Hiawatha Music Festival Dance Workshop

Marquette, MI-07/23/2011- The 33rd Annual Hiawatha Music Festival was full of main-stage performers from all over the world.

33rd Annual Hiawatha Traditonal Music Festival

While the performers were not on stage for the festival audience they were putting on workshops for festival goers interested in learning how to dance, sing, or play instruments necessary during Hiawatha style festivals.

One workshop in particular was a dance workshop where the performers learned how to Chase The Squirrel.

The music accompanying the dance lessons was played with a violin, guitar, banjo, and keyboard.  Audience participating was encouraged for clicking feet and clapping hands to the beat of the music.

Chase the Squirrel Dance Workshop

Many of the participants in the event were new to this festival style of dance.  Laughing and goofing around during the workshop made it a pleasant experience for those dancing and those watching.

Part of the step routine for the dance was, “Swing your partner high or low, boy around boy, girl around girl, boy around girl, girl around boy.”  Dance participants could say that as they Chased the Squirrel to make learning the steps easier.

Swinging their Partner Around

For this dance you would partner up a male and female, and then place them with three other pairs.  Making a group a total of eight people.

Follow this link for the FULL ARTICLE on the festival and more pictures.