Madawaska
dance by Susan Bunting
Peterborough, Ont
(tune: Rant and Roar, trad.)
Duple minor longways, improper
Part One Al 1-4 With partner, left shoulder back-to-back. 5-8 Cast over right shoulder, single file halfway round (clockwise to corner’s place) A2 1-4 with neighbour, right shoulder back-to-back 5-8 Cast over right shoulder single file halfway round (counter-clockwise)to home, into a B 1-4 Half-pousette (men pushing) to progress Part Two Al 1-4 All star left once around, 5-8 With new couple, all cast over right shoulder, dance two places clockwise A2 1-4 All star right once around, 5-8 Cast over left shoulder, dance to place counter- clockwise to home, into a B 1-4 Half-pousette (men pushing) to progress a second time
Note: Dancers out at top and bottom should be ready to dance in more quickly than they expect. Don't forget to change sides first.
The song “Rant and Roar”, also known as “How We Got Up to the Woods Last Year” suggested this dance. The song refers to Arnprior and Dacre in the Ottawa Valley, both near or on the Madawaska River. Both the Madawaska in Ontario and the Madawaska in New Brunswick were active logging and timber routes in the early 20th century.
In the dance, the back-to-backs are manual saws in the woods, the stars and casts mimic the circular saw, and the poussettes are the carriage jigging the planks forward through the mill.
Lyrics: https://www.wakamiwailers.com/new-blog/2017/4/15/how-we-got-up-to-the-woods-last-year
no music