At the beginning of Frozen 2, the town of Arendelle, was having a fall gathering and townsfolk were dancing in a circle. I wondered what dance Anna and Elsa would do for Christmas. I found the perfect Frozen Christmas carol dance to Angels From the Realms of Glory.
Snow Angel
Do you want to make a snowman? If you are Olof, then you want to make snow angels. Angels from the realms of glory seemed the perfect snow angel for a Frozen Christmas carol dance.
Christmas Carol Dance
Dancing to Christmas carols is an age-old tradition. Scandinavians celebrated a Yule ball with singing and dancing during the winter solstice. The connecting of movements to melodies connects the past to the present.
History of Carol Dancing
The term Carol comes from the French word Carole. In the 13th century this referred to a circle dance. The circle dance was performed while singing.
Angels From The Realms of Glory
The tune for Angels from the Realms of Glory has French roots. In French it is “Les anges dans nos campagnes” and is rumored to have been sung by shepherds since the second century. Other sources say it has been sung in France since the 18th century. It was translated to English and published in 1816 by James Montgomery.
Christmas Carol Dance Source
I was fortunate enough to stumble across “The Christmas Carol Dance Book” while researching historically accurate princess dances. I have been delighted to read the history of each carol. John Garden did a delightful job on his book. I was inspired to use his version of the dance for “Angels from the Realms of Glory”. Then I adapted it as a uniform circle dance. You can find descriptions of both below.
Frozen Christmas Carol Dance Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes How To
The first version is by John Garden in his book “Christmas Carol Dance book.” I have expanded on his descriptions. The descriptions are mine and the dance is from John’s book, enjoy yourself. The song I used is the French version of “Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes”
Begin by holding hands in a circle alternating Gentlemen and Ladies.
A1-
Begin steps 1-4 (Angels from the)–
Ladies 3 steps forward & clap,
Gentlemen, position held (I like to mark time in place).
Next, 5-8 (Realms of glory)-
Ladies back 3 steps & clap exchanging places with Gentlemen.
Gentlemen take 3 steps forward & clap.
A2-
Third, (Wing Your flight) –
Ladies 3 steps forward & clap, exchanging places with Gentlemen.
Gentlemen retire 3 steps back & clap.
Forth, (O’er all the Earth)-
Ladies back 3 steps & clap exchanging places with Gentlemen.
Gentlemen take 3 steps forward & lace arms to form a basket.
B1-
Fifth, (Ye who sang cre)-
Gentlemen skip to left with arms interlaced (basket) 1&2&3&4 ( like
a Victorian gallop or slide)
Ladies Position held ( I like to mark time in place)
Sixth (ations’s Story) –
Ladies 3 steps forward & interlace In basket,
Gentlemen retire 3 steps back & clap.
B2-
Seventh (Now proclaim Me)-
Ladies skip to the left with arms interlaced ( basket) 1&2&3&4 (
like a Victorian gallop or slide)
Gentlemen Position held ( I like to mark time in place)
Eighth (ssiah’ birth) –
Ladies back 3 steps & clap to re- join the men
Gentlemen Position held ( I like to mark time in place)
Odd measure
Ending before repeat (Glor or)-
4 count everyone 2steps back, 2 steps
forward ( we performed this as a step back, bow, recover forward and collect
your feet together)
Repeat the entire dance until the end of the song. We used the French version of “Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes” sung by Bruce Cockburn. It ended exactly at the end of the music with the final bow.
Angels from the Realms of Glory Dance How To
Angels From the Realms of Glory Mixed Dance how to
I was messing with it with my students and re-phrased the dance to be uniform for a mixed group. I used a piano accompaniment of” Angels From the Realms of Glory” played by Avery Parker that would fit with the song if it was sung while you were dancing. Here is what I adjusted the original to.
Commence in a circle holding hands facing inward
A1-
Frist Part 1-4 (Angels from the)–
Group LF Branle forward (3 steps forward & kick to center Left, Right, Left)
Second Part 5-8 (Realms of glory)-
Group RF Branle back (3 steps back & kick Right, Left, Right)
A2-
Third Part 1-4 (Wing Your flight) –
Group Left Foot Branle forward (3 steps forward & kick Left, Right, Left)
Fourth Part 5-8 (O’er all the Earth)-
Group Right Foot Branle back (3 steps back & kick Right, Left, Right)
B1-
Fifth Part 1-4(Ye who sang cre)-
Group skip to left with arms interlaced (basket) 1&2&3&4 (like a
Victorian gallop or slide) Left foot side, Right foot closes to left
foot, repeat for 4 counts.
Sixth part 5-8 (ations’s Story) – Group 3 steps Branle forward &
Kick In basket, (3 steps forward & kick Left, Right, Left)
B2
Seventh Part (Now proclaim Me)-
Group skip to the left with arms interlaced ( basket?) 1&2&3&4 (
like a Victorian gallop or slide) Left foot side, Right foot closes to
left foot, repeat for 4 counts.
Eighth Part (ssiah’ birth)-
Group RF Branle back & Kick
Odd section
24 counts of step Kick across
Glor or- 1-4 Side left Foot, Kick Right foot, Side Right
Foot, Kick Left foot
Or or – 5-8 left Foot, Kick Right foot, Side Right Foot, Kick Left foot
Oror- 1-4 left Foot, Kick Right foot, Side Right Foot, Kick Left foot
Oria- 5-8 left Foot, Kick Right foot, Side Right Foot, Kick Left foot
In excelsis 1-4– left Foot, Kick Right
foot, Side Right Foot, Kick Left foot
De e o-5-8 left Foot, Kick Right foot,
Side Right Foot, Kick Left foot
Christmas Carol Dancers
- Elsa- Holly Tomazin
- Kristoff- Craig Tomazin
- Anna- Jessica Virgo
- Olaf – William Hooker
- Arendelle Lady 1– Jill Carroll
- Arendelle Lady 2– Jane Braithwaite
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Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_(music)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_We_Have_Heard_on_High
https://familychristmasonline.com/music/trad_french_carols/angels_heard.htm
http://www.earthlydelights.com.au/books-cds/Christmas-Carol-Dance-Book