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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-GB link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Hi Linda,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'> With some of the dancers as young as five you have quite a challenge. :-)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'> I would start with something like:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Welcome to the Dance<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Sicilian Circle<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>A1: Circle Left; Circle Right<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>A2: Star Right; Star Left<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>B1: Neighbour Arm Right; Arm Left<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>B2: With Partner: Forward 1, 2, stamp, stamp, stamp; backwards 1, 2, clap, clap, clap<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'> Odds (facing CCW) make arches, every go forwards and meet someone new<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:36.0pt'><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>I always teach B2 multiple times as the first part of the walkthrough to establish the progression and direction and who is making the arches.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:36.0pt'><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>From a musical point of view this gives them a chance to work easily in eights, and practise stamping/clapping at the right time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:36.0pt'><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>The heel and toe in this makes them have to work with the music and listen for their turn to go:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Ping<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Longways; Proper; Four Couples (but if some sets have five couples it is still fine)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>A1: Line 1 Lead Around Line 2 to places<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>A2: Line 2 Lead Around Line 1 to places<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>B1: Top Couple: two hands: Heel & Toe x2; Gallop to the bottom<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'> Top Couple: two hands: Heel & Toe x2; Gallop to the bottom<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>B2: Top Couple: two hands: Heel & Toe x2; Gallop to the bottom<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'> Partner Arm Right (or Swing - but for this type of group I would use Arming)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>To cover some musical education as well you could contrast different time signatures. For example you could use a dance with a long gallop (sorry, I know you say “sashay” in the US, but “sashay” is defined as “walk in an ostentatious yet casual manner, typically with exaggerated movements of the hips and shoulders” so it is completely the wrong word!) - I would tell them to “gallop”! Anyway, if you do a simple dance with a long gallop and change tunes from a jig to a reel part way through, you could tell them in advance to listen for the change and see how it changes the feel of the gallop.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>You could try Swedish Masquearde <a href="https://www.barndances.org.uk/detail.php?Title=Swedish_Masquerade">https://www.barndances.org.uk/detail.php?Title=Swedish_Masquerade</a> to show them the difference in feel between a march, a waltz and a polka - I would substitute Two Hand Turns for the close hold waltz and polka sections. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFqDEfZIxqg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFqDEfZIxqg</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>This type of group usually enjoys Horse’s Branle <a href="https://www.webfeet.org/eceilidh/dances/horses-branle.html">https://www.webfeet.org/eceilidh/dances/horses-branle.html</a>, getting them to match footwork to the music in the A part, listen for their turn every four counts in the B music, and timing their hey to finish on time in the C music. And of course it is different from many tunes in that it has three parts. If you want to be silly you can tell the leader in the B part to do something silly in the four beat crossing, then everyone else has to do the same thing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'> I hope that helps.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> Happy dancing, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> John <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>John Sweeney, Dancer, England john@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent</span> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive DVDs<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>