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 SPRING DANCES--MORRIS AND MAYPOLE

Spring is cautiously arriving here in Chicagoland. Two wonderful ways to celebrate are with Maypole and Morris dances (those ancient stick dances from southern England that were perfomed to wake up the earth with stomping and leg bells). Both kinds are on our CD#2, "More Folk Dances for Kids & Teachers," and our DVD#5, "Historic & Contemporary Dances."  Morris dances, "The Peopleton Stick Dance" and "Constant Billy" (with permission from Paul Kerlee's fine book and CD, Welcome in the Spring) encourage teamwork as well as rhythm, phrasing, coordination, etc. Maypole dances do, also, and are very adaptable for many levels of learners.  They're perfect for Earth Day programs, too--April 22 this year.

NOT ONE, BUT TWO HOLIDAYS ON MAY 5

We celebrate Cinco de Mayo here in Chicagoland to honor this important holiday of our Mexican friends. It is not Mexico's Independence Day as some people think--that's September 16.  Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.  There are some fun Mexican dances on our CD#2 (see above) and our DVD#4, "Maypole and Mexican Dances for Kids & Teachers": two versions of "Los Machetes"--one with sticks and a change-partner dance, as well as two improvisable versions of "La Raspa"--the well-known novelty dance and more a traditional form. 

 The 5th day of May, or 5/5, is also celebrated in Japan--the holiday of Kodomono-hi, or Children's Day.  This is the day that boys fly their large carp fish kites and the families display their warror dolls to honor qualities such as strength and determination.  (Japanese girls have a special day on 3/3, Hina Matsuri, when they display their set of traditional dolls handed down in their families to honor the qualities of calmness and dignity.) A good music activity for 5/5 might be the Japanese version the rock/paper/scissors game, "Jan Ken Pon"--ask us about this, if you're interested.

SANNA'S UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

Sanna will be giving workshops this summer at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., June 21-25, and at the Door County Folk Festival in Sister Bay, Wis. (see below), July 7-11.  She is again presenting a week's course at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, July 12-16, and will teach an all-day in-service in Boyertown, Penn., on August 17.  Contact us for more information, or   click on "Workshops" above for details.

A SPECIAL SUMMER ETHNIC MUSIC AND DANCE WORKSHOP

Spend four days in July with Sanna and other well-known ethnic dance teachers and musicians in Wisconsin's air-conditioned peninsula at the Door County Folk Festival, July 7-11, 2010.  A famous festival for international dance aficionados since 1979, it now also features a Teacher Continuing Education Program (TCEP) to help educators learn dances from many world cultures while also participating in singing and instrumental workshops and evening parties, plus the famous fish boil dinner. Go to www.dcff.net, click on Door County Festival Homepage, then Teacher Continuing Ed. or TCEP.  It's being updated now.       

DANCE WITH SANNA ON THE PEARSON EDUCATION WEBSITE

A longtime author and clinician of the Silver Burdett music education series, Sanna was asked in November 2008 to be the "dance partner" of Pearson Education, publisher of Silver Burdett's excellent Making Music K-8 textbooks.  Check out www.pearsonschool.com/music2008 to see how to download one of her dances.    

            IF YOU ENJOY TEACHING WORLD DANCING OR ANY DANCING, YOU WOULD LOVE THE POURPARLER WEEKENDS! 

If you teach traditional/ethnic/folk/creative dance in schools and communities, please join us at our annual Pourparler gatherings to share dances and discuss common concerns. We dance and sing to live and recorded music, we talk about mutual issues, we offer suggestions and support, we network with our colleagues from all over North America, and we laugh and play joyously.

Our next Pourparler meets in Shepardstown, W. Va., Sept. 23-26, 2010.  Contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for info, or www.NFO-USA.org.

DANSEZ EN FRANCAIS, new in the STEP LIVELY series

Marian Rose's newest CD/book, full of lively and accessible French dances in Marian's inimitable style. You can order it now from this website.