Re: Looking for non-mixer dances for kids (age 4-10) - Contra Callers

30 Jan 2020

On 1/30/2020 10:16 AM, Jonathan Sivier via Contra Callers wrote:
...
      While that looks like a fun dance I don't
think it is really 
 appropriate for kids ages 4-10.

     You should check out the books from the New England Dancing 
 Masters.  I have Chimes of Dunkirk, Sashay the Donut and Listen to the 
 Mockingbird.  These have several good dances for kids.

     Here are some that I use at an annual dance I call at our local 
 library.  The event is called the Fairy Tale Ball and I often feel like 
 I'm standing in a sea of knee-high princesses. 
Great image!

...
  The Blobs
 Boston Tea Party
 Chimes of Dunkirk
 Circassian Circle - no-swing, non-mixer
 Cumberland Reel
 Duckpins
 The Duke of York
 Galopede
 Heel and Toe Polka Promenade/Reel - longways, non-mixer
 Jacob's Potato
 Margate Hoy
 Over The Top
 Sasha
 Snake
 Traffic Jam 
The dances on this list that I recognize are all great for mixed-age 
groups, including with quite small children who are latched onto a 
parent (though Heel and Toe Polka would be tricky in that situation). 
They're in my steady rotation as well.  And the dances I don't recognize 
I'm going to look up right now :>)

Dances I use all the time that I don't see here are Le Brandy, La 
Bastringue (can be done as a non-mixer), variations on Virginia Reel, a 
wind-up/spiral dance (no partners), Family Contra (by Sherry Nevins) and 
Circle Shuffle (which might be by Luke Donforth).

Kalia in Sebastopol