The English Folk Dance and Song Society has added another item to its extensive Resource Bank for everyone who uses folk music, song or dance in any sort of educational setting.
The PDF A Selection of Hand Holds for Social Folk Dancing gives a brief, visual overview of some hand holds used for certain figures in social folk dance forms found across Britain, North America and beyond – including country, ceilidh and barn dancing.
It includes photographs and brief descriptions on a selection of hand holds in which two people turn round together (‘swings’) – and also where groups of people circle round, closely linked together (‘baskets’).
These are only to be enjoyed with members of your household for the time being, of course...
The Resource Bank is an expanding collection of PDFs, many with audio and video examples and downloadable scores and parts. Every item is downloadable free of charge.
The resources give practical examples of how to use folk arts in schools and community settings. The resources have developed out of innovative projects and initiatives run by the English Dance and Song Society Education team, including The Full English learning programme.