Carol Dances: American

Away in a manger no crib for a bed,	A1	With 4 waltz steps all circle left (cw) finishing letting go of hs with neighbour but retaining inside hand with partner
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.		With another 4 waltz steps and giving weight wheel once around as a couple (W back, M forward), then reversing momentum....
The stars in the bright sky	A2	W all go into centre, give r.h. and star around 2/3 to new M.
looked down where he lay,		M courtesy turns (wheels) new W in waist-shoulder hold.
The little Lord Jesus		Couples go forward (into centre) with 2 waltz steps.
asleep in the hay.		Couples retire out with another 2 steps.

Although some believe this carol was penned by Martin Luther, the German religious reformer and author of a number of beautiful hymns, it is almost certainly of late-19thcentury American origin. Verses 1 and 2 appeared anonymously in Little Children's Book for Schools and Families, by J. C. File, Philadelphia, 1885, and verse 3 is by John Thomas McFarland (1851-1913). The tune given here is that most used in England, the 'Cradle song' by American Gospel songwriter W.J. Kirkpatrick (1838-21). Another popular tune for it in the U.S.A. is 'Mueller', probably written by James R. Murray, 1887.

I've matched this carol with a gentle lullaby of a dance, with symbolic cradles, stars and retiring to bed. In A2 M can assist the W into the chain and turn single over own l.sh. to receive new partner (facing the way she is going, letting her put her l.h. on his r.sh.and swinging his r.arm around her waist) and wheel her about. Retain this waist-shoulder hold for the final into the centre and then as you retire slide out into holding hs ready for the circle at the beginning of the sequence.

Form a circle of as many couples as will holding hs. Start l.f.. Prepare for rocking and stomping bourrée steps. Finish sequence having progressed one place, W acw, M cw. Dance the 28-bar bourrée sequence as many times as will, appending 4 bars of dance before the first time and 2 bars at the end of the last time.
Hark! how the bells / Sweet silver bells All seem to say, / 'Throw cares away'	__	Just 1 st time - W only rocking forward on l.f. as hs swing forward and back on r.f. as hs swing back twice.
Christmas is here/ Bringing good cheer To young and old / Meek and the bold	A1	M join W in simple rocking forward on l.f. as hs swing forward and back on r.f. as hs swing back twice.
Ding, dong, ding, dong / That is their song / With joyful ring / All caroling	A2	Take 4 stomping bourr1ste steps, swinging hs, in place.
One seems to hear / Words of good cheer / From ev'rywhere/ Filling the air	A3	M take 2 bourr1ste steps out (hs swinging forward) while W take 2 in then *W take 2 bourr1ste steps out while* M take 2 in**).
Oh how they pound, Raising the sound, O'er hill and dale, / Telling their tale,	B	As M goes back again he lets go with his r.h. and rolls his l.h. neighbour across from his l.side to his r.side, her l.h. now in his r.h. .
Gaily they ring While people sing Songs of good cheer Christmas is here.	C	Swing joined inside hs forward (into centre) and all the way back so W turn over her l.sh. under arcing M's r.arm, then M, turning over his own l.sh., passes W's l.h. into his l.h., then, turns her again over l.sh., this time under his arcing l.arm, and he passes her l.h. back to his r.h., finishing both in a circle facing in.
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas	D	All take 2 bourr1ste steps in to centre (swinging joined hs forward) and 2 bourr1ste steps out (swinging joined hs back).
On, on they send / On without end Their joyful tone / To ev'ry home	A5	All circle left with 4 bourr1ste steps, stomping becoming quieter as you go.
Ding, dong, ding, ...dong.	__	Last time - just M rock forward, back, forward and bow.

The tune for this carol was written by Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovich (1877-1921) and was based on an old Ukrainian melody. The original Leontovich piece (as Judith Otten of New York has discovered) was entitled 'Shtchedrik, shtchedrik, shtchevatchka', described what swallows sitting on the eaves of an inn could see, and did not have a final bass 'dong'. The words commonly used today were written by the American composer, arranger and choral director Peter J.Wilhousky (1902-1978). Of Czech background, Wilhousky grew up singing in Russian-American choirs and made many translations and arrangements of Slavic music. The lyric of this carol was suggested by the legend that at midnight on the evening Jesus was born all the bells on earth started to sound of their own accord. The lyrics and music are presented in The Christmas Carol Dance Book by Permission of Allans Music Australia Pty Limited. The lyrics are offered here in this compact form simply to inform the dance instructions and are not to be reproduced without copyright holder's permission (© Carl Fischer Inc).

The dance offered here matches the hypnotic trajectory of the carol. Just as it is customary to add voices as the verses compound, so in the dance, the M don't join the dance till after the W have started, and at the end, the M are still dancing a soft rhythmic peal when the W have stopped. In between, each 'plenary' sequence builds up from rocking in place, to bourr1ste-ing, to turning each other furiously. Indeed the 'gaily they ring' C part of the dance has the M turn once completely about and his new partner twice. This is followed by ringing in unison into the centre and out, and then fades back down to swaying in a circle.

Form couples holding inside hs facing along the l.o.d.. Start l.f.. Prepare for slow 'left, pause, right' travelling polska step throughout. Finish sequence either with same partner or having taking inside hs with new partner, M having progressed along l.o.d. W against. Dance the 12-bar polska sequence as many times as will.
Joseph was an old man,	A	M travels forward passing W behind him, her l.h. into his l.h.
An old man was he,		M turns W over her l.sh. in front of him back to his r.h. side.
He wedded Virgin Mary,	B1	M puts his r.arm over W's l.arm and they promenade forward.
The Queen of Galilee		M letting go with his l.h. but holding W's l.h. from on top with his r.h. bends down, turns acw under her l.arm, stands, raises his r.h. and turns her out over her r.sh. once or twice while M continues forward to face back against l.o.d..
He wedded Virgin Mary, The Queen of Galilee	B2	2h open turn cw just short of 13/4; around finishing opening out, M on inside, W on outside, holding inside hs facing along l.o.d.

It has long been appreciated that the Christmas story invites questions. How do we know it was an immaculate conception? Could not Joseph or another man have been the father? If the latter, would not Joseph have been angry? Many stories try to answer these questions. The Protoevanglium of James describes how Joseph had doubts about his paternity, he being so old and she so young. The picking of fruit (an image as old as that the story of Adam and Eve, and found also in the finally story of the Finnish Kalevala where a beautiful virgin eats a berry off a tree and gives birth to air, whereupon the old gods flee) also came into stories exploring the relationship between Mary and Joseph. Thus, the apocryphal Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew recounts how during their flight into Egypt, Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus stop to rest under a palm tree, Mary asks Joseph to pick her some fruit, he doesn't want to, Jesus speaks, the tree bows down, Mary gathers fruit, and Joseph asks forgiveness. Similarly, the mystery play performed in Coventry since the 15th century have a scene where, on the road to Bethlehem, Joseph begs Mary's forgiveness after a cherry tree, from which he'd refused to pick her fruit, bends down at to her pray. This carol is in this same tradition. It has enjoyed many texts and tunes on both sides of the Atlantic. Cecil Sharp collected no fewer than 8 texts and the Oxford Book of Carols, links together three texts, each with its own tune. The tune offered here, though possibly Appalacian, has the feel of a Scandinavian polska, and thus the recommended dance step. The travelling, promenading, bending over, interlacing of arms, facing-off, are all intended to echo the story of the relationship explored in the carol. Note that the W turns over her l.sh. in the A part then in B turns over her r.sh.. Just make sure all turns are wide and smooth and you don't cramp your partner at any stage.

N.B. To make progressive, in B2 turn partner just 3/4; cw, then pull on (M along l.o.d. W against) to give 2hs to and tun next along once cw.

It came upon the midnight clear,	A1	With 4 waltz steps r.h. star with opposite couple.
That glorious song of old,		With 4 waltz steps r.sh. gypsy opposite, take 2h open hold.
From angels bending near the earth	A2	M raises l.arm, turns W cw over her r.sh., M lowers his r.arm behind her back and they wheel once about.
To touch their harps of gold:		M, letting go with r.h., goes under her r.arm to swap places then, with W going to right under M's raised l.h., swap back.
'Peace on the earth, good will to men,	B	Holding hs in circle balance in and out then W r.h. chain across set
From heaven's all-gracious King!'		With 4 waltz step turn opposite l.h. once around till M facing in
The world in solemn stillness lay		M r.h. chain across to partner, turning her l.h., joining r.hs over l.
To hear the angels sing.		In skater's hold wheel or promenade to face new opposite.

This hymn was penned in the late 1840s by Edmund Hamilton Sears, a Unitarian minister in Massachusetts, reportedly at the request of his friend, W. P. Lunt, a minister in Quincy, Massachusetts. It was first sung at the 1849 Sunday School Christmas celebration and was published in Boston's Christian Register in 1850. It first appeared in Britain in 1870 when Edward Bickersteth included it in his Hymnal Companion to the Book of Common Prayer, rewording the 5 th verse to remove the 'unbiblical' 'humanist' reference to a coming 'age of gold'. In the U.S. the carol is usually sung to the tune give above. This tune was written for the organ in 1850 by Richard Storrs Willis, then rearranged as a hymn by Uzziah Christopher Burnap. In Britain the carol is more commonly sung to a version of a traditional air, given on the next page.

This longer-than-average-carol is of a very common dance-tune length and structure - 32 bars, A1&2 then B1&2. Accordingly it supports well this full-figured country style waltz sequence (and indeed this sequence could be done to many other waltzes commonly used for dancing). If danced with a large number of dancers in a Sicilian circle formation (that is, couple facing one couple, with backs to another couple, all around the room) and if you only sing the 5 standard verses to the carol, don't expect to progress all the way around back to where you began the dance - just enjoy the dance with your partner and five different opposite couples and then, if you wish, call for the carol and dance again. It is also worth noting that if danced as a Sicilian circle, the distance to promenade on to face a new opposite couple at the end of the sequence may not be very far, so in this situation you may simply wheeling on spot (M back, W forward). If danced as random couples on the floor (and such a mode adds a fun dimension to any dance program), the distance to promenade on may be considerable, so loose no time taking skater's hold with partner, straight away be on the look out for potential opposites, and if there is no free opposite readily apparent head towards the centre of the dance floor (this will increase your chances of meeting another free couple).

Form as many couples as will facing along the l.o.d. holding inside hs. Start outside foot (M's l.f., W's r.f.). Prepare for travelling waltz steps. Finish sequence either staying with same partner or having progressed to a new, M against l.o.d, W along. Dance the 16-bar waltz sequence as many times as will.
I wonder as I wander out under the sky	A1	With 4 travelling waltz steps M pass W across to left, (from his r.h. to his l.h.) taking new inside hand.
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die	A2	M pass W back to r.side, and as she comes in front of M she puts her l.h. on her r.hip and he puts his r.arm (under joined arms) behind her back to take her l.h., to flow into a cw wheel, finishing M on inside facing along l.o.d., W on outside facing against..
For poor orn'ry people	B1	With 2 waltz steps W releases M's l.h. from her r.h. and turns out over l.sh. all the way to face back against l.o.d., her l.h. now holding M's r.h. in front of her chest, and her r.h. slips behind the M's back to take the l.h. which the M has put behind his l.hip.
like you and like I,		M, doing as W did, lets go with his r.h. to turn out over l.sh. once around, and resume back hold by slipping his r.h. back behind W's back to there once again take her l.h.
I wonder as I wander	B2	W does a second turn out over her l.sh. but this time finishing facing partner and hesitating with the music
out under the sky.		Either, 2h turn once around cw and open out ready to start again with same partner, Or, M guides W on along l.o.d. to next M and reaches back against l.o.d. to receive own new partner.

This carol was collected in Murphy, North Carolina in July 1933 by John Jacob Niles (1892-1980), a leading American folksong collector, who, it is said, paid a young travelling evangelist Annie Morgan 25c an hour to sing it until he had memorised it. Niles published it in his 1934 Songs of the Hill-Folk. It is often referred to as a traditional Appalachian carol, but just how far back it goes is not clear. Some believe it was only a generation old when collected. Its questioning pensiveness and gentle free speech lilt give it, nevertheless, a certain timeless quality. Copyright in Australia is claimed by Warmer/Chappell Music and with their permission the full text and tune have been reproduced in The Christmas Carol Dance Book. The first stanza only is offered here to inform the dance instructions, and should not be reproduced without copyright permission.

To match the A part of this 'open air' carol is a very expansive almost wandering figure. Worked into the B part is the central feature of the beautiful waltz Lloyd Shaw learnt from a young Russian immigrant to the U.S. and included as 'The Tamara Waltz' in his 1948 classic The Round Dance Book. The hesitation towards the end of the tune is matched in the dance by a hesitation before taking 2hs with partner and turning or progressing on to a new partner. The dance leader may wish to make a game of switching between the two possible versions - at the hesitation inviting dancers to say 'hello' and stay with partner or say 'good-bye' and progress on. To make the face-to-face hesitation even more dramatic, make sure all the preceding figures are danced strictly side-by-side, promenading in A1 both facing forward, and starting and finishing the wheel in A2 and turns in B1 facing in exactly the opposite direction, r.sh. to r.sh.. Once mastered dancers will discover they can actually dance the turn outs in the B part while continuing to wheel.

Form a closed Beckett formation contra set with lines of couples facing across a contra set and with a couple at each end of the set. Start sequence with either foot. Prepare for walking. Finish sequence with same partner having progressed 1 couples' place acw around set. There will be a new couple at the ends of the set, and all the other couples will be facing new opposites (having skipped one possible opposite couple- ie, a double progression). Dance the 32 bar reel sequence as many times as will.
Jesus born in Beth'ny, Jesus born in Beth'ny	A1	All go forward and back with 8 steps.
Jesus born in Beth'ny And in a manger lay		Dsd opposite across the line of the set with 8 steps.
- Repeat above -	A2	R.hs across with opposites 3/4; of way, from about 1/2; around starting to look up or down the column and reach out with l.h.
		Lhs across with couple above or below and once around.
In a manger lay, In a manger lay	B1	R.sh. dsd the same opposite as you dsd before but this time up-and-down the line of the set.
Jesus born in Beth'ny And in a manger lay		Take 4 hs and circle once around.
- Repeat above -	B2	M swings same opposite W in a ballroom hold on M's side of set, opening out with W on M's r.h. side facing across set.
		W chain across to partner, who sweeps them into a courtesy turn (preferably in waist-shoulder hold) and progresses them one couples place acw around the set.

This carol was included by John Jacob Niles, collector of 'I wonder as I wander', in Ten Christmas Carols from the Southern Appalacian Mountains, 1932. Though often sung in an AB format, it is commonly played instrumentally AABB - for example by the Baltimore Consort on their A Bright Star Day CD, where the tune is called 'A Christmas Jig'. For this dance the AABB structure is needed. Singers can either repeat every verse or leave the repeat to the instruments.

This jazzy tune is matched with an American style contra dance in the Beckett formation of couples standing beside their partner on one side or another of a column. In each sequence there are effectively three meetings with the same opposite (a holy trinity allusion?). The first is doing a do-si-do across the set, the second is doing the do-si-do up-and-down the set and the third is doing the swing. Accordingly, if dancers take note of their opposite on their first encounter and keep simply returning to them, the dance will flow easily. The dance can be done to any 64 beat walking tune, and if being danced in a non-Christmas context might take the name 'Triple Tryst' in honour of the 3 assignations you manage with each successive opposite.

Variant: It is possible to do this same dance in two large concentric but facing circles, partner beside you in the same circle facing another couple in the other circle. In this formation there is no need to have anyone resting on the ends, and, at the end of the sequence you wheel on only as far is necessary to face off with the next couple in the contrary circle.

Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow	A1	Chain, 2 polka step for each hand, starting r.h. to partner,
On a one-horse open sleigh		l.h. to next
O'er the fields we go		r.h. to next
Laughing all the way;		then l.h. turn next about (r.h. in the air) till facing in opposite direction.
Bells on bob-tail ring	A2	Chain back same way, r.h.
making spirits bright		l.h.
What fun it is to ride and sing		r.h. past original partner,
A sleighing song tonight		then l.h. to new partner, r.h. over top into skaters hold.
Jingle bells, jingle bells	B1	Side-by-side and both facing along l.o.d., l.f. heel and toe twice.
jingle all the way!		4 quick galop steps on left diagonal, lift and turn r.sh. forward.
O what fun it is to ride In a one-horse open sleigh, hey!		R.f. heel and toe twice and take 4 quick galop steps on r. diagonal, finishing raising hs to over sh. hold.
Jingle bells, jingle bells jingle all the way! O what fun it is to ride In a one-horse open sleigh.	B2	Repeat above in high promenade hold with W in front of M to heel and toe, not side-by-side but in parallel, and finish releasing l.hs, facing original direction, ready to pull past by r.sh..

Though now almost synonymous with a jolly Christmas, this carol was actually written for a Thanksgiving performance by Sunday schoolers at a Boston church. James Pierpont, the Sunday school teacher, called his song 'The One Horse Open Sleigh' and the children's performance was so well received they were asked to repeat it at Christmas. The song has remained attached to Christmas ever since.

With bells on your toes, get ready to galop (or, to be more precisely, polka) a swerving path through a field of imaginary snow. Try to give your set a lot of space so two polka steps don't bring you too quickly to the next hand in the chain, but if the set is tight compensate by making wide 1/2; way turns (with eye contact) for each hand. Don't miss the opportunity to raise your r.h. when, laughing all the way, you turn the last person all the way about. After chaining back to and one place beyond your original partner turn the easy way into a low skater's hold for your first prancing promenade. At the end of B1 be sure not to miss the opportunity to give a loud 'hey' as you raise your hs, M's r.arm going over W's head, into a shoulder-high promenade hold. At the end of the sequence, as you turn out of the high promenade and release l.hs ready to chain on the r.h., don't forget the eye contact and a word of good-bye.

Joy to the world! The Lord is come Let earth receive her King!	A	Give r.hs across and with 8 slow steps star nearly once around with opposites, W letting opposite M (1M 2W, 2M 1W) catch them up into high promenade hold.
Let ev'ry heart prepare him room,	B	With 8 normal steps couples head up or down (1M promenades 2W down set while 2M promenades 1W up) .
And heaven and nature sing! And heaven and nature sing!	C	Staying on own side switch direction and with 8 normal steps promenade other way back.
And heaven and heaven and nature sing!	D	L.hs across with original opposites to star with 8 normal steps nearly once around, then turn out to face original direction to give r.h. up or down to new opposite.

This hymn was written by Isaac Watts, born into an Independent (ie Congregational Church family) in 1674. It is said that at the age of 15 he complained to his father that church hymns were boring and meaningless and, challenged by his father to do better, Watts wrote a new hymn every week for the next two years. By the end of his life he had written more than 600 and is remembered today as 'the father of English hymnody'. As with many of Watts' hymns, this one from 1719 is a Christianised version of a Psalm - in this case Psalm 98, 'The Psalms of David'. The verses were not set to music until nearly 100 years later, when, in the 1830s, the American composer and music educator Lowell Mason put them to a tune he ascribed to 'George Frederick Handel'. Watts and Handel had indeed known each other when they lived in London. For the next 100 years people believed the tune to be Handel's, it certainly having echoes of the Messiah choruses, but it is now thought to be Mason's own Handelian-influenced composition. The tune is named after the city of Antioch, Syria, where believers were, according to Acts 11:26, first called 'Christians'.

To match the triumphant feel of the opening line of each of this carol's verses, beginning the dance sequence each time with a very stately, half-pace 8 step star. Just as the carol then swings into a quicker mode for the remainder of each verse, so does the dance. For novice dancers it may be best to do this dance in Sicilian circle formation so that dancers don't have to change roles at end of a contra set and the 'original direction' in which dancers are facing at the beginning of the dance is the same for every sequence.

Come they told me, Pa rum pum pum pum - -,	A1	As individuals caste down own side with 8 steps. Take partner's inside hand and, with 8 steps, lead up.
A new born King to see, Pa rum pum pum pum - -,	A2	As couples 1s down M's side, 2s down W's side, 3s M's side etc, then take hs in lines of 4 and lead up.
Our finest gifts we bring,	B	Lines-of-4 alternate between caste to left and right.
Pa rum pum pum pum - -,		Take hs in a single line-of-8 and lead up.
To lay before the king, Pa rumpapumpum, rumpapumpum, rum pa pum pum - -	C	Line-of-8 advance with 8 steps then fold back till on a middle pivot 2 lines of 4 are back-to-back and 8W can give r.h. to 1M, then break line at top (2W and 3M) and 2 halves caste out / fold down till they face and 2W and 3M can take hs), then all fall back into circle.
So, to honour Him,	A3	All circle left 1/2; way till 1s are at the bottom.
Pa rum pum pum pum		1s break away and lead up to top, others following.
When we come...	D	As couples arrive home they either 2h turn 1/2; or 1 1/2; and prepare to do the dance following the other end of the column, or the 1s retire arching to the bottom of set over the others who lead up.

This carol, telling of the shepherd boy who makes his way to the manger but has nothing to offer the infant but his music, was written by choral conductor Harry Simeone in 1958, with Henry Onorati and Katherine Davis. The tune was taken from the Spanish song 'Tabolilleros'. The work was released by Simeone on a chorale album Sing We Now of Christmas. The work entered the US charts each December for the next five year, and in 1963 the original album was retitled The Little Drummer Boy. The Harry Simeone Chorale version was soon followed by many other versions and the carol became internationally popular.

To give everyone the opportunity to march to this tender carol, here is a dance in which dancers can wheel this way and that as if on a parade ground, advance 8-a-breast to lay gift before the king, fold lines this way and that with military precision, form a circle 'to honour him' and all lead back to place in time to recommence either facing a new way or with a new leader. There are indeed two options for repeating the sequence. If it is intended to simple sing or play 3 verses, then finish the first verse all facing down, have the 8s be the leaders for the second verse (dancing figures 'up-side down'), finish this verse facing back up on original side, then have the 1s leaders again for the 3rd verse - all finishing facing partner. If you are happy to hear the tune four times (singers returning to repeat the 1 st verse), you can commence each time all facing up, but, instead of concluding each sequence with a 2h turn, have the lead dancer retire arching to the bottom over the others as they move up, thus giving each of the couples an opportunity to lead the dance. A lot of space is recommended for this 'grand march in a set'.

Form a double circle of as many couples as will facing along the l.o.d., M on inside on his r.knee holding inside hs with W on outside, M holding W's l.h. with his r.h.. Start with outside foot. Prepare for schottische steps and slow walking steps. Finish sequence having travelled around the l.o.d.. and progressed one place, M against l.o.d, W along l.o.d. Dance the 24-bar schottische sequence as many times as will.
There's a star in the East on Christmas morn, Rise up shepherd and follow.	A1	M lowers to r.knee while W, with 2 schottische steps dances acw around M then he rises and they both take 4 slow steps forward (M's first movement is onto the l.f. he already has weight on).
It will lead to the place where the Saviour's born, Rise up shepherd and follow.	A2	W on her l.knee while M dances cw around W with 2 schottische steps then she rises and they both take 4 slow steps forward (W's first movement is onto l.f. she already has weight on).
Leave your sheep and leave your lambs Rise up shepherd and follow.	B1	Schottische away from partner until inside arms are outstretched, pull on joined inside hs just before releasing to schottische towards partner then into a short arm 'basket' hold and turn as a couple with 4 step-hops.
Leave your ewes and leave your rams. Rise up shepherd and follow.	B2	Schottische away from partner, clapping on 'hop/lift' and back, but this time M goes back behind partner turning over r.sh. to face new on coming W, then take new partner in ballroom hold and, with 4 step-hops, turn as a couple 1 1/2; cw finishing M facing along l.o.d. W against.
Follow, follow, Rise up shepherd and follow.	C	With M backing W, chassée into centre on M's l.diagonal looking over joined hs, out on M's r.diagonal looking over shoulders, then turn as a couple with 4 step-hops.
Follow the star of Bethlehem. Rise up shepherd and follow.		M pushes on W's back with his r.h. at same time as raising his l.arm, and guides W acw around in front of him, then behind him, she trailing her l.arm across his stomach as she goes and he slipping r.h. under W's l.arm so as to resume ballroom hold then turn as a couple with 4 step-hops.

Form pairs of couples facing forward along l.o.d., 2s behind 1s, M on inside W outside, holding inside hs with partner and outside hs with same gender neighbour (in front or behind) to form team. Start outside foot (M's l.f. W's r.f.). Prepare for combinations of 2 schottische steps (step, together, step, hop) and 4 step-hops throughout. Finish sequence in original formation, but having travelled along the l.o.d. Dance the 32-bar schottische sequence once through then either stop and bring in new dancers or repeat without stopping.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer	A1	Take 2 schottische steps forward.
Had a very shiny nose,		Take 4 step-hops-forward.
And if you ever saw it,		Schottische forward then all let go of hs.
You could even say it glows.		With step-hops solo mirror turn single and retake hs.
All of the other reindeer	A2	Schottische forward then without letting go of hs.
Used to laugh and call him names;		With step-hops rear couple arch over front couple and untwist.
They never let poor Rudolph		Schottische forward.
Join in any reindeer games.		With step hops new rear couple arch back to place.
Then one foggy Christmas Eve,	B	Schottische forward.
Santa came to say:		With step-hops and releasing with front couple only releasing partner's hand mirror hand cast on sides to exchange places.
'Rudolph with your nose so bright,		Rejoin hs in harness and schottische forward.
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?'		Front couple only releasing partner's h. cast on sides to change back
Then how the reindeer loved him	A3	Rejoin hs in harness and schottische forward.
As they shouted out with glee,		With step-hops and releasing hs with partner but retaining them on the side mirror hand cast on side once all way around.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,		Take waist-shoulder hold with partner and schottische forward.
You'll go down in history.'		With 4 step-hops turn as a couple cw once round, finish sliding into holding inside hand.

Johnny Marks created the character of shiny-nosed Rudolph for a publicity pamphlet as part of the Christmas sales campaign of an American mail-order company. He later turned the image into a song which cowboy star Gene Autry sung at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1949. The song went on to be one of the most successful songs of all time - with 140 million recordings by 500 different performers.

To get Rudolph all harnessed up and ready to fly down out of the Artic I've sequenced in this dance some wonderful jenkka/sottiis figures from the 4-horse carriage dance common to Finland and Sweden. You can flow without stopping from one time through the dance into a second and third time - either in same foursome, or, by switching direction with outside hand upon a prearranged prompt and harnessing yourself with a new couple in front or behind, danced in alternating roles.

Variant: You can start with just one (or a few) pairs of couples dancing, and then, by stopping after each time through the song and finding a new couples to join you and your partner, you can snowball into everyone dancing.

Form a trio of W-M-W facing a trio of M-W-M. Start M l.f., W r.f.. Prepare for travelling waltz steps. Finish sequence having progressed in original trio formation in original direction against or along l.o.d. to face new trio. Dance the 32-bar waltz sequence as many times as will.
We three Kings of Orient are;	A1	With 4 waltz steps do-si-do opposite r.sh.
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,	A2	All take 4 waltz steps to travel cw 1/2; way around minor set.
field and fountain,	B	M all turn about over r.sh. to give r.h. to W behind.
moor and mountain,		Chain past (M acw W cw around set) to give l.h. to next.
following yonder		Pull past on l.h. to give r.h. to next.
star1st O		Pull past r.h. to give l.h. to next (same as first person in chain).
Star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright	C1 &2	W join r.hs, release l.h., and take 8 waltz steps to star once while M take 4 waltz steps to travel alone 1/2; acw around circle, about turn and take original r.side W's l.h. in their r.h., then take 4 waltz steps to travel back to place with W.
Westward leading, still proceeding Guide us to thy	D	With 6 waltz steps fall out into holding hs in circle (W wheel a little back M forward) and circle once left, finishing facing original direction ready to pull through.
perfect light.		With 2 waltz steps pass opposite r.sh. to face new opposite.

John Henry Hopkins Jr. wrote this carol for a Christmas pageant for the General Theological Seminary in New York City in 1857 and published it in his Carols, Hymns and Songs in 1865. The legend of the 3 kings goes back at least to a 6 th century Armenian tale in which Melkon, king of the Persians, brought myrrh, aloes, rare fabrics and books written and sealed by the finger of God; Gaspar, king of the Hindus, brought nard, cinnamon and incense; and Balthasar, king of the Arabs, brought gold, silver, sapphires and pearls. The legend became popular in Europe, the gifts being simplified and names becoming Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar. In the 12th century 3 perfectly preserved bodies found under a church near Milan were thought to be those of the kings and were moved to Cologne Cathedral for veneration. The star in the story has been thought to reflect memory of an astronomical event such as a comet's arrival or a planetary conjunction - there being several in the last decade BC.

This dance closely follows the carol's storyline. You, the kings, introduce yourselves by do-si-do-ing. Bearing gifts you travel solo around the circle. Following the star, you weave from one hand to the next in a chain. The women make the star of wonder, but are joined by the men to make a much bigger 'Star with royal beauty bright'. Leading westward you circle clockwise and, still proceeding, you circle some more. Guided to thy perfect light, you pull through in a straight line along or against the l.o.d. to meet new opposites.