| To
reconnect carols with dancing and to give people the exquisite
sensation of once again dancing to singing and singing while
they dance, here is a collection of dances to fit 64 popular
Christmas carols. Devising these dances has not been a straight
'wham-and-bam' process. Time has been taken not only to ensure
these dances are satisfying in all the usual dimensions (see
the Writing page in the Tips
chapter) but to match the style of the dance to the historical
and social provenance of the carol and to echo in the dance
figures the meaning or story implicit in each carol's lyric.
Today, the singing of carols at Christmas offers an all too
rare opportunity for people to feel that they are part of
communities - and as a community to sense that they have links
to the all too often forgotten people of the past and, through
the children, to the future. Hopefully dancing these carol
dances will offer one more dimension in which this sense of
community and connectedness to the past and future can be
experienced.
 The dance instructions
presented on this page are excerpted John Garden's The
Christmas Carol Dance Book, published in 2002. We have
here included only enough of the carol's lyrics to give the
instructions meaning (no more than the first stanza). Full
carol lyrics (all possible verses with appropriate copyright
holder's permission), together with fully-chorded music, illustrations
and extra notes, can be found in the hard copy book. For more
on this beautiful work and to obtain a copy of it go to Christmas
Carol Dance Book page in the CDs &
Books chapter of this site.
If you would like an
opportunity to enjoy these dances being led by John Garden,
and with music provided by the band Earthly Delights, then
check out our Up-coming events
chapter of this site. Once a year we present a big Christmas
Carol Ball here in Canberra, and there are other times of
year when they are also dipping into this collection. If you
would like to have John and some permutation of the band come
to you to present these dance, don't hesitate to contact us...
or indeed book us through the Band
chapter of this site.
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