Dance Diary or
Collection
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This is to record dances I've come across and liked. It has to
start somewhere. My first ever dance was "Runaway Train" taught
by Tony Mounter in Ipswich on Tues night class. The first dance I
ever learned by heart was "Devojka Mari
Hubava", (Bulgarian), taught by
heli in Dec 2005 on her Sunday afternoon in Walberswick.
How many other firsts? Senegal Chant? Old
Woman? Gyatri Mantra.
Sa.
Wholy Circle. Anything ever written by Bob Minney, esp The
Blessing. Goc Dancing on Water. Harvest Moon Macka
Yollari. (on the road to Yollari) Nightwalking Gallilean Lullaby. Tsamikos Kharditsa. Kareve
Yom
Any mistakes are my fault and should be corrected immediately:
annietoy@tiscali.co.uk
Gallilean
Lullaby, choreographed by me to music of same name by Reem
Kelani on her cd "Sprinting
Gazelle".
Ms Kelani is Palestinian. "The poignant last chorus of this song
appears in many a Palestinian bedtime lullaby - ..."hardship never
lasts forever. Never lasts forever. Never lasts forever."
The lyrics
came from a book on Palestinian oral history and literature by Tawfiq
Zayyad, who was known as "The Poet of the Occupied Land". I made
this
dance because people are asking for Palestinian dances and music.
Taught at Alport in June 2006 and Youlgreave Aug 2006.
Start from near centre of circle. Rhythm is Long short short. 4/4
time
in bossa nova beat. Start with LEFT foot stepping
backwards. Style
is rocking, up onto toes and back down again, as with the music.
There is a long introduction, and gradually the beat is
introduced. When you hear the beat, count 3 bars, and then come
in.
1. LB, RB, LB (Long short short) Arms begin from
stretched in front. Swing them back.
2. Sway right, sway left (Long Long) Arms held in V,
straight at the elbow.
3. RS, LXB, RS (Long short short) Arms in V
4. LF RF, LF, RF in curve towards centre (short short short
short). Arms curve forwards in a circle twice as if rocking
child.
In the middle of the song, there is a long drawn out note sung by the
singer. Just hold still, arms reaching up to the sky at full
stretch. Then begin again with the music.
There is a philosophical
explanation of the steps. 1. stumbling backwards after a set
back. 2. Swaying on your feet. 3. Finding a strategy to
cope. 4. Moving forwards again.
Kareve
Yom
(this is Andrew Hardwick's note,
slightly adapted by me. For the original, go to Duramecho's Miscellany via the Links)
| Formation |
Circle. No hold. |
| Dance Structure |
(Ax2 + Bx2 + Cx2 + Dx2) repeated
throughout the music. |
| Music Structure |
4 counts/bar, 4 bar phrases. |
| Music Speed |
90 counts/min. |
| Source |
Jan Savage in Ipswich. |
A very simple very slow dance with atmospheric music. The
music is Israeli but the dance is not. I don't know what Israeli dance
this music originally had or even if it had one at all.
Style: Meditative. All hand position changes slow, elegant &
flowing.
Part A
Summary: Walk in & sway with palms down.
| Feet |
| Start |
Facing the centre. |
| 1 |
| 1-2 |
Walk R forwards (small
step because there are 8 to fit in). |
| 3-4 |
Walk L forwards. |
|
| 2 |
|
|
| Hands |
Upper arms vertically down by
sides, forearms horizontally out forwards & hands flat with palms
facing down. |
Part B
Summary: Walk in & sway with palms up.
As Part A but with palms facing down.
Part C
Summary: Walk out backwards & sway with palms forwards.
| Feet |
As Part A but stepping backwards
instead of forwards. |
| Hands |
Upper arms horizontally out
forwards, forearms vertically up & hands flat with palms facing
forwards. |
Part D
Summary: Walk out backwards & sway with palms on belly.
As Part C but with L hand flat palm on belly & R hand flat palm
on back of L hand on belly.
|
Notes by Andrew Hardwick, 2002/11/6.
(Mistakes are quite likely in the notes and no guarentees are made as
to accuracy. These notes of the dance are freely distributable in so
much as the note's author's contribution but the choreography and/or
collection were by other people and so their copyright might apply to
the dance itself.)
|
Macka
Yollari. - On the Road to Yollari. Turkish dance, done
with little steps and shaking the whole body to fab guyder sounding
music and wailing female voice. Heli taught it originally to me,
two parts. both facing
centre.
1. Right side, L close, R side, L close, L side R close.
Shaking the body from shoulders up and down.
2. R forward, L lift, Left forward, R point, R Back, L Back, R lift, R
Back L back and shimmy - (confirm).
Goc Pronounced "Gertsch".
Turkish. Trans. "Migration".
Music on heli's cds "Midsummer Mala" and "Discovering the Inner
Goddess".
Start facing LOD to Right
RLR, LRL, RLR in a rock which is
an infinitesimal slipstep, up on balls of feet
L Brush Brush, in small circular
movement along instep then curving out towards centre
Yemenite (Lback, close R, LF)
R Brush Brush in small circular
movement along instep then curving out towards outside.
Nightwalking
danced unjoined. 4 parts. Starts with Left foot.
Rhythm of Slow, quick quick
1. Facing round circle. LF (R L in place, gentle stamp to
heartbeat in music, which is walking in desert), repeat x 8
2. Facing into centre. 8 small steps into C in time to music
while raising Left arm to above head as in moon rising
3 Ghostg step on spot L touch on spot, L side, R touch on
spot, R step to left. x 8 (confirm)
4 8 small steps back while lowering arm
Pat Welch says, it's walking alone in the night desert with your
ancestors and your tribe around you, walking with your ghosts, for
wisdom. The arm movement is the moon rising and setting, a gentle
light illuminating your darkness. The Ghost step is a reminder that you
are never alone. Shaker says on his website
that the Lakota were dancing this prayer dance at Wounded Knee, seeking
guidance from their ancestors, just before the massacre.
t
ABunDance or Hot Cross Buns
(an Easter Dance, a jolly, moving-round-the circle dance)
5 bits of pattern, and the music was 4/4?,
- facing partner,
passing right shoulder to right shoulder, 4 steps
forward,4 backwards ,then 4 sideways to
the right(R, Lclose, R, Ltouch),then 4 sideways to the left
- elbow hold with
partner and 360 circle plus moving on to next partner in 10 beats
- Facing new partner,
jumping with both feet together diagonally forward to the Right; back
where you came
from; diag f to the Left;
back where you came from. with hands held up as little paws or as
waggly ears
- hands slapping on
knees, hands clapping at chest height, hands clapping with partners hands
- running round in
one's own individual circle in 8 beats
HORA
DE LA CORBASCA
taught by Corry in Witnesham
Suffolk, March 2006.. workshop organised
by Sally Fletcher Music on Corry's cd.
3 parts.
Pattern is A, B, A, C, A, B.....
Part A. Starts on left
foot. W hold.
Moving to the left, facing
along the left.
L,R, L as cha cha cha or qqS
R, L, R, as chacha cha
(turn to face centre) and
Grapevine to the left, swinging hands down and up with the movement.
Ls, Rxb, Ls, R touch.
Repeat x 4.
Part B. (simple in)
LF, RB, LXB in big swirl (as
if for Miserlou), swivel to face Right along line of dance, R
Side but swivel to face Right, LF pointing Right along line of dance,
RB,Left Back and swivel to face Centre, RXF turning to face
LEFT along line of dance, LF, RF.
Part C (complicated
In) Arms in W.
1. facing and moving
diagonally left towards centre to make pie wedge. LF,
Rtouch, R,L,R as chachacha
2. Move backwards and
straight out from centre RB, LB, R side
3. 3 twizzles to Right, Using
hips, swivelling on R at the same time as LXF
4. 2 steps back, L, R
Tsamikos Kharditsa
facing the centre. Hands in W hold. Danced across the
music. I think. Very restrained and inward, small steps,
unusually, danced by women, most of them are men's dances...thanks
heli...
music by Xenos "Fire in the Feet". Taught to me by heli, and steps in
Fire in the Feet booklet by Laura Shannon.
R side, LXB, R side, LXF, R side, LXF, * R side, L forward,
R
replace, Tsamikos (turning slightly to face left
along line of dance,
keeping the feet with Left in front, right behind, do a 3step Hesitate
LRL in a Hes-i-tate pattern Q,Q,Slow, not moving forward ) RXF, Lside
(facing into centre), RF into centre, L replace,
start sequence again.
* have also danced it RS LXF, RS, LXB, RS, LXB
DEVOJKA
MARI HUBAVA
Rhodopes, Bulgaria
notes created by Yves Moreau from his workshop in London, Sept 2005
(via Sally Fletcher). Taught originally to me by heli,
Walberswick, Dec 2005
A basic 10 measure Pravo from the Rhodopes done to a wellknown and
loved folk song.
Face Centre, W hold.
Intro: 20 measures (instrumental) Start with song.
Fig 1. Basic Step, Melody A, song
1. Facing centre, step R on R (1), step on L in front
of R (2)
2. Step on R to R (1) lift L ft slightly across R (2)
3 Step on L in front of R (1) lift R ft behind L calf
(2)
4 Facing Centre, sway to R onto R (1) hold (2)
5 Facing Centre, step back onto L onto L (1) hold (2)
6-30 Repeat measures 1-5 x 5 more times
Fig 2: in and out diagonally, melody B - instrumental
1 Facing centre, step forward diagonally R onto R (1)
step diag fwd on L (2)
2 Step diag fwd onto R (1) slight lift onto R raising
L knee (2)
3 Step fwd onto L beginning to face diag fwd L (1)
slight lift onto L raising R knee (2)
4 Facing centre, back out with two walking steps R-L
(1,2)
5 Facing diag fwd L, step back onto R (1) slight lift
onto R raising L knee (2)
6-10 repeat pattern 1-5 with reverse direction and
footwork.
Repeat dance from beginning
Translation
Beautiful,girl, pour me some
wine
and brandy. Lets drink
and get drunk
and compare sad stories.
Let's see who has the saddest one.
Young and crazy man, my story
is the saddest one, for I have a dowry to prepare.
Young girl, My story is even
sadder for I have to go to the army.
We do not even own a
house. It is sad.
We'll never live together....
***********************************************************************************
DANCING ON WATER
Dance by Brenda Kelly. Klezmer music by finjan from Canada from "A
Jewish Odyssey" PUT 182-2
Taught to me by Anna at Hugh and Annie's Easter 2005 Youlgreave
Start after 8 bars intro, i.e.with the tune.
Pattern 1
W hold facing Right moving round LOD
RF LTouch close (1,2) , LF, Rtouch close,(3,4) RF (1, 2) LF,(3,4
) RF (q) LBack (q) RBack (q) and face Centre
Yemenite moving diagonally left Right back,L close, Right forward
and swivel ,
Yemenite moving diagonally right Left Back, R close,
Left Forward, and swivel to face diag. Left,
Yemenite,moving diagonally left RB, Lt, RF and swinging arms up
and down on the BTF of the yemenites.
Facing centre, Lstep to Left along LOD, R Touch
Close. REPEAT
Pattern 2
facing Centre
R side, LXB (q), replace Right (q); Lside, RXB (q), Left replace
(q).
RF, LF, RF (q) dip with arms to V, , L Back (q), R Back (q), L
Back, (q), bringing arms up on back
steps
REPEAT
Pattern 3 (x4)
facing centre, moving to
Right: Left Brush forward and swing
round behind i.e. ; LBrush, LXB (q), Right Side,(q), LXF;
facing Right along LOD:
R(q), L (q), R,(q) "Big Steps":
Facing
Centre
Left side, R touch
close.
End: bring arms down in front of you in an arc at the very end of
the music
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JOC
DE FETE (pro Joc day Fetay)
Rumanian. Fete is a
girl's name. Taught to me by Sally Fletcher in Ipswich on Wed am
folk-dancing class, March 2006
5/4 time.
1st
Pattern
W hold facing into centre
Moving diagonally forward to
the right into centre : R, L, R: L touch and swivel (count 1, 2,
3, 4, and)
Moving diagonally Backward to
the right back to LOD: R, L, R: L touch and swivel (count 1,2,3,4
and)
(Repeat)
Half Chirkassie facing into
centre: RXF, L Back, R side, L close, (count 1, 2, 3, 4, and)
facing into centre
moving to the right: R side, L close, R side, L close (count 1, 2, 3,
4, and)
facing into centre: L step
left, R close stamp, R step right, L close stamp (count 1, 2, 3, 4, and)
2nd
Pattern
Grapevine x 2 to Right:
LXF, R side, LXB, R side, LXF, R side, LXB, R side (count 1, 2, 3, 4,
and)
3rd
Pattern
facing into centre LXF, R
back, L back R forward, (count 1, 2, 3, 4, and)
Swing the left round to
front, (count 1,2), Step on L and bounce (count 3,4 and)
R back L Back, R
Back, L Back, (count
1, 2, 3, 4, and)
facing into centre: L step
left, R close stamp, R step right, L close stamp (count 1, 2, 3, 4, and)
4th
Pattern
Instrumental
2 x Grapevines to Left:
RXF, LS, RXB, LS, RXF, LS, RXB, LS,
Start again with !st Pattern
***********************************************************************************
HARVEST
MOON
by Rosie Fagg to the Music by Neil Young. Taught by Tony
Mounter, June 2005.
Begin Dance just before he
sings.
1st
Pattern Facing
to the right, moving round circle to right. L arm behind back, R
arm across front. Hands held as in half-Nelson.
R, slip step diag. backward,
L slipstep diag forwards
x 2
2nd
Pattern. Facing
centre, arms to V hold
R step to side, L back, Right
side, L x fwd. x 2
3rd
Pattern. Facing
Centre, arms to W hold.
(Moving towards centre), R
slipstep fwd, L Rock back , R rock forward, L slipstep fwd, R rock
back, L rock fwd,
Turn to face right round
circle of dance, L arm behind back R arm across front. Hands held
as in half-Nelson.
Start again.
***********************************************************************************
NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT
for Shirley
choreographed by me, Annie, in Feb 2006, because Shirley likes to dance
to Modern music!
4/4 time. 3.02
minutes long. Track
from "The Glory of Gershwin" featuring Larry Adler. Sung by
Sting. Mercury 522 727 - 2
Basic Patterns.
Pattern 1.
6 step cocek: R diagonally Back, Lxb, RSide,
Ltouch, LForward, Rtouch.
Arms in W
hold.
Pattern 2.
4 steps into centre (R,L,R,L) moving into Group Hug.
Sway to R
(1,2), Sway to L (3,4)
4 steps
Back to circle (R,L,R,L) moving arms to Self Hug
Sway to R
(1,2), Sway to L (3,4)
Pattern 3.
Circles and Grapevine
( Arms in V
position doing wavy things with hands like Black and White Minstrels)
circle to Right counting 8 beats (i.e. turning in quarters, R, L,
R, L, R, L, (now facing centre) Sway to R, quick L,R
circle to
Left counting 8 beats as
above
L, R, L, R, L, R, Sway L, quick R L
2 x
Grapevines to Right. R, Lxf, R, Lxb, R, Lxf, R, Lxb (Arms
joined in W hold)
***************************************************************************************
How the Dance Works Out.
Instrumental
Intro 2 bars plus 1,2.
Stand still.
Vocal Intro
6 Patterns of 6 step cocek
Brass wiggle
4 bars = 2 x
360 circles only (no grapevines)
2 verses of
song "Holding hands at
midnight" & "Strolling with the one girl"
- 5 x Pattern 1 Cocek plus 1,2 R,L
(8 bars)
1st
chorus "Just imagine someone"
- Pattern 2, into centre and back out
again R, L, R, L group hug, R,L,R,L, Self Hug
3rd verse of
song "Loving One who loves you And then
taking that vow, Nice work if you can get it, And if you get it oh
won't you tell me" - 3 XPatt.1
How" - Pattern 3.
2 x 360 circles, COUNTING HARD!! plus
Instrumental
2 x Grapevines . R, Lxf, R,
Lxb, R, Lxf, R, Lxb
Instrumental with
clarinet 5 x Pattern 1, cocek +
1,2
2nd chorus
"Just imagine someone" -
Pattern 2, into
centre and back out again R, L, R, L group hug, R,L,R,L, Self Hug
Instrumental
8 x Pattern
1, cocek, +1,2, 3,4
3rd chorus
"Just imagine someone"
- Pattern 2, into
centre and back out again R, L, R, L group hug, R,L,R,L, Self Hug
3 verse of
song "Loving
One who loves you And then taking that vow, Nice work if you can
get
it, And if you get it oh won't you tell me" - 3 X
Patt.1
How" - Pattern 3.
2 x 360 circles, COUNTING HARD!! plus
Instrumental
2 x Grapevines . R, Lxf, R,
Lxb, R, Lxf, R, Lxb
Ending in
R side. Arms Thrown Up, and Head
Back! Style - Flamboyant!
************************************************************************************************************************************
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