Mari Kız
(Moldova)

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

Region detail From the Gagauz ethnic minority.
Dance Structure (A x 4) + (B x 2) repeated throughout the music.
Formation Open circle. V-hold.
Music Structure 6 beats bar/bar, 4 counts/phrase (SQQS), 4 bars/phrase.
Music Speed 80 counts/min, 120 beats/min.
Alternative names 'Mari Kız' is the original spelling.
'Mari Kiz' is it converted to ASCII by missing off the accents.
Translation 'Mary, girl'.
Source Lee Otterholt (who learnt it from Roberto Bagnoli) at his course for Balkanplus in London, 2018.

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 Roberto Bagnoli or Lee Otterholt.

Gentle beautiful sounding music and a dance which feels gentle even though steps are not that small & the tempo is not that slow. Distinctive feeling but not difficult.

The music is 6 beats per bar but I count it (like Lee Otterholt did) as "ONE two Three four" with counts 1 & 4 double the length of counts 2 & 3. The steps are L & R steps throughout (the easiest mistake to make is to do a R touch close instead of a R step close at the end of a Part A or Part B).

Style: Gentle but controlled. The slow steps on counts 1 & 4 are more like a step on the first half of the count (first beat) then a pause (but not spiky staccato) than spread out through the counts. The L steps on count 1 of each bar have a slight dip by bending the knees during the step (not the pause) which one rises up from in count 2.

Introduction

Summary: 8 bars instrumental.

Start with the singing which is after 8 bars.

Part A

Summary: SQQS throughout. L across infront, R side, L close, R side. Ditto but L across behind. Repeat all but end L in place, R close.

Start Facing the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot.
1
1a L across infront.
2 R to the side.
3 L close.
4a R to the side.
2
1a L across behind.
2-4a As bar 1 counts 2-4a (R side, L close, R side).
3 Repeat bar 1 but (L across infront, R side, L close, R side).
4
1a-2 As bar 2 counts 1a-2 (L across behind, R side).
3 L in place. This involves a sway to the L.
4a R close. Naturally it feels like it would be without weight transfer but it does have weight transfer as the next step is with the L leg.

Part B

Summary: SQQS throughout. In obtuse diagonally R 4 steps starting L ft. L forwards, (R in place, L close) turning to back out. Out backward obtuse diagonally L 4 steps starting L ft. Repeat Part A bar 4.

Start Facing the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot.
1
1a Turning to face diagonally in, L forward. The diagonal is obtuse, about 70 deg cw of the direction to the centre of the circle. The steps are about 50 cm. The combination results in Part B travelling about 3-4 m around the circle, which is longer than is common for diagonally in 4 steps & out.
2 R forwards.
3 L forwards.
4a R forwards.
2
1a L forwards. Slight lift of R foot behind.
2 R in place. During this & the next step, turn to face the opposite diagonal direction (about 70 deg acw of the direction to the centre of the circle).
3 L close.
4a R forwards. Slight lift of L foot behind.
3 As bar I but backwards (L back, R back, L back, R back) on the other obtuse diagonal.
4 Facing the centre of the circle, as Part A bar 4 but (L across behind, R side, L in place, R close).

Notes by Andrew Hardwick.
Written 2018-9-10.
Contact (email:info@duramecho.com).
Available on-line at http://duramecho.com.