Re: [Callers] Looking for "fun" dances

On 5/15/2019 5:51 AM, Charles Abell via Callers wrote: I'm sure there is already a thread on this somewhere, but I'm wondering what are your favorite dances for those in the 4-10 year old range. Specifically, dances that are not mixers since many younger dancers prefer to stay with a particular partner the whole time. I have a number of good ones already (Alabama Gal, Haste to the Wedding, La Bastringue, etc), but I'd like to expand my existing collection of dances geared towards "little ones". Let 'em rip! I don't know how this would with exclusively 4 year olds (really, all I know how to do with exclusively 4-year-olds is a variation on wind-up-the-ball-of-twine where you bring the snake around into a cricle, do into the center and back, circle left and right, and then break the snake off again, repeat until you feel like you're done), but I'd think 8 year olds could handle this fine, and it's just fine if you have talls and smalls mixed up. UP THE SIDES AND DOWN THE MIDDLE (I have it from community dances manual, which says it's from the village of Symondsbury) 4 or 5 couple longways (you can maybe do 6 but you'll end up less phrased) Lines facing, do step-swing balance r-l, r-l. Drop hands, cross right shoulder with partner and face back in. Repeat all that to home. Top couple raise an arch and walk slowly down the middle WHILE second couple, with the the rest of their line following, cast off briskly down the outside and go under the arch to the top. Original tops finish at bottom, original seconds at top. Whenever you get to thtat spot, swing partner until the end of B2. (This was collected with a very specific tune that changes meter for the lead down. When I have a band I tell them "bouncy reels, jigs, or polka" but when I have to do this with recorded music I like "Sandy Boys" (or, specifically, a "Sandy Boys"/"Kitchen Girl" medley by Pig's Eye Landing.) -- Alan