Traditional French Folk Dances

Traditional French Folk Dances

Notes taken from TLP video:

French Dance in the Primary Classroom – Yannick Minvielle-Debat, Robin Shepherd

Polka des Bébés (aka La Badoise)

This dance is recommended for Year 4.

The Background

Found in various French regions, this version is from the eastern part of Brittany (Haute-Bretagne). It is called La Badoise in the Rennes region, but it widely known as Polka des Bébés.

The Polka appeared in France in the Parisian salons in the 1850s and became so popular that the “maîtres de danse” created many variants, such as this one.

Dance Description

It is a couple’s dance. The children start by facing their dance partner.

For the first part of the dance, they tap their hands on their own knees once (Tapez les genoux), then clap their hands (Tapez les mains) together once, then tap their right hand to their partner’s right hand three times (Main droite un, deux, trois).

Once again (Et encore) they tap their hands on their knees once (Tapez les genoux), then clap their hands together once (Tapez les mains), and this time tap their left hand to their partner’s left hand (Main droite un, deux, trois).

The children waggle their right index finger (un doigt) to each other, then their left index fingers (et l’autre doigt).

The older children turn individually on the spot (tournez), before holding hands with their partners (Tenez-vous les mains et on tourne sur place).

For the second part of the dance (the polka), the children turn clockwise, walking or skipping. As the (polka) music repeats, they change direction (Et on change de côté – l’autre côté).

Tips For Teachers

·  Although it is originally a couple dance, the children might prefer at first to dance with a child of the same gender. The teacher can suggest that boys dance with girls at a later stage.

·  When the fingers are waggled, children could pretend to be cross with each other and then make-up by holding hands.

·  After waggling the fingers, older children turn individually on the spot. This step can be skipped with younger children.

·  The children should start by walking round rather than skipping, as inevitably they will pick up speed.

·  Warn the children at first when to change direction. This can be done in French. Once more familiar with the dance, the children can guess themselves when to change.

·  For a variant, children can be asked to change partners just before the polka part. As this has to be done quickly, this change of partner encourages children to dance with anyone.

·  When doing the polka, children can turn on the spot and not move around the room. They can also choose which hold they like and even change it each time, i.e. going round holding hands, next time going round elbow to elbow.

·  At the end of the dance, the children can say “merci” to each other.

·  Children should be shown the “proper” traditional way of holding in the ballroom hold:

man – right arm holding the woman’s waist

woman – left arm on the man’s right shoulder; woman’s right hand holding the man’s left hand,

both arms pointing forwards, elbow slightly bent.

Vocabulary for Polka des Bébés

Trouvez un partenaire de danse/un ami / Find a partner/friend
Regardez votre ami(e) / Look at your friend
Tapez les mains sur les genoux / Tap your hands on your knees
Tapez les mains / Clap your hands together
Tapez les mains droites / Tap your right hands
Tapez les mains gauches / Tap your left hands
Grondez / Tell each other off (waggle fingers
Tournez / Turn
Tenez-vous les mains / Hold hands
Changez de sens/ tournez dans l’autre sens
Tournez de côté/ de l’autre côté / Change direction
Changez de partenaire / Change partner
Vite! / Quickly!