IN THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY

When I left sixth grade to head off to junior high, there was no official graduation from elementary school.  At least, I don't remember one.  What I do remember is the May Festival.  The May Festival was a annual event for the entire school that involved every grade performing a folk dance on the black top of the playground.  I have no idea what dances I performed in any other grade except the sixth grade...it was the May Pole Dance. The May Pole Dance was only performed by the sixth graders and it was the grand dance of the entire festival.

It took a lot of practice to get the May Pole dance right.  If any one of the participants didn't pay attention to what they were doing during the dance, it could mean chaos.  A May Pole is a tall pole, probably 7 or 8 feet high.  Pastel colored wide ribbons are attached to the top with enough ribbons for each dancer at the pole.  The participants alternated boy girl in a circle around the pole.  The dance started with a simple dance around the pole.  Then a cue in the music signaled the dancers to pick up a colored ribbon.  The boys and girls faced each other.  Another cue in the music started the winding of the May Pole.

This is where the dance got tricky and you had to pay attention.  As you walked in the circle around the pole, the ribbons were woven in a basket weave pattern by lifting your ribbon over the first person facing you and the going under the next person coming towards.  This pattern had to be followed all the way around the pole.  If it wasn't, the pattern on the pole wasn't right.  You also had to pay attention to how far out from the pole you were because the ribbon got shorter as it wound around the pole.  Imagine what this dance looked like with 4 or 5 May Pole dances being done at the same time.

I remember that for the May Festival my mother made me a small corsage from light pink rose buds from our garden.  I may have had a new dress for this as well.  I also remember that the evening was perfect for the event.