Dance around North America 1

Bonjour mes amis, bonjour

Father Abraham

Mighty pretty motion

Threw it out the window

When ducks get up

Wind, wind sugar baby

Yankee doodle

Last updated: 08/02/2016 16:00

The songs below are part of ‘Away we go’ Round and about

compiled, adapted, translated and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

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To listen to music from these songs click on title at O

To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:

© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved

You are free to copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the following conditions:

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Your fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.

Bonjour mes amis, bonjour O

‘Hello my good friends, hallo’, get to know each other with this Cajun song. Try ‘Au revoir mes ami’. This song can be sung as a round.

Stand in a circle opposite a partner.

Bonjour mes amis, bonjour. Bonjour mes amis, bonjour. Bonjour mes amis, bonjour mes amis, Bonjour mes amis, bonjour. Bonjour, bonjour, bonjour. Hello my good friends, hello, Hello my good friends, hello, Hello my good friends, hello my good friends, Hello my good friends, hello, Hello, hello, hello.

Make high fives with right hand. Make high fives with left hand. Shake right hand, keep holding. Shake left hand, keep holding. Move around cross handed finishing on opposite side. On last word jump round to face a new partner. Continue until facing original partner.

Father Abraham O

Learn the difference between right and left with this song. Try not to laugh, it won’t be easy!

Most versions like this from one the Solomon Islands are gospel ‘Praise the Lord songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR4TOMpdars

Watch an ESL version at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK2_hhoFSkA

Father Abraham had seven sons, Seven sons had Father Abraham. And they never laughed, And they never cried, All they did was go like this: Right arm! Father Abraham had seven sons, Seven sons had Father Abraham. And they never laughed, And they never cried, All they did was go like this: Right arm, left arm! Father Abraham had seven sons, Seven sons had Father Abraham. And they never laughed, And they never cried, All they did was go like this: Right arm, left arm, right leg! Continue adding: left leg, chin up, turn around... Last verse: Father Abraham had seven sons, Seven sons had Father Abraham. And they never laughed, And they never cried, All they did was go like this: Right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg, chin up, turn around! Sit down!

Start by marching on the spot. Pump right arm up and down with fist in the air. Continue moving right arm up and down through the verse. At the end of the verse move right arm and left arm as they are named. Move both arms up and down. At the end of the verse move right arm, left arm and right leg as they are named. The game continues for three more verses adding the movement of the left leg and chin going up and down and finally turning around. Turn around moving all body part and finally sit down.

Mighty pretty motion O

This singing game comes from Texas and was collected by Ruth Crawford Seeger. Below it is played as a copy cat game but any words can be fitted into this pretty little tune.

Younger children would enjoy, ‘Clap your hands and stamp your feet, toodala etc’ or in a circle, ‘Hello everybody toodala etc’. Substitute ‘everybody’ with individual children’s names as a great ‘get to know you’ song.

Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30sscDxooT4

Make a circle holding hands, one child stands in the middle.

Mighty pretty motion, toodala, toodala, toodala, Mighty pretty motion, toodala, toodala my lady. Right back this way, toodala, toodala, toodala, Right back this way, toodala, toodala my lady. Swing your partner, toodala, toodala, toodala, Swing your partner, toodala, toodala my lady.

The circle moves clockwise as the child in the centre performs an action. The circle stops and copies the action. The child in the middle chooses the best performer and swings them around in the middle of the circle before retiring to the outer circle. Begin again with chosen child creating a new movement

Threw it out the window O

In days gone by rubbish was thrown out of the window to rot in the street below. Here all sorts of strange characters and objects fly through the window to delight older children who can revisit nursery rhymes in this song without the usual embarrassment. Children can choose their favourite nursery rhyme as most tunes will fit into this silly song with enjoyable results. Insert the phrase; “Give me a rhyme and I’ll sing it in time...” at the end for variety.

Find the song at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzKb76Jukb8

Make circles of three holding hands; each child is

labeled 1, 2 or 3.

Old King Cole was a merry old soul, And a merry old soul was he, He called for his pipe , And he called for his bowl, And he threw them out the window! Refrain The window , the window, the first story window, With a heave and a ho, and a mighty blow, He threw them out the window! Mary had a little lamb, Its fleece was white as snow, And everywhere that Mary went, She threw it out the window! Refrain The window, the window, the second story window, With a heave and a ho, and a mighty blow, She threw it out the window! Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater, Had a wife and couldn’t keep her, Put her in a pumpkin shell, And threw her out the window! Refrain The window, the window, the third story window, With a heave and a ho, and a mighty blow, He threw her out the window!

Circle to the left Circle to the right Children 2 and 3 hold hands high to make an arch to throw child 1 through Child 1 joins a second group to briefly circle and then to be thrown through once again As above but child 2 is ejected twice in succession as before, each time joining two others to make a new circle As above but child 3 is ejected. Children could then be labelled 4, 5 and 6 to leave the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th story windows as more nursery rhymes are added.

When ducks get up in the morning O

Wake up in the morning to this cheerful song.

Listen at: http://www.nancymusic.com/Ducksplay.htm . Watch at:

http://wiki.kcls.org/tellmeastory/index.php/When_Animals_Get_Up_in_the_Morning

When ducks get up in the morning, They always say good day. When ducks get up in the morning, They always say good day. “Quack, quack, quack, quack!” And that is what they say, oh yes, “Quack, quack, quack, quack!” And that is what they say. Continue using different animals: Birds “Tweet, tweet, tweet” Cows “Moo, moo, moo” Cats “Meow, meow, meow” I “Yoo hoo!”

In pairs skip around the room making good use of all the space. Stop, face partner and open and close fingers and thumb of one hand and then the other like a duck’s beak. Continue making appropriate movements. One finger and thumb opens and closes. Cup hands round mouth. Stroke imaginary whiskers. Wave one arm then the other.

Wind, wind sugar baby O

Familiar in English nurseries as ‘Wind the bobbin up’ and in the France as ‘Enroulez le fil’ this singing game originates from Denmark, where it is known as ‘The shoemaker’s dance’.

Toddlers in the USA move their arms to the first verse with big windmill movements - one way then the other, strong pushes and pulls are followed by three claps.

Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgDPRRy0PB8&feature=related

To begin form two circles one inside the other, with partners facing each other. Continue this game by moving other parts of the body.

Wind, wind sugar baby, Wind, wind sugar baby, Push, pull, clap, clap, clap! Refrain Face to face then back to back, Shoemaker now here’s your chance, Face to face and back to back, You can teach us how to dance. Roll, roll, roll our shoulders, x2 Push, pull, clap, clap, clap! Roll, roll, roll our tummies, x2 Push, pull, clap, clap, clap! Roll, roll, roll our legs, x2 Push, pull, clap, clap, clap! Roll, roll, roll our bodies, x2 Push, pull, clap, clap, clap!

Roll arms in one direction then the other. Push and pull each other’s hands in a sawing motion and then make three claps on their partner’s hands. Do-si-do Skip round with crossed hands. Repeat actions. Before the next verse the inside circle steps once to the left so they stand in front of a new partner. Roll shoulders one way and then the other. Repeat the refrain sequence. Roll tummy one way and then the other. Repeat the refrain sequence. Roll leg one way and then the other. Repeat with second leg then repeat the refrain sequence. Hold hands with partner, swing hands over head and pass through one way then the other. Repeat the refrain sequence.

How to do-si-do

Walk round partner with one arm resting on the other. Keep eyes on a spot in front. Right then left shoulders pass. Return to face one another.

Yankee doodle O

This lively marching song was originally sung by the British military to mock the ‘Yankees’ in their buckskin and furs. During the Revolutionary War the colonialists appropriated it to mock their own officers including George Washington. Macaroni referred a ‘dandy’ style of Italian clothing popular in England at that time, not pasta! A ‘doodle’ was a simpleton or fool. The tune is a variant of Lucy Locket.

Find another dance at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjGoL35I2k4

Younger children might sing only the first verse and chorus as they first march around the room, then find a partner and swing round or just march around together.

Yankee doodle came to town, Upon a little pony, He stuck a feather in his hat, And called it macaroni. Chorus Yankee doodle keep it up, Yankee doodle dandy, Mind the music, keep in step, You’re sweet as sugar candy. Marching up and marching down, And marching round the town-o, Oh look, there come the regiment, With Captain Thomas Brown-o. Chorus Here comes Captain Washington Upon a strapping stallion, A-giving orders to his men, I guess there were a million. Chorus

Two even size circles, one inside the other, march round in opposite directions. Stop opposite a partner and swing them round. Return to original position. Outside circle stands still as the inside circle marches weaving in and out. As before Outside circle marches or gallops in and out of the inner circle. As before then repeat game with circles swapping positions.

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