Heyamo (Turkey/Georgia)

Region detail	From the Laz people spanning the border of Turkish-Georgian border.
Dance Structure	2 variations. Line leader chooses when to change.
Formation	Short lines. Teapot (variation 1) & W- (variation 2) hold.
Music Structure	2 counts/bar, 6 bars/phrase.
Music Speed	48 counts/min.
Pronunciation	"h-ay-Y-am-or".
Source	Maggie O'Regan (who learnt it from Jan Knoppers (who learnt it from Ahmet Lüleci) at the 2012 SIFD Summer School in Swansea) at Witnesham, UK, in 2013.

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.

A quiet dance done in short lines with 2 variations (one with emphasis on leg motions, the other with emphasis on arm motions) of which different lines can change between independently. Gentle moving sung music with a touching origin story.

The origin of the song was that some Laz communities spanned the river which came to be the boundary between Turkey & Georgia after WWI. The relatives were banned from meeting and shouting/singing across the river became the way to keep in touch. This song is a work-song based on that.

The recording of the song used for this dance originally had an introduction nearly a minute long of a calling conversation at the start but for International Dance use that is usually trimmed off to save waiting through it before each time through the dance.

I have come across another version/variation with different hand hold (hands flat & touching edge to edge with neighbour) but I've stuck to these two variations here as they came via a known series of reliable & detailed folk dance teachers.

Style: Gentle, calm & controlled. Steps (& sways) are all done with a small bounce (down-up as the weight is taken done by a flexing & straightening of the knees). The teapot-hold is with the L hand on ones own hip & ones R hand loosely draped through the arm loop of the person on ones R. The W-hold is with ones hands approx 30-40cm infront of ones shoulders. Do not overtake other lines.

Introduction

Summary: 1 phrase.

If using the uncut version of the tune with the calling conversation at the start, wait through that. Then wait through the 1 phrase (6 bars) & start at the beginning of the next phrase.

Variation 1

Summary: Teapot hold. Facing 45 deg R. Travel forwards R starting L ft in ss-sqq-sqq. R forwards, L back-bike to touch. Facing centre, sway L R L. R back-bike to touch

Start

Facing 45 deg cw of direction to the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot. Teapot hold.

1	R forwards travelling acw around the circle.
2	L forwards likewise.

1	R forwards likewise.
2	L forwards likewise.
&	R forwards likewise.

Repeat bar 2 on opposite feet but travelling the same way (acw around the circle in slow-quick-quick L, R, L ).

R forwards likewise.

L small back-bicycling lift ending in L close slightly infront without weight transfer. The path the leg moves on in this is the foot firstly moves out forwards about 40 cm, close to the floor and horizontal with the knee straight. Then the knee raises & flexes whilst the foot returns to perpendicular to the lower leg cycling back & down to end with the ball of the foot gently touching to the floor about 15 cm ahead of were it closed to the supporting foot. Maximum lift height is only about 10 cm [somehow I originally remembered it as being a big lift but in our video it is a small lift].

1	Turning to face the centre of the circle, L to the side & sway L.
2	Sway R.

1	Sway L.
2	R small back-bicycling lift to touch as bar 4 count 2 but on the other foot & done facing the centre.

Variation 2

Summary: As variation 1 but W-hold & replace L touch with L across infront (arms down) & replace. Arms windscreen wiper same side as leading foot when travelling.

Start

Facing 45 deg cw of direction to the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot. W-hold.

1-3

Feet	As variation 1 bars 1-3.
Arms	Rotate the forearms windscreen wiper style to the hands about 20 cm to the R of their neutral W-hold position when stepping on to the R ft. Likewise to the L when stepping onto the L ft. (Hence arms go, starting to the R, in rhythm ss-sqq-sqq).

As with previous steps, like variation 1 bar 4 count 1 (R forwards) but with arms moving (to the R).

Feet	L across infront.
Arms	Down to V-hold.

R in place.

5-6

As variation 1 bars 5-6 (L to the side swaying L, sway R, sway L, R back-bike touch) but with the arms returning to W-hold during the L to the side & remaining in W-hold (no windscreen wiper motions).