Delaware looks to get in on maypole dancing craze (a few centuries late)

Dancing days will soon be here again, at least if one state lawmaker has his way.

Fresh off of his success in getting an angel investor tax credit through the General Assembly, Rep. Mike Ramone is on a mission to make maypole dancing the official state dance for Delaware — once and for all.

Usually performed by children, the dance is a rite of spring that involves participants holding ribbons and moving in opposite directions around a pole to intertwine their streamers.

"If you unwind without any knots, you have successfully completed your first plaiting dance," according to maypoledance.com.

Sure, it might not be as well known as the Hustle, the Dougie or any other dance that was popular in the last 300 years. Most rump shakers these days probably wouldn't be caught dead busting it out in the club.

But maypole dancing does have ancient European roots and a well-established tradition in the First State, including a previous — albeit short-lived — reign as the official state dance.

Ramone is pushing to cement the dance as Delaware's patriotic two-step for the rest of time — even though he's never performed the springtime celebration himself.

"I know it might seem silly but one of my constituents is very serious about maypole dancing," the Pike Creek Republican said. "And if it's important to her, it's important to me."

The real driving force behind the maypole movement is Mary Jane DeMatteis, an 85-year-old Milltown resident, former Delaware Mother of the Year and self-described lover of all things spring.

DeMatteis grew up dancing around a maypole every May Day at now-defunct Minquadale Elementary School. She was married on the May 1 holiday. And one of her favorite activities is watching maypole dancers perform at annual community celebrations in May, such as Dover Days and A Day in Old New Castle.

"We have a state fish, a state song, a state flower — it's endless," said Delaware's 2000 Mother of the Year. "But we don't have a state dance so I set out to change that and maypole dancing is something I very much enjoy."

With Ramone's help, DeMatteis convince the General Assembly to certify the maypole dance as an officially sanctioned Delaware tradition in 2016.

A sunset provision in the bill meant the designation lasted for just one year.

"A lot of times, these things are proposed by schoolchildren so we make them temporary because it gives other people a chance to later on," Ramone said.

Another 2016 bill that made the golden retriever the official dog of Delaware also expired a year later. House Majority Whip Rep. John Viola, D-Newark, said he does not have plans to extend that designation.

"This is the only request we've ever had for an official state dance as far as I know," Ramone said. "And I know Mary Jane would very much like to see it become permanent."

A bill he introduced before the 2017 expiration date sought to do just that. The legislation never got a vote last year but is now scheduled to be heard by the House Administration Committee on Wednesday.

The same committee unanimously voted last month to release a bill that seeks to make the official state song "Our Delaware" gender neutral. That bill has yet to come up for a vote before the full House.

"I've heard all the jokes," Ramone said. "But there's no reason to belittle or demean maypole dancing. I think's it's quite cute and if it makes one of my constituents happy, I'll accept all the jabs coming my way."

If passed by the Legislature, House Bill 383 would make Delaware at least the 29th state to adopt an official state dance. All but six have selected square dancing.

The maypole dance would belong to Delaware alone.

Contact reporter Scott Goss at (302) 324-2281, sgoss@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @ScottGossDel.

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