EXERCISES
To begin with let’s start with a simple circle dance.
It is used to warm up the muscles and engage the participants.
Circassian Circle.
All circle holding hands (alternating men and women), advance and retire twice (8 bars)
Lasies: advance and retire twice. (8 bars)
Gents: 4 steps forward, turn towards the left, and go to the lady on the left. (8 bars)
All swing. (8 bars)
All lead around. (8 bars)
Form the circle again, (the gents should keep the new lady on his right), and start again.
After we begin the exercises.
Teachers and experienced students should position themselves so that all participants can clearly see them.
March on bit
SLIDE A (Slide to the right)
To the right: slide right, left, right, left (kick the left leg up to the right) (1,2,1,up)
To the left; left, right and left, right, left. (1,2 and 1,2,3.)
SLIDE A (Slide to the left)
SLIDE B (Slide to the right)
To the right: right, left and right, left, right (1,2 and1,2,3.)
To the left; left, right and left, right, left, 1,2,3.
To increase the coordination claps hands during 1 or 2 or the 3.
SLIDE B (Slide to the left)
BALANCE and TURN (Your right)
legs apart, weight on the right leg, balance (left-right) and turn 180 degrees, pivoting on his right leg, balance (left-right) and turn by pivoting on left leg.
BALANCE and TURN (vs left)
TURNS
Rotations always turning in the same direction (clockwise or counter clockwise)
TURNS
Compass spins clockwise and counterclockwise.
STEP AND TURN RIGHT
Step with right foot
Turn clockwise 90 degrees, pivoting on the tip of the right footContinue x 3 more times to return to the starting position
STEP AND TURN LEFT
Step with left foot
Turn counter-clockwise by 90 degrees, pivoting on the tip of the left foot
Continue x 3 more times to return to the starting position
90 DEGREES ROTATION
Legs apart, spin on the tip of the left foot counter clockwise rotation of 90 degrees. Balance (left-right) spin on the tip of the right foot and turn counter clockwise. Balance and continue until you have returned to the starting position.
COUPLE EXERCISES
SWING
ADVANCE and RETIRE
Couples hold each other’s elbows. advance and retire as reel. 1,2,123 forward
1,2,123 back.
VARIATIONS:
1-The man pushes and pulls deciding the amplitude of movement.
2 – The woman pulls and pushes deciding the range of motion.
3 – Alternating who pushes..
TURN CLOCKWISE / ANTICLOCKWISE
A couple holding each other’s elbows. reel time turn clockwise / counter-clockwise 1/4 of a turn each bar.
HOME.
Dancing at home in waltz hold. Clockwise / counterclockwise
FREE DANCE
Free dance with called figures
These exercises should be reflect the abilities of the group. ie. if you start with beginners, better to do a few exercises.
After the exercises start with the practice of the step.
We noticed that the reel step is easier to dance than polka.
The reel step is the basic flat step that you normally use.
The greatest difficulty for PD is the change of direction and turns.
So it is advisable to teach to support the weight on ball of the foot (as of course they usually do) and never on the heel.
A very useful exercise to introduce house around and home is the following.
Music slow (70-80%) in reel time
ADVANCE and RETIRE in a circle twice.
Dance at home
ADVANCE and RETIRE in a circle twice.
House
ADVANCE RETIRE twice in a circle and change partners.
After that tea break for 5 minutes.
Demonstration of the figure of the set.
Usually we can dance 1 or 2 figures of a set. Remember that most of the students will never have danced set dancing and very often they have never danced. However with lots of repetition the patients can dance the movements naturally and with ease.
We begin dancing the figures in half sets, (two couples). We repeat the movements many times without music, but singing the rhythm in your head.
Then we try with very slow music and then increase until we dance (if possible) to the normal speed.
It is always advisable to start with slowed down music.