Maypole Dancing At Waldorf School

The Housatonic Valley Waldorf School, 40 Dodgingtown Road, presents its 16th Annual May Fair Saturday, May 5, from 11 am to 2 pm.

Morris dancers throughout the world gather at dawn on May 1 or the first Saturday in May to “dance up the sun” and keep it coming back for a whole year. The original purpose of most of the May Day rituals was a demonstration of joy at the return of spring.

Many of the same Morris dances that have been done since before the 1700s are still being done to the same words and music, with dancers still dressing in the same types of outfits, called “kits”.

The Maypole dances are different combinations of dance steps, with dancers weaving in and around each other so that the ribbons they hold form a variety of patterns that lend such names as “Barber Pole,” “Single Plait,” “Spider’s Web,” and “Gypsy Tent.” The younger grades do the Maypole dances, and the older grades perform Morris dances, and occasionally sword dances.

 The Housatonic Valley Waldorf School Shining River Morris team will perform two very different types of Morris dances, while the younger grades dance “Barber Poles,” “Spider’s Webs” and “Single Plaits.” Dancing begins at 11:15 am.