Dancing Snow Dog

by Tom & Lynn Crowell

There's nothing more joyful than watching dogs play in the snow. (That's especially true here in Wisconsin where snow is quite plentiful!) Some dogs are graceful, and some tunnel through every inch of snow at high speed. However they do it, it's not hard to imagine that they are dancing. Indeed, in their minds they probably are!

In this catchy pop style tune, besides getting to sing about a dancing snow dog, kids can also add some strategic snaps during the verses. We've included these on the full performance track, but not the accompaniment, so they'll need to focus. You'll note that the song has a bit of a halftime feel here, and counting is a little tricky. The snaps are indicated on the music, so you can cue your students accordingly to help them out.

At the chorus, the style transitions from the halftime groove into a full, energetic 4/4 feel, complete with head-bobbing rhythms. Singing along with the kids on our recording will help yours catch on quickly. When rehearsing the held notes at the ends of phrases, be sure to cut your choir off so they end the words together.

This would be a great opportunity to go around the class and find out about the dogs your students have/know, and ask how they like the snow. If you don't get snow where you live, maybe ask how they like the water. You could even change the lyrics to make it work in such circumstances. ("Dancing Lake Dog" anyone?)

Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.