But, again, the happy spirits of the best dancers will provide jaunty improvisations at this point these are often comical and add to everyone's enjoyment. This switch is done in simple fashion by most: the leading partner steps aside for the other to dance ahead. Thus for the second half of that song and first half of the next the female partner of the head male dancer leads the column. Half way through each song a brief change in tempo signals the dancers to change places with their partners. The dance is very fast toe-heel step with considerable body movement. Each woman will alternate with one of the men. After a song or two, pairs of women come forth and step between the men. After they have danced single file for one song they are joined by many more pairs of men, most often close chums. Two men asked by the "push" lead the dancers. The singers sit on two facing wood benches in the centre of the dance floor. The head singer uses a water drum and is joined by an assistant and any other males (up to 8-10) using cow horn rattles who may wish to "prop up the songs". Another very commonly used English name for these songs is "Fish Dance", not to be confused with "Fishing Dance", another social. The recording is of the "Old Songs" (Giyon), in contrast to a multitude of "New Songs" (ginu'sa) which appear briefly and then usually are forgotten. The usual second dance at a Social and the favourite of the young-in-heart. as in the English carol: "Deck the halls with boughs of Holly, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la." A few songs have meaningful lyrics, but most are simple burden syllables by which the melody is carried. New songs are introduced from time-to-time, but the old ones remain tested favourites. All men can join in the responses to the head singer's lead, but usually only a few near the front participate. No musical instruments are used in Gada 'trot, but a percussive effect obtains from the clomping in unison of the dancers' feet. While the dance can be performed in the simple jog there are always those excellent dancers, filled with the joy of rhythm and motion, who improvise little bursts of fancy footwork off to the side of the file of slower dancers. Soon all ages of women join, each taking a place between two men. Youngsters inclined to clumsy bunching and jostling, dance to the rear and follow this pattern in the other social dances. It is the custom for the best dancers to take the lead and less skillful, more reticent to take the rear. A moment after they have begun singing and dancing a line of male dancers suddenly develops behind them. It is he who decides the order of dances, picks singers and dancers, and relates all this to the Speaker who announces it to the People.
These two are picked by a "push" or master of ceremonies chosen for the night. The dance begins when the lead singer and his assistant appear on the dance floor. The step is an uncomplicated flat-footed shuffle. As with all the dances the direction is contraclockwise.
The easy chug-chug around the Longhouse unlimbers stiff joints and relaxes one for the strenuous efforts to come. It is appropriate therefore, that such a Thanksgiving song introduce an evening's dancing. Similarly, upon their return home this would be repeated as a Thanks-giving for their success on the hunt. It is said that in ancient times warriors (the name is still applied to men whether engaged in war or other pursuits) on expeditions distant from home would prop their quivers against one another tipi-fashion and dance around them.
Invariably, this simple shuffle dance opens social get-to-gethers.
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