Worship with Dance

The Mod Deer

There is an old dance, by an unknown choreographer, to the song "As the Deer". Marsha Stamper shared with us part of that dance her congregation (Sh'ma Israel) uses as a nice Interchangeable. She officially entitled it "Modified Part One of As the Deer Dance" but "The Mod Deer" is easier to say sounds more hip.

This song almost has an easy sequence: toe touch, toe touch, coupé, mayim, coupé, sway twice. But the steps are syncopated in an interesting manner.

The entire dance is done facing inward and not holding hands.

Each numbered step takes four beats of music.

Touch R toe to the front, pause, touch R toe to the right side, pause
Cross R foot in front of left foot, return weight to L foot, sidestep R, then start a right-ward mayim by crossing L foot in front of right
finish the mayim by sidestepping R, crossing L foot behind right foot, and sidestepping R, then cross L foot in front of right foot
return weight to R foot, sidestep L, then sway R-L