Gaïda Gynekíos Makedonikos (Greece)

Alternative Names	'Gaïda Gynekíos Makedonikos' is the transcribed name given by Dick when teaching. 'Gaida Gynekios Makedonikos' is it reduced to ASCII by missing off the accents. 'Gaïda Floyéras' is the transcribed name given to it by Dick on the CD.
Formation	Open circle or lines lead about the room by a leader on the right hand end. V-hold & fortress hold.
Dance Structure	Part A repeated throughout the slow part of the music & Part B repeated throughout the subsequent fast section. Part A has two variations, Part B has 4.
Music Structure	6 irregular counts/bar, 2 bar phrases. (That is how I count it; it could well be something different in standard musical notation.)
Music Speed	12 bars/min in the slow section & 36 bars/min in the fast section.
Source	Dick van de Zwan at the 2002 Balkan Festival in Zetten.

Disclaimer: Mistakes are quite likely in the notes and no guarantees are made as to accuracy. There may be other versions of the same dance or other dances with the same name. Music may differ, particularly in speed, introduction and duration, between performers. The division into parts, bars & counts might not be standard. These notes of the dance are freely distributable (under GPL or CC-by-sa) 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. Better than using notes, go to a dance class where it is taught by Dick van de Zwan.

A Greek/Macedonian dance done to a non-straightforward rhythm with a slow & a fast variation and a collection of sub-variations. The slow variation is exceptionally slow!

The rhythm of the music sounds, to me, like "ONE-A two Three-a four Five six ONE-A two Three-a four Fiiive twiddle" for a two bar phrase but that is unlikely to be how the beats would be considered in standard musical notation. That is probably not how the teacher considered it either because I think Dick mentioned that the meter was quick-quick-quick-slow-quick-slow-quick; however but I might be totally wrong anent that because he was speaking in Dutch and my ability in spoken Dutch is almost nil.

It starts with Part A, variation A1. After some time the leader changes it to variation A2. When the music changes, change to part B, variation B1. The leader can then call changes cyclically through variations (in the order B1, B2, B3, B4 & back to B1) as they want. These can be infrequent changes or even changes on every verse. Typically, it cycled twice through the variations.

Style: Upright, very small flat steps (other than specifically mentioned lifts but even those are quite low), not bouncy, very controlled.

Introduction

Summary: None.

There is no specific introductory music so start at the beginning or after whole number of phrases.

Part A1

Summary: A1 but with pauses instead of bounces.

This is identical to part A2 except that the bounces in the L lifts and the hook in the R lift are omitted. (The timing of the steps is the same so those become just slow lifts instead.) This is actually more difficult than including the bounces because one has to remember the slows rather than doing something on every step.

Part A2

Summary: Very slow. To R with R, L brush, L lift x2. To centre with L, R lift. R close, L lift x 3, L close, R hook.

Start

Facing acw round the circle. V-hold.

1	Walk R forwards.
2	Brush L foot forwards past R into a L lift.
3	Bounce (by slightly flexing R knee & restraightening it) lifted L foot.
4	Repeat count 3 (bounce with L ft raised).
5	Walk L forwards commencing turning to face the centre.
6	R lift slightly completing turn to face the centre.

1	R close.
2	Lift L infront.
3-4	Repeat bar 1 counts 3-4 (bounce twice with L ft raised).
5	L close.
6	Lift R foot and slightly hook (kick its heel back) it infront over the L foot. This is the only bit of Part which is at all sharply done (and even then only slightly sharp).

Part B1

Summary: Faster. R side, L across behind, R side. Lift L & R.

Start

Facing the centre. Fortress hold.

1	R to the side.
2	L across behind.
3	R to the side.
4	L lift across infront.
5	L close.
6	R lift across infront.

Part B2

Summary: As B1 but touch infront instead of lift.

Start

Facing the centre. Fortress hold.

1-3	As variation B1 (R side, L across behind, R side).
4	Touch L foot gently to the floor a little (about 1/2 to 1 foot lengths) infront without weight and draw it back along the floor (i.e. a horse pawing step).
5	L close.
6	Touch R foot to the floor (as L did in count 4).

Part B3

Summary: As B1 but rock infront onto L x 2 & drop on L instead of lift sequence.

Start

Facing the centre. Fortress hold.

1-3	As variation B1 (R side, L across behind, R side).
4	L forwards little taking weight.
&	Transfer weight back onto R foot leaving L foot in place infront.
5	Transfer onto L foot again.
&	Transfer weight back onto R foot leaving L foot in place infront.
6	Drop forwards onto L foot raising R foot up behind.

Part B4

Summary: As B3 but rock onto R & L instead of L x 2.

Start

Facing the centre. Fortress hold.

1-3	As variation B1 (R side, L across behind, R side).
&	Subtly transfer weight back onto L foot in place ready for the following.
4	R forwards little taking weight.
&	Transfer weight back onto L foot. Fudge in a R close to be on the correct foot for the next step.
4	L forwards little taking weight.
&	Transfer weight back onto R foot leaving L foot in place infront.
6	Drop forwards onto L foot raising R foot up behind.

Ending

There was no special ending but the leaders usually tried to end on variation B4 when the music ran out.