Dance of the Hammersmiths (Germany)
Formation
A dance for 4 couples. Men do a left hand star with the other men, making sure their left shoulders are facing into the middle of the little circle. Then they let go hands. The lady stands facing her partner's right shoulder. Number each couple from 1 to 4 in a clockwise direction.
Instructions
Part 1
- Number 1 and 3 man :
- slap own thighs,
- slap chest,
- clap hands,
- clap right hand of the other man.
- clap left hand of the other man.
- clap both hands of the other man.
- Do part 1 - 6 a total of 8 times.
- Number 2 and 4 man :
Do exactly the same as Number 1 and 3 man yet start the sequence 3 beats later than the other 2, doing it a total of 7 and a half times.
- The women :
Whilst the men are clapping the women waltz on the spot just to the right of their partner. Their left hand should be on their hip and right hand holding right side of skirt.
Chorus
Take partner in a ballroom hold and waltz in an anti-clockwise direction round the circle for 16 bars and get back to where you started.
Part 2
Men do as in part 1
Women walk round the circle to waltz time and back to place.
Chorus
Part 3
As part 1 but faster.
Notes
This dance can be boring for the women. So, let the women do the clapping in the middle verse. In the first verse the women look on disapprovingly, at how slow the men are clapping. In the second verse the men look on in horror to see the women clapping faster than them. In the third verse the women walk round the circle in waltz time.
Another variation is to have 2 couples in a set instead of 4. The women echo what the men do 3 beats later. At the chorus one can waltz on and find another couple.
