The Seven Jumps

When I was a child my father taught me to dance. He would balance me on his shoes and glide around the room with me. He would dance with mom as well, but hands down he was a better dancer than she.

In addition to waltzes and two steps my father also taught us various folk dances that he knew. These included the Mexican hat dance and a lesser known dance from Germany called The Seven Jumps.

The seven jumps involved everyone standing in a circle and when the music started you moved to your left. The dance proceeded as follows:

Chorus: Face left and take 7 step-hops to the left, ending with a jump on the 8th; repeat step-hops and jump to the right. Finish facing center.

Start with the chorus; return to it after each of the figures below.

Jump 1. On first sustained note place hands on hips and raise right knee; lower knee and stand motionless throughout the next sustained note.

Jump 2. Raise right knee; lower it and raise left knee; lower it and stand motionless.

Jump 3. Raise right knee; lower it and raise left knee; lower it and kneel on right knee; return to standing position and stand motionless.

Jump 4. Raise right knee; lower it and raise left knee; lower it and kneel on right knee; add left knee; return to standing position and stand motionless.

Jump 5. Raise right knee; lower it and raise left knee; lower it and kneel on right knee, add left knee; place right elbow on floor; return to standing position and stand motionless.

Jump 6. Raise right knee; lower it and raise left knee; lower it and kneel on right knee; add left knee; right elbow on floor; add left elbow; return to standing position and stand motionless.

Jump 7. Raise right knee; lower it and raise left knee; lower it and kneel on right knee; add left knee; right elbow on floor; add left elbow; touch forehead to floor; return to standing position and stand motionless.

It was a nice little folk dance and so I was thrilled when my Girl Scout troop decided to do this dance as part of our presentation at the Girl Scout's regional meeting.

The idea was that each troop was to pick a country. We were to dress in the traditional costumes of that country, bring food and eat a traditional meal from that country, and do a dance from that country. Since our troop decided to on Germany, we were to do the Seven Jumps as our dance. We spent weeks practicing at our grade school. However, we never did a “dress rehearsal”.

Our costumes involved long skirts with a white blouse and a cummerbund. Within my Girl Scout troop was another girl who struggled with her weight as I did. We were at a loss to find traditional clothing of Germany in our sizes. Where my mom decided to make me a long skirt with and elastic waist band, Debbie’s found the largest one she could find and made due with safety pins to keep it in place.

We arrived at the function in full regalia, food in tow and full of confidence. After eating our meal together the dancing began. Several troops had performed before it was finally our turn.

Standing in a circle with our hands on our hips, we moved left, then right and stopped for the first jump. The second jump proceeded without incident. However, as we knelt down on our right knee in the 3rd jump, I heard a commotion over to my right and saw Debbie go racing across the circle back to our table – her safety pins had sprung when she had knelt on her knee and her skirt had fallen down. As we rose to our feet, we were beside ourselves with laughing and continued the dance moving in a circle first to our left and then to our right. We were still chuckling as we readied ourselves for the 4th jump.

With hands on my hips I lifted my right leg – jump 1. I put it down and lifted my left leg – jump 2. I put that leg down and knelt on my right knee – jump 3. Then I brought my left leg to the ground in a full kneeling position – jump 4. Hands still in place, I brought my leg up to step and lift myself into a standing position. As I put my foot down I stepped on my skirt. The same skirt with an elastic waistband. I stood up and my skirt stayed down. I was standing in the circle in my cotton underwear, with my hands on my hips and my skirt at my feet.

We never made it to the 5th jump.