Hovs Bashi
(Armenia)

[Full notes] [Summary notes] [Other dances & the source code]

Formation Circle. W-hold.
Dance Structure Short sequence repeated throughout the music.
Music Structure 4 counts/bar (but 6 beats/bar), 4 bars/phrase.
Music Speed 115 counts/min.
Translation 'Around a [sacred] fountain [or small pool]'. A 'Hovs' is a fountain. A 'Bashi' is a dance leader.
Source Shakeh Avanessian at her Armenian day course in Little Bealings Suffolk, 2004.

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 Shakeh Avanessian.

A light happy traditional Armenian girls dance. Danced around a fountain with kicks as if splashing the water. 'Hovs' is pronounced 'hoe-vz'.

Style: Light & happy with optional playful light bounciness. Smiling. Armenian W-hold has elbows about 10 cm out from the sides & about 10 cm infront of where they would be if the upper arms were vertically down, the forearms horizontal & straight forwards and the wrists bent 90 deg backwards so palms face forwards and fingers point up but curled. Hand hold has ones R hand palm to back of next person's L hand (from moving thither from normal V-hold without releasing).

Introduction

Start at the beginning of any phrase (traditionally dancers join & leave ad hoc).

Whole sequence

Summary: Grapevine R (starting R side, L across behind) with arms (W, down, R, W). Ditto (R in place with arms down, splash L with arms forwards), mirror. Ditto.

Start Facing the centre. W-hold.
1
1
Feet R to the side.
Arms W-hold.
Head Look towards the centre of the circle.
2
Feet L across behind.
Arms Down to V-hold.
Head Look down.
3
Feet R to the side.
Arms W-hold but hands to the R (laterally shifted so L hand is about level with R side of body).
Head Look to the R.
4
Feet L across infront.
Arms Up to W-hold.
Head Look towards the centre of the circle.
2 Repeat 1 (Grapevine R with arms W-hold, V-hold, R, W-hold)
2
1
Feet R in place.
Arms V-hold, swing slightly back.
2
Feet Kick L foot across to the R as if splashing water with the R side of the foot (like passing a football to the R with L foot except that the knee is straight and the leg is raised). The L foot rises about 40 cm above the ground. Optionally hop on R foot whilst doing so.
Arms V-hold, swing forwards about 30 deg.
Head Look up to the R. (The up is a coy playful one that comes naturally as the torso leans back a bit twists to face a bit to the R during the kick.)
3-4 Repeat count 1 in mirror image (splash with R foot to the L).
4 Repeat bar 3 (splash with L, splash with R).

Notes by Andrew Hardwick.
Written 2004/6/30. Typo correction 2008/5/28. Updated 2013/1/25.
Contact (email:info@duramecho.com).
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