Let's Move!

It's May! With the end of the school year quickly approaching,  I've noticed a restlessness school. The weather is consistently pleasant. 
The students want to be outside more often and are anxious to move around! 
Rather than fight it, I'm taking classes outside and we're singing, moving, and dancing.


Down the River is a favorite folk dance that my 4th graders have enjoyed. I learned this version of the song and dance from Marilyn Sousa at the Western Division OAKE Regional conference in 2010.

Formation: Long-ways set . (Double line of partners, facing each other)

A:   1-4   Lines move forward with 3 steps, bowing/curtseying on beat 4. (on the word "deep.")

       5-8   Lines move backward with 4 steps. (Dancers are back to starting place on "strong.")

A:   1-8   Repeat A above. (Bow/Curtsey on "time." Back to starting place on "along.)

B:    9-16 Foot couple at the bottom of set join hands and sashay up to the top. 

                 (start sashay on "down.")

               Simultaneously, all other couples take 1 step toward the bottom of the set. 

               Each succeeding foot couple sashays to the top on the word "down," 
                 for the remainder of the refrain. 

                 In each refrain, 6 couples will sahsay up the set.

                 *When I introduce this dance, I initially have only 2 couples sashay up during

                 the refrain, (on the first and 4th "Down the river.")