Anne Catherine McConnell
Before becoming a lecturer at Sherbrooke University, Anne Catherine McConnell founded and taught at the Outaouais, Montessori School. She is currently teaching preschool and elementary student teachers. She teaches, among other things, a course that shows how to use circle dancing to teach all the school subjects. The videos below are mostly from these classes and Spirale played the music. There is a mathematical pattern to most circle dances, the children can be acquainted with many languages through the songs of the dances from all over the world, history and geography as well as world religions and ethics can be brought to life through the dance.
Spirale and Anne Catherine will choose circle dances that will allow us to travel through time and space with a special interest in Breton and Quebec dances. There will also be dances from several countries of the world including India and Mexico.
Neskaya, Sunday January 9th 2022
List of dances - Several videos of Spirale playing for Anne Catherine's course on teaching dance to children
Welcome Soleil
Choreography by Anne Catherine. Song from Quebec about welcoming the sun after several days of rain. Enjoy the sun to have a picnic and to dry off everything including the tears of two brokenhearts. A song of hope to enjoy the sun because the days are getting longer. Basically 2 step touches right and left followed by 4 walks around, 4 times and then in and out doing the same steps. At the end we form a sun with our arms. We move in and out on the instrumental part and we travel around the circle on the singing parts.
Music: Spirale Translation of the French words
Choreography: Anne Catherine McConnell
PDF of the steps Steps now available in English
This is a Breton dance. An dro means the round or to turn. The dancers hold each other by the little fingers for the Breton dances. Breton dances generally turn to the left, which is the opposite of about 85% of the dances that start to the right. The small slipsteps of the An dro were often used to flatten the soil after the seeds have been planted or to make packed earthen floor for a new house. In the song, we hear about a shepherdess, Madeline who does not take good care of her sheep and who gradually loses them. In each verse she has less and less sheep. She talks about "her ménage", her cabin on the top and on the bottom of the hill. Traditionally, shepherds and shepherdesses often have two households or cabins one at each end of the mountain where the sheep spend the summer. Often a household is at the top and another is at the bottom of the mountain a few kilometers away. In this dance, whenever we hear: "Changeras-tu Madeline, Madeline," In this part, you have to take an Andro step towards the center and then make a jump to return quickly and continue the andro step backwards and continue on.
La bastringue
Traditional choreography- Circassian circle, normally change partners. La bastringue means the noise, the disturbance in French. Dancing was often looked down upon by the Catholic Church in Quebec. The first woman and even the first person in Canada to record music was called La Bolduc by the French and Mary (Rose Anna) Travers by the English. She sang both in English and in French. Recent film about her called La Bolduc. Great dance to teach mathematics while dancing. The pattern is 2 x 2, 2 x 4, 2 x 8 and then 16. I was amazed 4-year-old was able to dance this dance with his little sister that is 2 years old. I feel very strongly that if we want Circle Dance to continue we have to include the children. The steps and dances may not be as followed as closely by the children as when danced by adults, but they will help us to preserve some dances that may disappear otherwise.
Music: Spirale
Choreography: Traditional
Sherherd's Dance
A bonus dance to share the light!
Music: Spirale
Choreography: Traditional dance form Provence
This French-Canadian song is very popular in Africa, France, Belgium, Switzerland, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec. It dates back to the 19th century. A recap song, which means the same chorus is repeated between verses. The dance is a bransle, a family of European, popular and collective dances dating back to the Middle Ages. It is danced at the beginning of the evening by the whole family, the grandparents, as well as the children. It is an early evening dance that serves to warm up the dancers. The dancers form a circle and wave or swing their arms following the rhythm of the dance. The dancers move sideways to the right and then to the left often with symmetrical steps. PDF of steps.
Swimming song
Children really enjoy this dance. It is a light hearted dance about swimming. Lots of double meanings in this song. Listen to the words.
Music: Spirale
Choreography: Belinda Solly
La complainte du phoque en Alaska
This song helps us think about what is very important in life: fame versus love. The story of a female seal from Northern Quebec who joins a circus in the USA. The male seal that loves the female seal sings to her and says it is not worth the trouble or sadness to leave those we love only to make a ball turn on our nose. Fame versus love. What are our priorities? The mood of this song is very different from the mood of the Wedding Gift even though they are two waltzes. Even if you cannot understand the words, you can feel the sadness in the music.
Music: Spirale
Choreography: same as Winds on the Tor
Los cuatro elementos
Mexican song about the four elements. This song is dear to my heart. There is a basic version of this dance includes movements for the four elements, choreographed by Barbara Stokes who was responsible for bringing Circle Dance to Ontario Canada. Later a second part has been added by a young girl, Danica Evering who had a dream at a dance camp that there was a part missing in the dance and animals were needed to go along with the elements. This dance may include some spontaneous variations because we are going to invite the neighbourhood children to come and dance with us.
Music: Spirale
Choreographers: Barbara Stokes (elements) and Danica Evering (animals)
Hey Ma Durga
A comforting, calming dance that helps us to slow down and relax. A lullaby for adults.
Music: Spirale
Choreography: Sarah Colpley
The Source
A dance to share the water of the world with those that are badly in need of water.
Music: Loreena Mckennith
Choreography: