Olympic Special

Dances celebrating the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, September 2000.
CD with booklet - $25.00 - inc. GST

This collection is yet another demonstration of the Shenanigans genius for choosing ideal folk dance music for the crafting of educational experiences.

Basic musical elements are combined with just enough complexity to be interesting. A sensitive balance is maintained between authenticity and creativity so musical development need not undermine the preservation of traditional culture. Items from Greece, Australia, Hawaii, U.S.A., Russia/Ukraine, Bulgaria, China, Romania, France, Macedonia, Croatia, Yugoslavia and Israel.

The key to successful partner dancing is familiarity with the figures. We recommend introducing easier dances first, so that only one or two new figures need be learned per dance. One might think of this process as students gradually acquiring a movement 'vocabulary'. Partner dancers are usually guided by the 'calls' of a dance caller. Many tracks on the CD are repeated with dance calls included. Teachers may use these tracks to practice timing the calls, or as an aid when introducing the dance. Reduce the number of calls as the dancers become familiar with the dance. The dance booklet offers simple and advanced versions of many of the dances. It is advisable to use material which is challenging enough to be interesting, but not so difficult as to discourage a particular group. Choosing the easy or advanced version will help teachers to maintain the group's interest. The booklet also provides recommendations for creating new dances with the movement vocabulary introduced in this collection.

CONTENTS including Traditional & Educational Contexts

(CD & dance booklet, released 2001. # 2 of Shenanigans New Millennium Series)

.

Dance
Country

1.

Hassaposervikos

Greece

2.

The Flying Pieman

Australia

3.

Papa Hinu

Hawaii, U.S.A.

4.

Cazachok

Russia/Ukraine

5.

Kasapsko (Kasapsko)

Bulgaria

6.

Happy New Year (New Year Dance)

China

7.

Limbo

Jamaica

8.

Alunelul

Romania

9.

Ma Chin Garelle Bourrée

France

10.

Skopska Crnogorka

Macedonia

11.

Kalendara (Kolo Kalendara)

Croatia

12.

Milanovo Kolo

Yugoslavia

13.

Od Lo Ahavti Dai

Israel

14.

Od Lo Ahavti Dai (Backing track)

Israel

15.

Miserlou

Greece/U.S.A.

Review by Christoph Maubach

The two new recent editions of Shenanigans CD Audio recordings and dance descriptions represent something unique in more than one way. In addition to new material, some of the dances such as Alunelul, Milanovo Kolo, Casatchok and Kasapsko date back to the very earliest contributions that Shenanigans made to the Orff Schulwerk movement in Australia. The Shenanigans version of Miserlou soon developed a kind of 'hit' status at the Armidale Summer School of Orff Schulwerk held in January 1981, 1982 & 1983. But it is not only through their long historical presence that the items on these Shenanigans CDs show their distinct quality. For the learning of basic body activities, basic dance notation, for the aspect of movement flow, for skill development and dance repertoire development as well as development of the concept of musical form and creative movement these items are very useful.
Review by Sara Glenie

The diverse range of music and dance styles make this a great resource if you are doing any multicultural themes in the school. The Hawaiian item, Papa Hinu, draws you in immediately. The children can copy the actions on first hearing, and later learn the song by echoing the three vocal parts which are played separately on the CD.

The arrangement of Limbo is suitable for playing on classroom percussion, and the game element appeals to everyone from wide-eyed new preps to image-conscious grade six boys who "don't dance".

Od Lo Ahavti Dai, from Israel, was a great hit with my year fours. The cherkassia (rocking) step, can be previously taught in the easy dance Cherkassia from Shenanigans CD 3, is an good preparation for the grapevine step. Once the grapevine step is comfortably mastered, try Hassaposervikos, which is the orginal dance of Zorba the Greek.

This material is generally targeted for the upper primary age groups upwards and makes a great addition to an existing collection of Shenanigans dance material.

Folk Dance in Education

The year: 1981. The place: Melbourne, Australia. The event: a social evening for members of the Victorian Orff Association. The entertainment: a unique musical group, which would become known around the world as 'Shenanigans'.

The Celtic word Shenanache, means story teller, but also 'getting up to tricks', like children. The three music educators who founded the group believed that, despite their suitability, folk dance and music were not widely used use in music education because most teachers were unfamiliar with the material.

Much could be achieved by involving both the children and their teachers in direct experience of traditional music and dance through playful interaction.

In the years that followed this intimation proved sound time and again. After twenty years teaching experience I still find folk dance music an unparalleled source of raw material for the crafting of educational experiences: musical elements abound in structures that vary from transparent to complex. Simply adjust the mix to maintain interest, challenge and achievement.

Children's creative development is a fundamental concern of the educator, so in our classrooms folk music and dance are the subject of play, experimentation and transformation, as they are within the fabric of living folk traditions. Likewise by sharing our own appreciation of many kinds of dance and music we offer children the invaluable gift of listening and appreciating the unfamiliar and we also contribute to the continuity of cultural heritage.

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