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Folk dance6 minutes

La Raspa as a dance for children: alternating heels and partner patterns

By Bernhard De LucaUpdated

In short
  • For elementary school children, you practice La Raspa as a simplified sequence of alternating heel taps and a small partner circle.
  • In the heel section, the children tap right, left, right, then close, followed by left, right, left, then close.
  • In the partner section, the children take eight small steps together around the center of their pair, keeping a light hand connection.
  • You assign the heel section and partner section to different parts of the music and announce the change in good time.

When footwork, partner contact and music all demand attention at once, even a short sequence can quickly become confusing. Practising each part separately gives children the chance to really understand one movement before adding the next.

What you need for the dance rehearsal

  • Level, dry surface without holes or obstacles
  • Sportswear and securely fitting sneakers
  • La Raspa recording with clearly audible section changes
  • Speaker with an easy-to-reach pause button
  • Partner spots spaced out for a small circle

The music shapes your simplified version

La Raspa is taught as a Mexican folk dance. For elementary school, you are explicitly using a simplified version for children, not an authoritative original choreography. The heel taps have no jumps, and a small circle of pairs replaces a more elaborate partner figure. Tell the children: “Today we’re dancing a simplified version of a dance from Mexico.” Everyday clothes are enough, you don’t need costumes or imitated accents.

Listen to your chosen recording all the way through before the lesson. Match a recurring section to heel section A and the contrasting section to partner section B. A change may be noticeable through a new melody or different instruments. The length of your recording determines the repetitions: a practice sequence of eight counts is not automatically a whole section of music. To start, choose an excerpt in which both groups of movements fit without an abrupt cutoff.

The children first learn only the feet, then the shared pathway. This approach follows the principle of coordinating arms and legs separately at first, even though the examples there are for adults. Leave out partner changes for now: staying in a familiar partner spot makes it easier to find their way back. Other movement activities in the space, such as crossing paths in a ribbon dance with children, belong in a separate lesson.

A speaker positioned away from walking paths keeps the space between partners clear and prevents unnecessary sidesteps.
A speaker positioned away from walking paths keeps the space between partners clear and prevents unnecessary sidesteps.

How to put the two parts together

  1. Set up pairs and agree on a stop signal

    Position the children in pairs facing each other, with enough space for outstretched arms without touching their neighbors. Agree that “Stop” is the signal to stand still and let go of hands; have each pair try once to see whether their small circle stays clear.

  2. Demonstrate heel taps slowly

    Place one heel just in front of your body, with your toes pointing up, and keep your weight on the other leg. Bring your foot back and switch sides. For each next tap, the other leg supports your weight, without jumping.

  3. Practice the eight-count pattern in place

    Count evenly: 1 right, 2 left, 3 right, 4 close your feet; 5 left, 6 right, 7 left, 8 close. Each tap gets one count, the return step happens in between; the children stay in their pair's spot.

  4. Walk the Small Partner Circle

    Have the partners loosely join both hands and take eight small walking steps clockwise around their shared center. First, practice without music, completing one circle back to the starting position. Both partners walk forward without pulling, then release hands.

  5. Dance each part separately to the music

    First play only section A and have the eight-count phrase repeat in time, then play only section B with the circle of couples. For longer B sections, add another eight-count phrase. Keep the steps small and return to the starting position each time.

  6. Prepare the section transition

    Connect the sections and announce “Hands ready” shortly before B. The children finish the last heel sequence and take a relaxed hold; before A, say “To your places” so they can face each other in time and release hands.

  7. Repeat the sequence with less help

    Play the same excerpt again and reduce your cues to the transitions. If that works, leave those out too. If a transition doesn't work, have the children stop and rejoin together at the next clear section start.

Small movements, clear connection

Like this

  • Place your heel just in front of your body
  • Lift your toes off the floor when tapping your heel
  • Maintain hand contact without applying pressure
  • Walk together around the center of the couple

Not like this

  • Lean backward with one leg stretched far forward
  • Stomp forward with your whole foot
  • Pull the other child along by the hands
  • Leave one child standing while pulling the other around

Here's how you can tell you're making progress

Before the Music

Basics

On the first run-through

Connection

After the Repetition

Independence

Frequently asked questions

  1. Choose a La Raspa recording with clear contrasts between sections and a tempo at which the children can change steps in a controlled way. What matters is an audible pulse, not a particular recording. You can start with a slower practice run before using the original speed; slowed playback is a teaching aid, not a feature of the dance.

Dance classes for primary school children

In a children's dance class, your child can regularly practice rhythm, moving together, and short step sequences.

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Hit the change together

On udansa, you’ll find dance classes for children where they practice short sequences and moving together as a group. This lets your child dance regularly with a group outside of school, too.

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