How to Maypole Dance
The first maypoles were attached to tree worship and other mystical things, and might have used any tree cut down near a village. By the 16th and 17th centuries, the trees were particularly tall. Today, maypole dances often are performed at Renaissance fairs and occasionally at elementary school spring celebrations.
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Instructions
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1
Dig a hole for the wooden pole, roughly around three feet deep. Make sure it is sturdy and push it deeper if need be.
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2
Cut your ribbons. They need to be long enough to drape over the maypole and touch the ground on both sides.
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3
Nail the center of the ribbons to the top of the maypole. It is best to have them stacked on top of one another, alternating colors.
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4
Spread out the ribbons all around the circumference.
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5
Have each dancer hold a different ribbon. Have everybody face one direction -- all looking at someone's back. Have every other dancer turn the opposite direction.
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6
Start the music and have the dancers walk forward. The pattern for the ribbons is over, under, meaning dancers walk to the right of the first person they encounter and the left of the next, and so on, around and around to the beat of the song.
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7
Announce the winner of the dance as the dancer who is holding the shortest remaining piece of ribbon after all of the ribbons become twined.
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Tips & Warnings
If everyone keeps an approximately even tension on their ribbon, your maypole will wrap nicer.
References
- Photo Credit Chadwick
Comments
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most important though is to have FUN!
