LET'S GET RHYTHM 

IRENE CHAGALL 

Handclaps, often overlooked and challenging to document, are a striking 
folklore tradition shared predominantly by young girls between the ages 
of five and eleven on every populated continent and many islands between. 
Participation in the handclap game reveals a fascinating exhibition of the 
cooperative nature of girlhood. The activity is child-initiated, tactile, and 
rhythmic. Upon close scrutiny this praxis is seen to be profound in its 
treatment of serious issues, even though initially it may appear mundane. 
The poetry is prosaic; the music, not much to note. Yet these games supply 
many meaningful observations of how young girls perceive themselves 
and others. It is a medium executed in plain sight whereby girls have 
private interactions that are nearly codified, without the need of any 
externally imposed structure. This paper discusses four distinct aspects 
of the genre: (1) enculturation in the formation of childhood social identity; 
(2) the influence of ethnic factors; (3) the use of audio-visual media in
recording the genre; and (4) the constraints in classification ofhandclaps.
It is my goal to expand appreciation of this worldly, though some would
argue commonplace, activity by producing a documentary video based on
fieldwork and research. The widespread appeal of the tradition can be
more thoroughly appreciated by viewing the action. Peter and Iona Opie,
highly respected children's folklorists in the English-speaking world during
the middle and late twentieth century, wrote ''A printed page cannot convey
the exuberance of children singing these games'' (Singing Game vii). The
bond between the girls resonates in rhythm beyond any description on
paper.

Handclapping games have been included in the domain of folklore for 
well over a century. Prominent folklorist Simon Bronner delivers an apt 
description of the phenomenon: 

"[T]he tradit ion of hand-clapping games ... involves 
performance and integration of different expressive behaviors 
that defies easy typology. Such games combine gestures, 
music, and words creatively arranged in rhyme. Socially, they 
vary according to ethnicity and region, and, significantly, 
age. Typically played between two girls, each using two 
hands, the hand-clapping games involve speaking four-line 
verses usually with alternate lines rhyming." (American 

Children S Folklore 166) 

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