Maypole dance advice?

[nisaa]

I kinda need advice on how to run a Maypole dance coz I said I'd run one
at a May Day celebration at our acupuncture school's learning garden.
Yes, I go to a school where I have been asked to run a Maypole. How cool is
that?

So, I know the basics - you get a pole/tree and you get some ribbons and
people weave around it. And I think to make things easier, you tell every
other person that they start "Up" or "Down" first, right?

Um, so what else do I need to know?

Thanks!

Comments

[calialleykat.livejournal.com]

That is very very cool!
Theres a lot of symbolism attached to a maypole dance, you might want to check up on it. The first thing I though of tho is go Clockwise(creating) rather than counterclockwise(unmaking)
Congratulations!!

[emerlion.livejournal.com]

Maypole dances are a lot of fun, and can be very, very magical.


Make sure your ribbons are *at least* three times the length of the pole. The taller the pole, the longer the dance and the more fun.

Make sure that everyone knows they have to weave in and out - half the people are going clockwise, and half the people are going counterclockwise - so as you dance, your ribbon goes over one person, then under the next, then over, then under, etc.

It's good to have a song or chant to do as you're weaving. Any upbeat spring song, or Goddess chant would work.

Will you be explaining to the folks watching what the symbolism and history of the Maypole is?

[nisaa.livejournal.com]

Will you be explaining to the folks watching what the symbolism and history of the Maypole is?

Yeah, I will be. That I know about too - that's the easy part to research. Figuring out how to explain the dance, not so much.
Thanks for your advice!