Training: Dance Around Our World dance workshops

Choreographer instructions

A series of dances from around the world ending with freestyle. A busy, energetic workshop - prepare to sweat!

Please see the written information below.

We do not currently have voiceover notes for this workshop.

Please be aware that this workshop has been edited. The Haka is no longer in it and the music has been edited.

There is now a lot of information about each dance style. This should aid your knowledge and understanding of the significance of each dance in its country of origin. You are not expected to be an expert on each dance or even share all of this information with the children, but please take some time to read about the dances, watch the videos and look at the images on the powerpoint.

Powerpoint

We have added a powerpoint to this workshop. This should be used to introduce each location and the dance style, but shouldn’t slow down your delivery. Please keep the group up and active throughout.

Please download the powerpoint onto a USB stick, you can expense it back to West End in Schools. Should it not work for any reason, then you can download it from dropbox once at the school, but please only do this as a last resort. Call the office if there are any problems.

There are amazon links for a USB stick and clicker on the main training page.

Download dance around our world power point and music

Dance Around Our World

Type the password in to the video if required.
There are no spoken instructions for this video.

Dance Around the World 2023

Description

1) Warm Up

2) Start with creating a circle quickly. Tell them they need to make a circle for the first dance and they only have a few seconds to make a big circle. Say you are going to call “circle” and they need to make a circle in 10 seconds. Practice this a couple of times then get on with teaching the steps from the top.

Steps

1) Adumu Jumping Dance - Maasai tribe, from Kenya (and also Tanzania)

Get the children to form a circle and give them a number between 1 and 4. Call out 1’s and all the 1’s run into the middle of the circle to jump, they must run back when you call the next number. Repeat with all the numbers.

Adumu is the world famous traditional jumping dance performed by the iconic Maasai tribe of Tanzania and Kenya. This dance is primarily performed during Eunoto*, the coming of age ceremony of warriors. The moran to jump the highest receives the greatest esteem and bragging rights for his display of strength and masculinity.

Men and women prepare for the dance by painting designs on their faces and bodies with a red, earthy pigment called ochre. Warriors spend time psyching themselves up ahead of the jumping dance. The outcome could decide who will be their wife.

Armed with their hunting spears, the men huddle together then fan out into a circle. One at a time they go to the centre, jumping in time to the rhythm. It’s important to keep the body as straight as possible and heels shouldn’t touch the ground between jumps. https://youtu.be/_MO9B2jLOgw

The women dance too. Mothers sing about the courage of their sons. The girls sing to encourage their favourite warrior. The warrior who jumps the highest gets the most acclaim and he can then choose who will be his wife.

Other Links:
https://www.reuters.com/brandfeatures/moments-of-wonder/celebration/gallery
https://adumusafaris.com/what-is-adumu/
*Eunoto - https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2012/mar/19/maasai-tribe-eunoto-ceremony

2) Jai Ho – Indian

This dance is from the film Slumdog Millionaire (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/ ) and shows the Bollywood style. It was choreographed by Longinus Fernandes, who is an Indian dancer and choreographer. https://youtu.be/5FArc18Muso

Longinus Fernandes
Longinus Fernandes is a renowned Bollywood choreographer and dancer. Winner of the 2009 Filmfare Best Choreography Award and the 2009 Astaire Awards for Best Film Choreographer, Longinus started out as a dancer in Hindi cinema in the early 1990s, paving the way for work in film, television and music videos. Longinus has also choreographed for So You Think You Can Dance Canada and for the film Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts.

“Choreographing for a Bollywood film is no different to choreographing in other styles. It is the same because it has to be executed in a similar manner. The only difference is to attain the right postures and to be more loud and expressive. In short, every dance style has its own definition and so does Bollywood.”

Bollywood dance style
Over the years Bollywood movies have developed their own signature style of song and dance, which combines the rich texture of India’s many classical and folk dances, fused with elements of Jazz, Hip-Hop, Arabic and Latin Forms. https://youtu.be/VzLG6OqOcn8

The style of dancing in earlier Bollywood films was based on Indian Classical Dance or Folk Dances from various parts of India. These dances included the classical art forms of Kathak and Bharata Natyam.

After experimenting with Classical, Semi Classical, Folk, Cabaret & Disco styles of dance, came an era which introduced Bollywood Free Style of dancing which was well represented by dancers like Govinda who developed their own signature style of dance.

Currently Bollywood Dance is still influenced by Western culture, perhaps even more so today than when it began. Elements include the use of frequent costume and location changes during dances, as well as the use of larger dance troupes. And the movements have become more bold & extroverted to capture the audience’s attention. The Evolution of Bollywood Dance is a process that is entirely Indian and yet cross-cultural at the same time.

Other links
About Longinus Fernandes:
https://dancemagazine.com.au/2010/10/slumdog-millionaire’s-–-longinus-fernandes/

Bollywood Dance:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18686742
http://www.rhythm-india.com/bollywood-dance.html

3) Hopak - Ukrainian Folk Dance to the Eurovision Song Contest winning song 2022 “Stefania”

In the dance with the children you do a preparation and then a jump of some kind. This can be a split jump, tuck jump, star jump, or the ones I am demonstrating (badly) in the video.

Then we pretend to play the Telenka (see info below) and move in the same way as the members of the Kalush Orchestra do in the Eurovision video.

Hopak is an original Ukrainian folk dance of an improvised nature. Its name is derived from hopaty: ‘to leap and stamp one's feet.’ The hopak initially arose as a male dance in the 16th century and gradually spread throughout Ukraine, particularly through the Kyiv region. As it spread it transformed into a group dance performed by couples with males retaining the lead role. It has several variants: a solo dance, a group and couple dance, and in Western Ukraine a circular dance (hopak-kolo). https://youtu.be/VByNuaE_CT0

Its charm and attractiveness lie in the hopak's freedom of improvisation, which allows individual dancers to display their talents within a larger dance group. The basic male movements are leaps, squats, stretches on the ground and in the air, and various turns; the female movements are quick steps, bends, and turns. Solo performances in the hopak often involve a competition in virtuosity. Complex acrobatic movements are common in stage arrangements of the dance. The tunes to which the dance is performed vary greatly. Some of them are folk songs, such as ‘Od Kyieva do Luben’ and ‘Hop, moï hrechanyky.’ Others are original compositions. The tempo is fast; the beat is 2/4. The hopak is the culminating dance in the repertoire of almost all Ukrainian dance ensembles.

Stefania
This was the winning song for Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022. (UK also came 2nd that year.) It brings together aspects of Ukraine’s old and new musical cultures as both traditions are used and respected in the song. The piece opens with vocalist Tymofii Muzychuk’s solemn interpretation of the chorus – four lines with the exact same tune which carry somewhat of a folkish flavour. This is followed by Psiuk’s fast, groovy rap and then the pre-chorus, which takes on the aura of a lullaby. The traditional Ukrainian flute is played in between the chorus and the second verse, bringing in a sassy, highly rhythmic and catchy tune. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs

“Stefania” was written before the war by Oleh Psiuk, the founder and rapper of Kalush Orchestra. The piece was originally dedicated to Psiuk’s mother, as the song documents his undying dedication to her as an adult; however, the lyrics have taken on new meaning following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Ukrainians came to explore how the song echoes strongly with their wider loyalty to “Mother Ukraine”. Following their winning Eurovision performance, the band shared an official video for ‘Stefania’, which was shot in the cities of Bucha, Irpin, Borodyanka and Hostomel, all of which were bombed during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. https://youtu.be/Z8Z51no1TD0

A highlight of the tune are the ‘flute’-like melodies which feature heavily throughout the track, both as backing and solo. Responsible for this sound is the sopilka, and the telenka, both played by multi-instrumentalist, Vitalii Duzhyk. When not playing the sopilka in the background of Psyuk’s rap, Duzhyk also provides backing vocals during the chorus. However, his shining moments come in the form of two solos where he plays the telenka with one hand, while holding a microphone to his lips to exaggerate the sound of the small woodwind instrument. The repetitive woodwind hook ends the entire track with a 40-second solo, emphasising the traditional Ukrainian focus; a focus accented by the ensemble’s choice to wear modernised traditional outfits representing their culture.

Sopilka - A wind folk musical instrument of varied construction made of wood or bark. Generally cylindrical, blocked at one end, and with 6 to 8 finger holes (up to 10 since 1970), its related forms include the telenka, floiara, and dentsivka. Today it is featured mainly in folk instrumental ensembles. https://youtu.be/oVfo0qC-U9w?t=21

Telenka – An overtone flute, a primitive form of dentsivka without fingerholes. The pitch produced from the instrument is changed by placing a finger into the open end of the pipe, and covering this opening by a half or third etc. and also by the strength of the player's breath. It is made from linden, elder, sycamore or willow. Its length is approximately 35 to 40 cm (14 to 16 in), although instruments can range up to 60 cm (24 in) in length. https://youtu.be/MtiYsW6g0d4

Other Links:
https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CH%5CO%5CHopakIT.htm
https://www.nme.com/news/music/ukrainian-eurovision-entry-kalush-orchestra-interview-russia-war-stefiana-song-lyrics-meaning-3222586
https://www.varsity.co.uk/music/23769
https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/kalush-orchestra-ukraine-eurovision/

4) Salsa – Latin American/ Cuba

Salsa is one of the most popular Latin dances that is today practiced worldwide. Salsa dance emerged in Cuba during the late 19th and early years of the 20th century. The contemporary Salsa as we know it evolved from several earlier Cuban dance forms, including Son, Son Montuno, Mamba, Cha Cha Cha, and was also enriched with Puerto Rican influences of dances Bomba and Plena. https://youtu.be/VO3Go1Bm7ro

Salsa's basic components have been brought together by countless immigrants who came into Latin America from various parts of Europe and African slaves who were transported against their will to Central America during the age of the Slave trade. At its core, Salsa was made from the elements of the Són of Cuba, troubadour music from Spain (Flamenco and others), Rumbas of African slaves, Danzón of French, and Haiti immigrants, and various instruments that were popular in Cuba. While Salsa started gripping the Cuban population in the final years of the 19th century, other regions of Central America became aware of it during the first years of the 20th century. Tourists and music performers brought Salsa to several other South and Central American countries, enabling this music style to morph, grow, and become an influential cultural heritage of the entire Latin America.

Regardless of style, there are a few elements that have always been a part of the basic salsa steps:

Salsa is usually a partnered dance with a lead and follow, dancing using improvisation of various movement combinations.
The beat of Salsa music is 4/4, but there are three weight changes in each measure. What happens during that extra beat is part of what differentiates the styles of the dance.
While the body changes weight, the upper torso remains almost immobile. This means that most of the motion ends up in the hips, which is how the phrase "Cuban Motion" got applied to this Latin dance form.

While the music of salsa is distinctive, the moves are often derivative of other partner dances such as the tango, the mambo, the rhumba, or even swing dance techniques.

Other links:
http://www.dancefacts.net/salsa/history-of-salsa/
https://www.lovetoknow.com/life/lifestyle/salsa-dance-history

5) Can Can – France – Paris

If you have time and the children are older you can get them to form a line or 2 lines. Don’t get them to put their arms around each other though as they will just pull one another. If no time just do it in the spaces they are already in.

The French Cancan dance is an eight-minute performance facing the audience, during which dancers lead the dance to a piece of music by Offenbach. It’s an art that requires Parisian cabaret dancers to have balance, flexibility, acrobatic ability and rhythm. They have to be able to do the splits and perform impressive moves like the “port d’armes”, the “cathedral” and the “military salute”. https://youtu.be/9pQoVHckq_Y?t=41

In the early 19th century the fashion was for public and private balls, most often held in the fine hotels and mansions which the Parisian bourgeoisie of the Belle Epoque enjoyed frequenting. It was against this backdrop that le chahut (noise or uproar) or the chahut-cancan (cancan meaning tittle tattle or scandal) made its first appearance. It is believed that this dance was derived from the final figure of the social dance known as the quadrille and later became known as the cancan or coincoin, a vigorous dance performed by couples.

In 1850, Celeste Mogador, a leading light of the Mabille Ball, embraced the cancan phenomenon and thereby lent it a patina of respectability that helped it increase in popularity. Developing rapidly, the new dance now lasted for about ten minutes, during which the row of female dancers would high kick, lift their skirts and perform various other energetic moves to up tempo music while facing the audience like a chorus line. The dance became known as the French cancan.

Other links:
https://www.cometoparis.com/secrets-and-stories-of-paris/history-of-the-french-cancan-s917
https://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/the-can-can-song-dance-history/
https://www.moulinrouge.fr/en/french-cancan-2/

6) Highland Fling – Scotland

The hands in the highland dance are very important as they show two stags (male deer) the middle finger joins the thumb and the other fingers sick up as the antlers. This is a dance performed by different clans men to show strength in their clan. A clan is a group that they belong to, usually family, but also area.

Dating back to the 11th or 12th century, Highland dancing tells a story or reflects upon a way of life. Requiring both athletic and artistic skill, dances tended to be performed by men to commemorate martial victory, conflict, joy, etc. as well as being used as an exercise by warriors. Scottish dances such as the Highland Fling and the Gillie Chaluim (Sword Dance) are in fact so vigorous that one must be in top physical shape to perform them.

According to tradition, the old kings and clan chiefs used the Highland Games as a means to select their best men at arms, and the discipline required to perform the Highland dances allowed men to demonstrate their strength, stamina and agility.

Competitive Highland dancing began during the Highland revival of Victorian Britain and was for men only. Women did not begin competing until the turn of the 20th century. Whilst the majority of dancers now entered into these competitions are female, the roots of these ritualistic dances lay with warriors imitating epic deeds from Scottish folklore.

The Highland Fling
This dance from the 17th century, the oldest of the traditional dances, is perhaps the best known and is a victory dance following battle. It depicts a stag frolicking on a mountainside, with the curved arms and hands overhead representing the stag’s antlers, and is the only dance where the tempo of the music does not change and there are no traveling steps. Traditionally, the warriors performed this dance on the small round shield (targe) that they carried into battle. As most targes had a steel spike projecting some five or six inches from its centre, one can understand the quick footwork and dexterity the dancers must possess. Because of its precise movements, it is often used in dance-offs to determine the best dancer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5L6siEzI_E

Other links:
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/Highland-Dancing/
https://www.spokanehighlandgames.net/highland-dance-facts.html

7) Freestyle - How do you dance?

There are loads of different dances around the world and now is your chance to show us your favourite moves. Get the children to freestyle however they like for 4 counts of 8, then make a finishing pose.