How to Dance to Mary Poppins
With the Mary Poppins officially back in the public eye, we thought it might be a perfect time to take a look at some of the iconic music from the original and figure out How to Dance to Mary Poppins.
1. Jolly Holiday
Speaking of chalk pictures… Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke’s duet is as colorful as the lush cartoon surroundings.
The Dance: Foxtrot
With a slower tempo than normal, this song lends itself to long strides, quicker syncopations, and smooth grapevines. Flying umbrellas and live penguins are considered optional, but costuming for this number is a must.
If you haven’t tried it, Foxtrot is one of the best starting points for social dancing and it is as practical as it is easy. Or as Mary Poppins might put it, “practically perfect in every way.”
2. A Spoonful of Sugar
You won’t need an animatronic bird (Oh no, sorry for the spoiler) to accompany you on this Mary Poppins classic… but picking a pair of adults to play cute British children set to clean on command might be a fun idea.
The Dance: Polka
Anytime you have music that can double as a march but gives you the urge stomp your feet, kick your heels, or tidy up the nursery some more – it very well could be a polka.
And if you didn’t know, the Polka is a lot of fun. In fact, if the word frolick had a dance counterpart, this dance would be it.
3. Chim Chim Cheree
Maybe you’ve always envisioned yourself as a chimney sweep, or you have some crazy makeup fantasy of having black soot in your compact. Chances are, you probably are like the rest of the world that has a special place in your dancing heart for Chim Chim Cheree – the classic Academy Award winning song.
The Dance: Viennese Waltz
Yes, who’d have thought that a song about chimney sweeps on the rooftops of London would have a corresponding dance made famous by the grand ballrooms of Vienna?
The Viennese Waltz is characterized by a faster tempo (think, Strauss) and a lot of rotation as you travel around the dance floor.
Like the dance version of this…
But much more graceful, like this….
4. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
You don’t need to know how to spell it to enjoy it.
If you’re looking for a lively break from the norm or just “something to say when you don’t know what to say”, this classic is a hit for all ages.
The Dance: Peabody
If you didn’t know, the Peabody is the bridge between Foxtrot and Quickstep. Sometimes, we think of it like “ballroom Merengue”, but most people just think of it as “fun”.
Feed The Birds
It’s been said that “Feed the Birds” was Walt Disney’s favorite song.
Aside from being sung by the golden, once in a generation voice of Julie Andrews, the lyrics speak of generosity, noticing those people that can easily go unnoticed, and the power of compassion.
The Dance: Waltz
It’s fitting that a beautiful song such as this would be paired with a dance known for its beauty, the Waltz. While other dances have plenty to offer, there isn’t one that can match the elegance associated with the dance commonly referred to as “the mother of all dances”.
Pairing that with a gorgeous song, the virtues in the message, and smooth graceful movement could make this anyone’s favorite, even if your last name isn’t Disney.
Final Thought
Whether you love the movie, or you’re just looking for some new ideas for dance music, we hope you loved this Mary Poppins article.
