| Peel
the Banana CD and Companion Book
present a popular sequence of dances from school
residencies, family dances, and community
celebrations (such as weddings, birthdays,
anniversaries, family reunions, and good ol'-fashioned
barn raisings). For each track on the CD,
we note the number of times a dance pattern
repeats and indicate formations for the dance.
For most tracks, we include calls the first two
times through. All tunes and dances are
traditional unless otherwise specified.
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| Dance
traditions are passed down through
the generations to celebrate important occasions
and to provide diversion from everyday life.
The delight and exhilaration inherent in
community dancing comes from the music, the
spirit of cooperation, and simple, repeated
patterns of movement.
In the "Peel the Banana" (or
"casting off") pattern, pairs of
dancers in two long lines walk towards the
musicians; the head pair turns back to back and
"peels" the lines to the far end of
the hall.
To facilitate review and continued learning,
teachers often ask me to write down the dances I
teach, and the music that is played for them.
I've done just that! Click here for more
information about the book!
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| How
To Purchase The CD And Book
On-line CD &
Book Sales:
Country Dance &
Song Society (CDSS)
Andy's
Front Hall
West
Music
Swinging
Door Music
On-line CD Sales
Only:
CD
Baby
(this one has two-minute long audio clips of all
20 tracks!
A really good site!)
Albany, NY
Area Retail Stores:
Andy's Front
Hall,
37 South Main Street, Voorheesville, NY;
Tel. (518) 765-4193
Celtic Treasures,
456 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY;
Tel. (518) 583-9452; (800) 583-9452 www.celtictreasures.com/
Peel the Banana is also available at some
area libraries
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| Click on CD covers to
enlarge. |
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This CD is dedicated to my
grandma, Mary Sofer, who loved to dance in the
last years of her life, and encouraged me to
dance. We never danced together, but I am
carrying on her joy of dancing wherever I
go. Better late than never!
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-Paul
Rosenberg
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