Join Up Hands - Teacher Book

Join Up Hands is a volume of simple and accessible set dances stemming from a variety of American traditions. Each of the 23 longways, circle, and square dances is accompanied by clear directions and time-tested teaching tips. But there’s more: throughout the book, author Sue Hulsether describes both how to teach the dance moves and how to build human connection through the dance experience. As Sue states in her preface: “It’s about the act of dancing – with each other and with the music. It is about the people, not just the material.”

Additionally, this book is loaded with helpful reference materials and snippets of historical context. Bringing it all together is a collection of personal essays that illuminate the joy and community made possible when people dance together. Sue’s three decades as a dance caller, teaching artist, and music educator inform this valuable resource. With Join Up Hands in your collection, you will easily take your dancers from “I’m not really a dancer” to “This is fun!”

Companion CD sold separately.

Contents:

Longways dances: Down the Road, Brandy Sherbrooke, Long Sweet Potato, Wisconsin Strip the Willow, Bridge of Athlone, OX Dance, Riverside Jig, Family Contra

Circle dances: Circassian Circle, The Uh-Huh Dance, Atlantic Mixer, La Bastringue, Arkansas Traveler, Fly Turkey, Pyewackett Galop, Spotted Pony, Rescue the Cat

Square dances: Chase That Rabbit, Simple Square, Cumberland Square Eight, Uptown Downtown, Duck for the Oyster

Reference pages: Context of the Dances, Common Moves, Gender Roles (or Not), Fitting Dances with Tunes, Calling the Dances, Square Dance Structure, Tips for Calling Squares, Teaching the Ask, and more