All About Maypole Dancing

You've got your Maypole and now you need some music and some ideas about the dance.

The Maypole

It is critical that the maypole does not wobble or fall over once it is erected. Make sure that there is enough space for the dancers to move around the maypole. It must be secured at the base so that it will remain in place while the dancers tug on the ribbons. In general, the more dancers, the taller the maypole. A 3 to 5 m tall wooden maypole should be at least 40mm diameter. Strong plastic pipe is another option for the maypole.

The top of the maypole needs a crown (right) to which you can attach your ribbons. You can have a fixed crown or one which is free to rotate depending on what dances you plan to perform. Attach a ribbon for each dancer to the crown. Use a mixture of brightly coloured ribbons such as red, yellow, purple, blue, green and white so that the dance creates an attractive pattern and make sure that their length is about twice the height of the maypole.

If you wish, you can decorate the crown with leaves and artificial flowers. You might want to use a wire frame to hold the decorations securely.