Libraries

HOMESPUN OCCASIONS PROGRAMS FOR LIBRARIES

Families are invited to participate in community dancing from around the world with an emphasis on American dances that originated in Europe and Africa. This includes singing games, folk, square and contra dancing. Homespun Community Dancing with Peter (Davis), Paul (Rosenberg) & George (Wilson) teaches the origins, sounds and uses of traditional folk instruments, including fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, clarinet, pennywhistle, and recorder. This program helps children to develop an awareness of what life was like before electricity, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries, when families and communities made their own entertainment with homemade music and dance.

For more information about our library programs, click here

A regional collaboration between Southern Adirondack,
Mohawk Valley and Upper Hudson Library Systems

Some examples of library events in which Homespun Community Dancing has participated:

Children's Book Week
National Library Week
NYS Summer Reading Program
School Vacation Weeks
Turn Off Your TV Week
Summer Concert Series
Fall Harvest Dances
Winter Cabin Fever Dances
Spring Fling

Where We've Performed

Altamont Free Library
Albany Public Library
Amsterdam Free Library
Ballston Community Library
Bethlehem Public Library, Delmar
Cambridge Public Library
Canajoharie Library
Castleton Public Library
The Community Library, Cobleskill
Chester Public Library, Chester (Orange County)
Crandall Library, Glens Falls
Croton Free Library, Croton-on-Hudson
East Greenbush Community Library
Easton Library
Franklin Free Library
Johnstown Library
Lake Pleasant Public Library, Speculator
Long Lake Library
Newburgh Free Library
Philmont Public Library
Red Hook Public Library
Saratoga Springs Public Library
Schenectady County Public Library
Shenendehowa Public Library, Clifton Park
Schoharie Free Library
Troy Public Library – Lansingburgh Branch
Voorheesville Library
William K. Sanford Town Library, Colonie

HOMESPUN COMMUNITY DANCING READING LIST

BY GRADE LEVEL

GRADES K to 2

Allen, Debbie; illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Brothers of the Knight (Sagebrush Education Resources, 2001). ISBN 0613443799
In this contemporary retelling of the fairy tale "Twelve Dancing Princesses," an African-American reverend in Harlem endeavors to discover why the shoes of his twelve sons are worn to pieces every morning.

Ancona, George. Let's Dance (Morrow Junior Books, 1998). ISBN 0688162118
Simple text and photographs describe various dances from all over the world.

Appelt, Kathi; illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Piggies in a Polka (Harcourt, 2003).
ISBN 0152164839
Pigs dance the night away when a polka band plays at the annual hootenanny.

Bornstein, Ruth Lercher. The Dancing Man (Houghton Mifflin Company Trade & Reference Division, 1998). ISBN 0395834295
In a poor village near the Baltic Sea, a boy finds a pair of magical shoes & spends his life dancing in them to produce happiness & joy for others.

Boynton, Sandra. Barnyard Dance (Workman Publishing, 1999). ISBN 1563054426
The animals at the farm share a romping-good dance in a poem/rhyme driven by the music of the animals' dancing and singing.

Bryan, Ashley. The Dancing Granny (Aladdin Books, 1987). ISBN 0689711492
Spider Ananse gets Granny started dancing so he can raid her garden, but his own trick does him in.

Burgard, Anna Marlis; illustrated by Leighanne Dees. Flying Feet: A Story of Irish Dance (Chronicle Books LLC, 2005). ISBN 0811844315
Based on a true event, this classic tale illustrates the enduring tradition of dance and music in Ireland.

Cox, David. Ayu and the Perfect Moon (Bodley Head, 1984). ISBN 0370305337
In a Balinese village, a young girl performs a traditional dance.

DeFelice, Cynthia C; illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker. The Dancing Skeleton (Macmillan Pub. c1989). ISBN 0027264521
An ornery dead man refuses to stay in his coffin and causes a disturbance when the best fiddler in town comes to call on his widow.

Dengler, Marianna; illustrated by Sibyl Graber Gerig. Fiddlin' Sam (Rising Moon, 1999). ISBN 0873587421
Wandering through the Ozarks and bringing joy to people with his music, Fiddlin' Sam seeks the right person to take up his fiddle and carry on the practice.

Dillon, Leo and Diane. Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles Think of That! (Blue Sky Press, 2002). ISBN 0590478834
In illustrations and rhyme describes the dancing of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, one of the most famous tap dancers of all time.

Edwards, Richard; illustrated by Caroline Anstey. Moles Can Dance (Candlewick Press, 1994) ISBN 1564023532
Despite being told by all the other animals that moles cannot dance, a mole persists in trying and proves them wrong.

Flournoy, Vanessa and Valerie; paintings by James E. Ransome. Celie and the Harvest Fiddler (Tambourine Books, 1995). ISBN 0688114571
In a story set in the 1870s, an African American girl who wants desperately to win the costume contest at the All Hallows' Eve harvest festival receives from a mysterious fiddler a mask that grants wishes.

Gray, Libba Moore; illustrated by Raul Colon. My Mama Had a Dancing Heart
(Orchard Books, c1995). ISBN 0531094707
A ballet dancer recalls how she and her mother would welcome each season with a dance outdoors. This isn't really about ballet but about the joy of dancing.

Gray, Libba Moore; illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. When Uncle Took the Fiddle
(Orchard Books, 1999). ISBN 0531301370
Uncle's inspired playing of the fiddle causes sleepy family members to pick up other instruments and join him, while the neighbors come to join the celebration.

Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie; illustrated by Leslie W. Bowman. The Fiddler of the Northern Lights (Dutton/Cobblehill, 1996). ISBN 0525652159
A fantasy set in the Far North about a fiddler whose music makes the northern lights dance.

Lowell, Susan; illustrated by Jane Manning. Cindy Ellen : A Wild Western Cinderella
(HarperCollins Publishers, 2000). ISBN 0060274468
Cindy Ellen loses one of her diamond spurs at the square dance in this wild western retelling of the classic Cinderella story.

Martin, Bill Jr. and John Archambault; illustrated by Ted Rand. Barn Dance! (Henry Holt and company, 1988). ISBN 0805007997
A farm boy awakens in the middle of the night and is lured to the barn, where the animals are holding an old-fashioned hoedown.

McKissack, Patricia C.; illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Mirandy and Brother Wind (Book Wholesalers, Incorporated, 2002). ISBN 0758731434
To win first prize in the Junior Cakewalk, Mirandy tries to capture the wind for her partner.

McPhail, David. Mole Music (Holt, c1999). ISBN 0805028196
Feeling that something is missing in his simple life, Mole acquires a violin and learns to make beautiful, joyful music.

Medearis, Angela Shelf; illustrated by Samuel Byrd. Dancing with the Indians (Holiday House, 1991). ISBN 0823408930
As an African-American family of the 1930s observes dancing at a Seminole Indian powwow, they recall the tales of a grandfather, a runaway slave who had found refuge with the Seminoles.

Pinkney, Brian. Max Found Two Sticks (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2005). ISBN 1416903100
With just two sticks and a lot of imagination and energy, Max fills his urban neighborhood with music.

Ryder, Joanne ; illustrated by Steven Kellogg. Big Bear Ball. (HarperCollins Publishers, 2002). ISBN 0060279559
Bears of all shapes and sizes (and even species) arrive by balloon from near and far for the Big Bear Ball, and an all-night hoedown ensues.

Sanderson, Ruth. The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Little, Brown, 1993). ISBN 0316770175
Retells the tale of twelve princesses who dance secretly all night long and how their secret is eventually discovered.

Schaefer, Carole Lexa; illustrated by Christine Davenier.
Full Moon Barnyard Dance (Candlewick Press, 2003). ISBN 0763618780
A barnyard full of animals goes down to the pond at night for a rousing dance.

Seeger, Pete; illustrations by Michael Hays. Abiyoyo, based on a South African lullaby and folk story (Macmillan, 1986). ISBN 0027814904
Banished from the town for making mischief, a little boy and his father are welcomed back when they find a way to make the dreaded giant Abiyoyo disappear.

Siegelson, Kim; illustrated by Lisa Cohen. Dancing the Ring Shout! (Jump at the Sun, Hyperion Books for Children, 2003). ISBN 078680453X
A boy becomes old enough to attend the Ring Shout (a call-and-response style of song and movement), a traditional African American celebration of when the hard work of harvest is finished.

Smith, Cynthia L.; illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. Jingle Dancer (Morrow Junior Books, 2000). ISBN 068816241X
Jenna, a contemporary Muscogee (Creek) girl in Oklahoma, wants to honor a family tradition by jingle dancing at the next powwow.

Thomas, Mark. African Dancing (Children's Press, 2001). ISBN 0516231413
A young girl learns African dancing. Readers will discover the importance of the music, clothing, and moves of the dance.

Thomas, Mark. Irish Step Dancing (Children's Press, 2001). ISBN 051623143X
Readers will discover what Irish step dancers wear, the kind of music that is used for dancing, and some basic steps.

Thomas, Mark. Square Dancing (Children's Press, 2001). ISBN 0516231456
This selection in the "Let's Dance" series provides a simple overview of square dancing.

Walsh, Ellen Stoll. Hop Jump (Book Wholesalers, Incorporated, 2002). ISBN 075872747X
A frog, tired of watching the others of her ilk engaging in their monotonous, "Hop jump, hop jump." teaches her cohorts to dance.

Wilder, Laura Ingalls; illustrated by Renée Graef. Dance at Grandpa's, adapted from the Little House books (Harper Collins, 1994). ISBN 006023878X
A young pioneer girl and her family attend a wintertime party at her grandparent's house in the big woods of Wisconsin.

Wolkstein, Diane; illustrated by Jesse Sweetwater. Bouki Dances the Kokioko: A Comical Tale from Haiti (Harcourt Brace, 1997). ISBN 0152000348
After much coaching, Bouki wins the prize for dancing the king's secret dance but is then outwitted by his sneaky friend.

GRADES 3 to 4

Ancona, George. Let's Dance (Morrow Junior Books, 1998). ISBN 0688162118
Simple text and photographs describe various dances from all over the world.

Bartoletti, Susan; illustrated by Annika Nelson. Dancing with Dziadziu
(Harcourt Brace, 1997). ISBN 0152006753
A young girl shares her ballet dancing with her dying grandmother who shares memories of her family's immigration from Poland and of dancing with the girl's grandfather.

Laufer, Peter; illustrated by Susan L. Roth. Made in Mexico (National Geographic Society, c2000). ISBN 0792271181
Describes the importance of the guitar in Mexico, especially in Paracho, a town which is becoming the center of the Mexican guitar industry.

London, Jonathan; illustrated by Gilles Pelletier. The Sugaring-Off Party (Turtleback Books, 1999). ISBN 060620010X

Sugaring-off parties, a little-known French Canadian tradition, are a popular way for people who live near maple-sugar forests to celebrate the coming of spring.

Mattox, Cheryl Warren (collected and adapted by); illustrations from the works of Varnette P. Honeywood and Brenda Joysmith. Shake it to the One That You Love the Best: Play Songs and Lullabies From Black Musical Traditions (Warren-Mattox Productions, 1990). ISBN 0962338109
A collection of play songs, games, and lullabies which advance children's awareness in two aspects of Black culture – music and art.

Schroeder, Alan; paintings by Bernie Fuchs. Ragtime Tumpie
(Joy Street Books, 1989). ISBN 0316774979
A surge of bounteous energy and happiness show how "Tumpie" had to dance, couldn't let anything stop her, and held on to the dream that would someday propel her to world fame.

Spinelli, Eileen; illustrated by Paul Yalowitz. Boy, Can He Dance! (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1997). ISBN 0689815336
Tony's father wants him to become a chef, but for Tony dancing is his world.

Stanford, Candice; illustrated by Flo Hosa Dougherty. The Man Who Set the Town Dancing: El Hombre Que Puso a Bailar a Todo el Pueblo (Clear Light Publishers, 2002). ISBN 1574160508
A profile of Jose Tena, who dreamed that someday everyone in his town would know the folk dances from when New Mexico was still a Spanish colony, and who made that dream come true through his Ballet Folklorico.

Walter, Mildred Pitts; illustrated by Margot Tomes. Ty's One-Man Band (Econo-Clad Books October, 1999). ISBN 0808534963
Set in a southern black community; on a hot, humdrum day Ty meets a man who, using a washboard, comb, spoons, and pail, fills that night with music.

Wilder, Laura Ingalls; illustrated by Garth Williams. Little House in the Big Woods (HarperCollins Children's Book Group, 2004). ISBN 0060581808
A year in the life of two young girls growing up on the Wisconsin frontier, as they help their mother with the daily chores, enjoy their father's stories and singing, and share special occasions when they get together with relatives or neighbors.

Winslow, Barbara; illustrated by Teri Sloat. Dance on a Sealskin (Sagebrush Education Resources, 2002). ISBN 0613772938
In honor of her grandmother, who passed away, Annie does her first dance at a traditional potlatch in her Yupik Eskimo village.

GRADES 5 to 6

Ancona, George. The Fiestas (Benchmark Books, 2002). ISBN 0761413278
Most important Mexican holidays are celebrated with parades, dancing and feasting, and offer an opportunity for family and friends to spend time together.

Ardley, Neil. Music (Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Incorporated, 2004). ISBN 0756607086
Text and pictures introduce musical instruments from early times to the present--from pipes and flutes to electronic synthesizers.

Bull, Jacqueline Left Hand and Suzanne Haldane; with photographs by Suzanne Haldane. Lakota Hoop Dancer (Dutton Children's Books, 1999). ISBN 0525454136
Kevin Locke, a Hunkpapa Indian prepares for and performs the traditional Lakota hoop dance.

Crum, Robert. Eagle Drum: On the Powwow Trail with a Young Grass Dancer
(Maxwell Macmillan International, 1994). ISBN 0027255158
The history, preparation, and performances of the Montana Pend Oreille people's powwow dances.

Doucet, Sharon Arms. Fiddle Fever (Clarion Books, 2000). ISBN 0618043241
In 1914, teenager Felix LeBlanc feels stifled by life on his family's farm in Louisiana. After hearing his wayward uncle play the fiddle, Felix decides that he wants to be a fiddler too, even if it means making his own fiddle and going against his parents' wishes.

Grau, Andree. Dance (DK Publishing, Inc., 2005). ISBN 0756610656
A survey of all forms of dance throughout the world, discussing its cultural and social significance, its costume, its history, and noted dancers and choreographers.

Parkinson, Siobhán; illustration by Troy Howell. Kathleen: The Celtic Knot
(Pleasant Co., 2003). ISBN 158485748X
Twelve-year-old Dubliner Kathleen Delaney is given the chance to take Irish dancing lessons in 1937 and discovers she has a talent for it.

Say, Allen. Music for Alice (Houghton Mifflin Company Trade & Reference Division, 2004). ISBN 0618311181
A Japanese American farmer recounts her agricultural successes and setbacks and her enduring love of dance. Based on the true life story of Alice Sumida.

Staples, Suzanne Fisher. Shiva's Fire (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2000). ISBN 0374368244
In India, a talented dancer sacrifices friends and family for her art.

Wiseman, Ann Sayre and John Langstaff; illustrations by Ann Sayre Wiseman. Making Music (Storey Kids, 2003). ISBN 1580175139
This book illustrates how to promote creative thinking by making musical instruments that range from the simple to the complex out of everyday items and learning how to make music with them.

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL

Bonnice, Sherry. Folk Dance (Mason Crest Publishers, 2002). ISBN 1590843371
The dance traditions of various ethnic groups who have immigrated to North America.

Cass, Joan. Dancing Through History (Benjamin-Cummings Publishing Company, 1993). ISBN 0132043890
Setting dance within a cultural context that is both understandable and interesting, this insightful reference captures the true art form of dance and traces the activity of dance as it has existed down through the ages and all over the world.

Driver, Ian. A Century of Dance: A hundred years of musical movement, from waltz to hip hop (New York: Cooper Square Press, 2000). ISBN 0815411332
From ballroom dancing to break dancing, this book offers an intimate, engaging exploration of dance.

Emery, Lynne Fauley. Black Dance: From 1619 to Today (Second edition) (Princeton Book Company Publishers, 1995). ISBN 0916622630
The history of black dance in America, from the Carribean, through southern plantations, the north, minstrelsy, to the concert dance of today.

Haas, Jessie. Will You, Won’t You? (Greenwillow Books, 2001). ISBN 0060291966
Spending the summer with her strong-willed politician grandmother, a fourteen-year-old girl achieves breakthroughs in both her horseback riding and her Scottish dancing and begins to develop self-confidence.

Staples, Suzanne Fisher. Shiva's Fire (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2000). ISBN 0374368244
In India, a talented dancer sacrifices friends and family for her art.

Vallely, Fintan. The Companion to Irish Traditional Music (New York University Press, 1999). ISBN 0814788025
Descriptions of individuals, traditions, and instruments, as well as an analysis of the modern history of traditional music-making.

HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE

Bonnice, Sherry. Folk Dance (Mason Crest Publishers, 2002). ISBN 1590843371
The dance traditions of various ethnic groups who have immigrated to North America.