Veering slightly off topic: the rhyme "Oranges and Lemons" figures prominently
in George Orwell's 1984.
Tony Parkes
Billerica, Mass.
www.hands4.com
New book! Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century
(available now)
-----Original Message-----
From: jim saxe via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2023 3:29 PM
To: Luke Donforth <luke.do...@gmail.com>
Cc: Caller's discussion list <call...@sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Re: Mousetrap?
For what it's worth, that "Venus Flyt Trap" dance looks like a variant of an
old singing game called "Oranges and Lemons." This description in Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oranges_and_Lemons#As_a_game
has children going under the arch(es) in pairs, and thus being caught two at a
time, but other descriptions have them going in single file, so that a child
who is caught sometimes has to wait for another to be caught before forming a
new arch. See also this page and the videos it links to:
https://anneyoungau.wordpress.com/2020/04/08/g-is-for-game-childrens-oranges-and-lemons/
--Jim
> On Feb 10, 2023, at 9:28 AM, Luke Donforth via Contra Callers
> <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Hello all,
>
> With the prompts from this list as a spur to memory, the original caller was
> able to remember more of what they did. The dance is definitely similar to
> tunnel mania, but the song in question was "Venus Flytrap" (not mousetrap).
> He even sang the song for me (he apologizes for his recovering from covid
> voice, but it's fine.)
>
> Venus Flytrap
> Formation: single file circle facing in same direction counter clockwise
> Tunes: song of the same name
> Set up: 2 couples with arches on opposite sides of circle, everyone going
> under the aches
>
> verse 1
> I’m flying south, so south
> Down to the Carolinas
> On vacation to see what I can see
>
> verse 2
> The sky is blue, so blue
> There’s a sweet smell in the air
> Oh nectar, sweet like a honey bee
>
> chorus
> But it's a Venus Fly Trap
> Don’t be tempted, stay on track
> A Venus Fly Trap
> Watch out, or it goes snap!
>
> All stand in a circle. Choose two people to make an arch with both hands and
> turn so one is outside the circle and the other is inside the circle. When
> the song starts, sing along, turn to the left, and move in a ring under the
> arch. The arch is the Venus Fly Trap, so watch out...... On the word SNAP
> the arch comes down and whoever is caught goes to the center of the circle.
> Whenever there are two people in the center they can join to make another
> arch and become a new Venus Fly Trap. The more you play the more Venus Fly
> Traps you’ll get, until everyone gets caught.
<earlier messagws snipped>
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