Teaching the Macarena and brainstorming Samcheonpo Style

We have a short week, just Thursday and Friday, so I wanted to do something fun. Everyone here knows Gangnam Style ….hmmm what to do?

I decided to teach the Macarena to my elementary and middle school classes. I figured it would be a hit with the girls, but wasn’t sure how the boys would handle it. Luckily, after their initial groans, they got into it! Loved how the guys made a line dance of it and were better at it than me!

I showed a couple youtube videos including one of some elementary girls performing for a talent show. It was interesting to learn that a couple of them had performed in talent shows: playing musical instruments and doing a skit. When I asked if they ever wanted to perform, one said yes as a musician and another said no, but later admitted he would be okay being on TV as a professional soccer player.

Then we brainstormed, if we made a music video about our small town of Samcheonpo, what scenes would it have. They each had to sketch four ideas just using stick figures. Haha, so funny! Some unique ideas:

- A new line to replace “Hey Sexy Lady” … “Hey Fishy Lady” as the fisherman pulls in his net

- a guy diving off the bridge to his death, so the dance move is a dive

- crossing the crosswalk and getting hit by a car (…blood and knives are favorite highlights of the middle school boys drawings!)

- kangaroo dance. why? no idea!

- playground scene, elevator scene, fishing boat scene

This class reminded me that I don’t need to do hours of prep, but I do need to be a little brave to try things that may fail. But may pay off in getting all of us to take risks: moving, being creative and laughing a lot!

I used other videos to teach the dance, but here’s the original Macarena. It’s great in the variety of dancers and energy!