Shepherd's Hey and Jolly Miller Boy
An ancient ritual Morris dance and a "play party" singing dance move old world traditions with newer American ones and still resonate for kids today.
In June, 2025, Dancing Through the Ages course from Spacial Dynamics Institute featured these dances among others. We share some program resources here with you.
Shepherd’s Hey
One of the ancient dances from England, adapted for children, and adapted from a Morris dance performed with scarves and bells, and from the traditional tune, The Keel Row.
Tune
Video
Song
I can dance, I can sing, I can do most anything. [Phrase A]
I can work*, I can play, I can do the Shepherd’s Hey! [Phrase B]
*or, whistle
Dance
Form a standing circle, facing inwards.
Phrase A, singing
Stepping forward RLR hop, LRL hop
Stepping backward, step hop 3x, jump feet together.
Repeat.
Phrase B, whistling or singing La-la-la
Clap clap, tap R ankle, repeat to L
Clap front, then under R knee, repeat clap front, then under L knee
Clap FBF
Repeat Phrases A and B, progressing taps from ankle to knee, hip, and shoulder.
Hey!
Jolly Miller Boy
Jolly Miller Boy is one of many “play party dances” that arose in the early days of settling America, reflecting traditional music from immigrants and an era where playing music was taboo in some communities. No fiddle, flute or drum? No problem. So, people sang songs and danced them: Skip to My Lou, Shoo Fly, Draw Me a Bucket of Water live on today among many others. Jolly Miller Boy is a fun traditional double circle mixer that will keep 3rd graders on their toes while moving the circle of a mill wheel grinding..
Tune
Song
Jolly is the miller boy who lives by the mill
The wheel turns round of its own free will.
Corn in the hopper and meal in the sack
The ladies step forward and the gents turn back.
Raining, hailing, cold stormy weather
In comes the farmer drinking up his cider.
I’ll be the reaper, you’ll be the binder
Lost my true love, where can I find her?
Dance
Form a double ring, gents in the inner circle, ladies outer, promenade position facing line of dance (counterclockwise), with one extra dancer in the center (or not if an even number.)
Sing and promenade forward through “gents turn back” when inner circle releases hands and turns around to walk clockwise.
At “where can I find her?” each dancer reaches out to take closest partner, form promenade into line of dance as before, and continues while the one dancer without a partner moves to the center.