The Handmade Music School presents Limberjack Decorating & Dancing with Linda Ray at the Floyd Country Store on Saturday, August 12, 2023 from 3:00-5:00pm. Cost is $45 and includes limberjack. Children age 8 and over are welcome with an accompanying adult, age 10 and over without an accompanying adult.

This workshop is a fabulous chance to dress, paint and decorate your own special doll, and then learn how to make them dance to the music. The first half of the workshop will be craft time. Paint, fabric, and other materials will be provided. We will take a quick refreshment break in the middle, and come back to learn a few techniques that make the limberjack dance.

Space is limited to 10 so sign up early!

History of the Limberjack

During the 18th and 19th centuries, Americans had many forms of home entertainment. Many of these involved the playing and enjoying of music. Jig dolls, or limberjacks as they are sometimes called, are one form of folk art that came out of this musical tradition. A jig doll is a jointed wooden figure that was attached to a rod and panel, and could be manipulated by the player of an instrument or someone moving the doll to the tune of the music. The history of these dolls goes back hundreds of years, with the first being used by itinerant Italian street performers to animate their shows. Many European countries had their own version of the jig doll. This form was brought to America with settlers and immigrants, and it developed into a distinctive American form. Jig dolls could be carved or turned, and were often painted to reflect a character or stereotypical image. They usually had both jointed arms and legs which flailed either wildly when moved or in a dancing motion, depending on the skill of the handler! Jog dolls can be seen in folk art collections and have been recognized and collected as such.