DANCE OF THE HOLLY AND MISTLETOE.For Eight Young Girls, or the Number May Be Doubled.Costumes at close.
For Eight Young Girls, or the Number May Be Doubled.
Costumes at close.
Music: Waltz with marked accent, moderate tempo.
C means center; F means front; wreaths position means wreaths held low in front, one hand at either end of wreath. The number of measure given to each figure must be determined by the music and its phrases.
Fig. 1.Fig. 2.
Fig. 1.Fig. 2.
Fig. 1.Fig. 2.
1. Enter in couples at rear, wreaths in position, waltz step. Sway wreaths from side to side in unison with the step. Dance to center, turn to front; there separate to right and left. Fig. 1.
2. When in a line across the front of the stage, halt, front face, salaam. This last is a bow, bending from the waist forward, the wreath held low with both hands.
3. To position, ends of line retreat to form a circle, facing outward. Wreath in both hands behind the head. Fig. 2.
4. Right face—wreath overhead—dance in a circle, swaying the body and wreath alternately to right and left. (This swaying body means bending from the waist to one side or the other.)
5. Circle faces in. Wreath in right hand and high so that the ends of all wreaths touch in center. Left hands on neighbor’s shoulder. Dance, without leaving place, toward the center and back, through one or more measures.
6. Break line on side toward audience, retreat to rear, wreaths position.
7. Dance forward in even line to front, wreath back of the head.
8. At front the odd numbers kneel, wreaths back of the head; the even numbers dance around the others twice, Fig. 3, swaying wreaths over their heads from side to side. Let this swaying be done in unison by all dancing.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
9. Those kneeling rise; all dance backward to the rear, swaying wreaths right and left with the step.
10. The even numbers now form a line from R. to F. down the center. In this way No. 2 dances in front of the line to R. center, then down middle of stage to positions indicated in Fig. 4. Number 4 follows her, and 6 and 8 do the same. These sway their wreathsoverhead alternately with the odd numbers, who dance in serpentine around them, swaying their wreaths overhead. This serpentine is led by No. 1, who dances to the rear center, then, passing to the right of No. 8, begins the serpentine as shown by Fig 4. When No. 1 passes to the right of No. 8, No. 5 passes to her left. They cross between 8 and 6 and are followed by 3 and 7, and the serpentine is continued around 4 and 2. This is continued until the odd numbers have reached the front, gone back to the rear, passed around No. 8 and danced again to the front.
Fig. 4.Fig. 5.
Fig. 4.Fig. 5.
Fig. 4.Fig. 5.
When No. 1 has completed this figure she dances again around No. 2, then in a straight line, and close to the standing numbers, back to the rear, and to her position. No. 3 follows her. Nos. 5 and 7 turn at the left of No. 2 without going around her, and also dance in a straight line to the rear, and to their places.
11. Line across rear; wreath in position.
12. Odd numbers stand, wreaths held behind head. Even numbers right face, sway wreaths before them, dance twice around those standing.
13. Couples link arms, hold wreaths overhead to form an arch, waltz in this way to front, and back to a line midway of the stage.
14. Two couples on either side form cross, Fig. 6, crossing hands in center, holding wreaths over shoulders with free hand. Those at right of stage cross right hands and dance to right; the others the reverse.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
15. Break circles, retreat to rear, wreaths position.
16. Repeat No. 8.
17. Repeat No. 10, except that as numbers 1 and 5 reach the rear, they stand facing each other and hold their wreaths high to form an arch between them. Nos. 3 and 7 dance behind them, pass under the arch, then stop to either side and make an arch with their wreaths.
So, in turn, do the others. Then 1 and 5 lower their wreaths, dance under the arch, and again stand and help form the arch, until the front of the stage is reached. Here the dancers pass to right and left and dance back to the exit, and out, swaying wreaths overhead.
Let the alternate numbers represent holly and mistletoe. All wear dresses of soft material (cheesecloth or silkaline), falling full from a yoke to the ankles. Bare neck and arms are prettiest with this costume,but if not desired have plain sleeves to the elbow, finished with a six-inch frill of the same, and the neck finished without a collar.
The holly girls should be brunettes and wear dresses of bright green, as near the color of the holly leaf as can be had, with a sash of scarlet ribbon about three inches wide tied and fastened there, high under the arms, “empire” style, with long loops and ends tied in front. A narrow scarlet ribbon should be tied with loops and short ends around the sleeve just above the elbow. A wreath of holly leaves and the bright berries on the head and around the neck of the dress. These should not be heavy. Stockings and slippers scarlet.
The mistletoe girls must be blond and dress in the same style as the holly girls; but their dresses are white, their ribbons and slippers pale green, and the wreaths are of mistletoe with its white berries.
Each girl carries a half wreath (the half of a barrel hoop is right for size) covered with holly or mistletoe to match her dress.