashays to the bottom the last time through the dance, each successive couple sashays down the middle, while the outside couples continue moving up towards the top of the set. Sometimes we practice this final figure ahead of time, sometimes we don’t.
Sashay the Donut – p. 11 in handout
In NEDM’s “Sashay the Donut” collection
I like calling this with groups of 4th-6th graders, 6-8 couples in a set, to “The Flying Tent” on NEDM’s “Other Side of the Tracks” CD. You have to call pretty strongly in the beginning to help define the phrase, but later on the phrase gets much more clear and the dance goes great with the music. You can also do this dance with larger groups, in which case the dance will go across the phrasing of the music (once through the dance is more than once through the tune). You just pick up the beginning of the nearest 8 or 16 bar phrase when starting each sequence over again.
PICTURE BOOKS p. 15, 16, 17 in handout
I Live in Music
In the Fiddle is a Song
We All Went on a Safari
Waking Up is Hard to Do
Larry’s Mixer – p. 11 in handout
In NEDM’s “Listen to the Mockingbird” collection
We used the cut “Cheris” from NEDM’s “Other Side of the Tracks” CD, which is the band “Assembly”, a quartet that includes our two sons Sam (fiddle) and Stefan (percussion). Also try doing this to “The Coming Dawn” from the same CD, or try “Golden Keyboard” from NEDM’s “Any Jig or Reel” CD. All of these are flowing music, and I find that this dance can have a sublime “Historic English County Dance” feel (think Jane Austen) when done to those cuts of elegant music.
* * MORNING BREAK * *
Country Life – p. 8 in handout
on Amidons “Song in My Heart” book & CD
This was a staple of the All-School-Sing Mary Alice and I led at Academy School
Brotherhood & Sisterhood – p. 5 in handout
on Amidons’ “Song in My Heart” book & CD
Seed in the Ground – p. 4 in handout
on Amidons’ “Song in My Heart” book & CD
There is a children’s choir version of this (piano SSAA)
available on the Amidon’s choral music sheet music download.
A Little Seed – p. 2 in handout
on Amidons’ “I’m Growing Up” book and companion CD
I’m Growing Up – p. 3 in handout
on NEDM’s “I’m Growing Up” book/CD/DVD
and Amidon’s “Song in My Heart” book & companion CD
Sleeping Bunnies – p. 2 in handout
on NEDM’s “I’m Growing Up” book/CD/DVD
Here We Go Riding Our Ponies – p. 7 in handout
on NEDM’s “I’m Growing Up” book/CD/DVD
Kindergarten Reel – p. 10 in handout
in NEDM’s “Listen to the Mockingbird” book
Heel & Toe Polka – p. 13 in handout
in NEDM’s “Chimes of Dunkirk” book & companion CD
Lucky Seven – p. 10 in handout
in NEDM’s “Chimes of Dunkirk” book & companion CD
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 start with a story about how Kings and Queens
realized that it might be more fun to dance with
more than just their own spouses, and so they
needed to devise a polite and efficient way to
choose other partners. “And the method they
came up with was so good we still do it today.”
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:
The approach. Eye contact. The question.
The answer. King puts out his hand.
Queen stands and takes King’s hand.
They hang on to each other’s hand and
walk to the top of the hall. If there are
two Queens then there is a Queen on one
side and a Queen on the other side. If
there are two Kings (you know the rest).
If it is a King and a Queen, 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.
Then they drop their hands, and, voila, there
they are.
Kings & Queens – p. 12 in handout
LUNCH
Vote for Me – not in handout
Storytelling “TELL YOUR STUDENTS STORIES”
Owl & Pussycat p. 6 in handout
in Amidons’ “Song in My Heart” book & companion CD
Peddler’s Dream
Thorn Rosa – p. 9 in handout
in NEDM’s “Jump Jim Joe” collection
Highland Gates – p. 9 in handout
in NEDM’s “Down in the Valley” collection
Old Brass Wagon – p. 10 in handout
in NEDM’s “Down in the Valley” collection
Galopede – p. 11 in handout
in NEDM’s “Chimes of Dunkirk” collection
Bridge of Athlone – p. 13 in handout
in NEDM’s “Listen to the Mockingbird” collection
Creating original dance
I start with the question: “What is a dance?”
A dance starts with a formation (or a shape):
longways (line of partners facing each other),
circle (partners in circle) or
square (four couples facing in).
There is also the Sicilian Circle formation
(couple facing couple around a circle)
And also the concentric circle formation where couples are
in a circle with, say, the gents facing out and
the ladies facing in.
Then there are the figures, which is, simply
what the dancers do in the dance. Some obvious
figures include some you do with the whole group
(let’s say we’re doing a circle mixer)
Forward and back
Circle left, Circle right,
Grand Right and Left
etc.
and figures you do just with your partner (or neighbor)
Right hand turn
Dosido
and some that are a bit of both like
Promenade.
It is OK to have an original figure or
two in our original dance, but not too
many. Mostly you should have familiar,
common figures that dances can learn
quickly.
Once we (or I) decide on a formation, I simply say,
“What first.” and do whatever the first person
suggests, in our case, “Promenade”.
As the suggestions come in I might invite discussion
about which suggestion to choose (if there are more
than one). I try to use as many of the children’s
ideas as possible, and I almost always have the children
try out dancing a suggested figure before discussin g it.
Your job is also to facilitate the children creating a dance
that is fun to do. You might make a small suggestion
here and there, especially one that might help make
a student’s suggestion more successful and flowing.
The children can help figure out how to make the dance
fit the AABB of the music. It is also an option to ignore
the AABB and make up a dance that goes across the
AABB pattern of the music.
Once you and your students have made up a dance, it is
important to name the dance. This is the same process
as making up the dance. I take in suggestions and facilitate
the decision making. Sometimes we combine the words in
two or three different suggestion. Sometimes we vote on
two or three different name candidates. Sometimes, as
happened with us, someone comes up with a suggestion
so inspired that I declare it the official name by acclamation.
When students create their own dance, they really take
ownership of it.
Durham Shuffle
Formation: Circle Mixer
Music: any jig or reel
A1: Promenade (8)
“Progress”: All let go of partners & keep walking: gents walk a little faster, progressing forward past one lady to the 2nd lady in front. (8)
A2: With this new partner: right elbow turn, left elbow turn (16)
B1: Forward and back (8)
Two hand turn partner
B2: Sashay with partner in 4 & out 4 (8)
Grand R & L: three changes: 4th person becomes
new partner for the opening promenade.
BREAK
Picture Books II p. 15, 16, 17 in handout
Whales
Mother Earth
I Miss You Every Day
Owl Moon
Day Is Done
Sicilian Vowel Dance – p. 12 in handout
In NEDM’s “Sashay the Donut” collection
Circle Waltz Mixer – p. 12 in handout
In NEDM’s “Sashay the Donut” collection