Folk Dancing – Take 3

For the third year in a row, we have signed up for folk dancing classes. Classes during 2020 and 2021 sadly ended up being cut short after just two sessions, thanks to government lockdowns. So we’re hopeful that we might actually get to see the term out for once!

My three older kids (12, 10 and 8) are really enjoying the older class, where they learn dances such as The Mexican Hat Dance and more complicated ones like Nine Pins. Several (like Nine Pins) have a square formation, while others have two lines. They look like a lot of fun, and despite some of the movements being a bit tricky to follow initially – star, promenade etc – they soon pick it up and get the hang of it.

Meanwhile the younger kids (under 8’s) have a simpler version next door. Songs such as The Chicken Dance and Hi My Name’s Joe feature, along with somewhat frilly ones about birds flying home to nest. My 3 year old wouldn’t have a bar of it in the first session, but by the second week she had decided to join in and thoroughly enjoyed herself too!

As a kid I loved the folk dancing we did at school, and that’s why I’m grateful for the opportunity for my kids to experience it too. It’s fun, great exercise, and a nice chance to see other homeschoolers. My kids seem to enjoy it as much as I did!