| Formation | Open circle. W-hold. |
|---|---|
| Dance Structure | ((A x 2) + (B x 4) + C) repeated throughout the music. |
| Music Structure | 3 counts/bar, 7 beats/bar, 4 bar phrases. |
| Music Speed | 105 counts/min. |
| Source | Corry Verheijen in her day course in Witnesham 2006. |
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 Corry Verheijen.
A flowing feeling dance that fits well its gentle emotional sounding music. However, although it initially seems to be basic as the ubiquitous Lesnoto, Makedonsko & Invanitsa, it is actually a lot more involved and tricky when one comes to try to memorise it because of the variations. The lyrics to the music are also far from what one would guess from the atmosphere!
The music counts "ONE-a Two three", i.e. 3 counts with the 1st one longer. This is conventionally written in Western music notation as 7 beats grouped as 3+2+2. There is distinct music for each part with that for Part C instrumental and livelier (but not faster).
Although the music sounds sweet & romantic or Sacred/Circle Dance spiritual, the words are very different. It is a joking song where the singers ask if there is any wine, red wine, and ask to be given it. The singers then repeat for money, much money, and girls, young girls, asking to be given them too (even though it is song by women in the recording I have, I suppose it was originally sung by men not lesbians). The final verse is asking for grandmothers, old grandmothers, but the singers then tell those whom they are asking that they can keep the old grandmothers for themselves!
I learnt this dance & the styling from Corry but I resorted to the (Dutch) notes in 'Doe Dans Basics 2' (ISBN 90-6542-060-6) for the formal timings of the steps.
Style: Macedonian. Light, smooth & upright. Lifts are knee-led with the supporting foot flat on the ground. The bounces during the lifts are very subtle. W-hold is with the hands infront of the plane of the body. Step lengths are long enough to give a flowing feeling and cover a reasonably long amount of ground in Parts A & B but smaller in the Triple Steps of Part C.
Summary: 16 bars.
16 bars (2 x Part C music). Start when the singing starts.
Summary: R side, L lift across infront, L across, R side, L across. L & R lifts.
| Start | Facing the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot. | ||||||
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| 1 |
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| 2 |
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| 3 |
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| 4 | Repeat bar 3 in mirror image (L in place, lift R across with bounce, bounce again). |
Summary: R side, L across behind, R side, L lift across infront, L across. L & R lifts.
| Start | Facing the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot. | ||||||
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| 1 |
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| 2 |
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| 3-4 | As Part A bars 3-4 (R in place, lift L across with bounce, bounce again, repeat in mirror image). |
The confusing feature here is that the distinctive steps are almost the same as in Part A but in a different order such that they not only occur in different parts of the bar structure, but because of the different length counts, have slightly different durations.
Summary: To R starting R foot in Triple Step x 2, walk x 2. Facing centre lift L. To L in Triple Step x 2. Back out in 3 steps & close.
| Start | Facing 45 deg cw of the direction to the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot. | ||||||||
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| 1 |
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| 2 | Repeat bar 1 but on opposite feet (facing 45 deg cw of the direction to the centre of the circle, raise R heel, Triple Step (L, R, L) cw around the circle). | ||||||||
| 3 |
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| 4 |
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| 5-6 | Repeat bars 1-2 in mirror image (raise R heel & Triple Step to the L starting L foot, mirror travelling to the L). | ||||||||
| 7 |
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| 8 |
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The distinctive styling in this part is the preparatory heel lifts that occur just before (hence inserted as '&' counts) some of the steps (of course, those '&' counts that are before 1 counts should technically be put at the end of the preceding bars but it is clearer to write them next to the steps they blend into).
The music ends at the end of a Part B so end with the R foot raised infront as it is at that point in the sequence.