Kids' Dances to Learn

Often used at the beginning of a dance to get the dancers up on their feet. Also lets you see who else is at the dance and shows off the beautiful costumes. 

A fun dance with hand movements to remind you of an old-fashioned coffee grinder, with the little drawer where the ground coffee ends up.  This recording is Islenskur Schottis. 

An energetic add-on dance with seven figures and a chorus after each. Start with the chorus.  The chorus is: take hands in a circle and skip 8 steps, turn around and skip eight steps back.  

Verse 1: raise right leg, stand, then do chorus.  

Verse 2: repeat verse 1, then raise left leg, then do chorus. 

Verse 3: repeat verses 1 and 2, then kneel on right knee, stand, then do chorus. 

Verse 4: repeat verse 1,2, and 3, then kneel on left knee, stand,  then do chorus. 

Verse 5: repeat verses 1 - 4, then place right elbow on floor, stand, then do chorus. 

Verse 6: repeat verses 1 - 5, then place left elbow on floor, stand, followed by the chorus. 

Verse 7: repeat verses 1- 6, then place forehead on the floor. (If you don't want to put your head on the floor, you can put your hands on the floor, and put your head in your hands.) 

Then, stand and do the chorus one last time. 

The fun part occurs when the musicians decide to play some notes longer than the others.Be sure to hold the position for as long as the note lasts. 

A fun circle dance with some choice built in.  The words are:

Vi ska dansa la-ba-du, la-ba-du, la-ba-du,   

Vi ska dansa la-ba-du, la-ba, la-ba-du. 

You start the dance holding on to your neighbors' shoulders. 

After that, someone (the leader, the birthday person, the shortest person, whomever) can choose a different part to hold on to, i.e. ears, elbows, toes, etc.)

A fun partner dance  In a circle, partners facing to the right (counterclockwise, motsols) with one person on outside of circle, one person inside.

Part 1:  16 walking steps, turn individually and walk back 16 steps.

Part 2:  face partner - one will have back to the center of circle, one facing partner.  Do 4 spark steg (scissors step) beginning with R foot, clap, change places with partner, passing R shoulder.  Repeat sequence 3 more times.

Start dance over from beginning.

The trick to this dance is that the music speeds up with each repeat - you may have to run!