Michanicos (Greek)

Formation	Open circle. Low W-hold (Part A) & V-hold (Part B).
Dance Structure	((A x 6) + (B1 + B2).
Music Structure	4 counts/bar. 2 bar phrases for Part A, 4 bar phrases for Part B.
Music Speed	130 counts/min for Part A, 170 counts/min for Part B.
Source	Cristina Casarini at the Eastbourne International Folkdance Festival, UK, 2009.

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 Cristina Casarini.

A simple Greek dacne with contrasting slow & fast (both simple) parts and a story anent sponge fishers.

Part A represents a disabled sponge fisherman who has been partly paralysed after getting the bends, which used to be a common injury in the days of low-safety diving-suited natural sponge harvesting.

Part B1 + B2, I guess, represents the lively character of young active sponge fishers (successful sponge fishers traditionally lived a boisterous high life, being relatively highly paid members of their poor communities, and respected for their dangerous work). (Part B2 is just Part B1 repeated with a transition to Part A at the end.)

I don't know why a dance about sponge fishers is called 'Michanicos' meaning 'Mechanic'.

Style: Part A slow, doddery & a bit shaky as if disabled. Part B lively light casual & joyful.

Part A

Summary: R forwards slow, L forwards, R in place. Ditto backwards on opposite feet.

Start

Facing the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot. Low W-hold (hands about elbow height infront).

1-2	R forwards.
3	L forwards.
4	R in place.

1-2	L backwards.
3	R backwards.
4	L in place.

Part B1

Summary: Facing in, travel in solo circle with (Step x 3, hop) x 4 starting R foot.

Arms

V-hold.

Feet

Start

Weight on L foot.

1	R.
2	L.
3	R.
4	R hop.

Repeat bar 1 on opposite feet (L, R, L, L hop)

3-4

Repeat bars 1-2 (3 steps starting R, R hop. Ditto on opposite feet.)

Path

Travel in a cw solo circle (about 1.5 m diameter). Keep facing the centre of the circle during this (one cannot turn fully round anyway as one is holding hands with neighbours). The circle starts by going in (& slightly left to curve it) and ends with last bar mainly going L (cw around the main circle).

Alternatively it can be described as a square of 3 steps & ahop on each of the sides of inwards forwards, to the R sideways, out backwards & to the L sideway but with the corners rounded off.

Part B2

Summary: Part B1 x 0.75. Sway L slow, R, L.

1-3

As Part B1 bars 1-3 (facing in, travel in 270 deg of a solo circle with (step x 3, hop) x 3 starting R foot).

1-2	L to the side swaying L.
3	Sway R.
4	Sway L.

The last 2 sways do not feel twice as fast as the first one. This is because the music slows down during that bar.