Svekrvino oro (Macedonia)

Formation	Open circle.
Dance Structure	Single sequence repeated throughout the music.
Music Structure	4 counts/bar, 4 bar phrases.
Music Speed	110 counts/minute rising to 210 counts/minute.
Translation	Mother-in-law's dance.
Choreographer	Ciga & Ivon Despotovic.
Source	Paja Milić at the 2009 Eastbourne International Folkdance Festival, UK.

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 Paja Milić.

Hip motion in dances is usually associated (other than Latin American & Elvis Presley) with women's dances (e.g. Belly dance) in the UK but the hip motion in this dance, besides being macho styled, has an explanation in the men's traditional costume of the region it came from. The costume included a short kilt worn over the leg coverings which these hip motions would cause to dramatically flick round.

Also somewhat unexpected by British standards is the name for a macho dance. It did not mean that it was done by mothers-in-law or that related to insulting mother-in-law stereotypes but that it was done by a groom to impress his potential mother-in-law showing that he was a fit man to marry her daughter.

Style: Heavy. Very macho. Crouched down when travelling round so as to emphasise the lifts. W-holds are high ones. All motions, other than hip thrusts, slow & forceful to look strong. Steps onto flat feet. Hip thrusts sharp, strong & dramatic.

Introduction

Summary: Start at beginning of a phrase.

The music starts with an introduction then the drum comes in for 3 bars before the start of the first complete 4 bar phrase of the main theme. One can start the dance at the start of that first 4 bar phrase.

Alternatively wait through a whole number of phrases after that and improvise slow strong-looking leg lifts during that before starting at the beginning of another 4 bar phrase.

Whole Sequence

Summary: (R forwards, L slow lift, L forwards) x 2 acw around circle. Facing centre w-hold, R side, L close touch, L hip thrust, pause. Mirror (but hip same). L infront, R across infront, L in place, R lift. Raise on L leg with R tucked behind. (Backwards R, L) x 4 returning to V-hold.

Start

Facing acw around the circle. V-hold. Weight on L foot. Crouched down (knees bent & torso (with head parallel to it) learning forwards).

1	R forwards.
2-3	L lift bringing it forwards. The lift is mainly by flexing the L knee & hip but also partly by straightening the R knee. The lift reaches maximum (only about 5-15 cm off the ground) beside R leg on count 3.
4	L forwards flexing R knee ready for next step.

Repeat bar 1 (R forwards, L slow lift, L forwards).

Feet	Turning to face the centre of the circle, R to the side & infront. The hips end up facing about 30 deg acw of the direction to the centre of the circle with R hip over R foot (i.e. L hip is twisted back). Making the step to the side R large makes this turning easier.
Torso	Straightens up (head likewise).
Arms	To high V-hold.

L close without weight transfer.

Sharply swivel hips so that they face the centre of the circle. This is basically a rotation of the pelvis cw about the R hip bringing the L hip forwards whilst straightening knees and abruptly stopping when reaching standing straight.

Pause

1	L to the side turning hips as in bar 3 count 1 (note that in this bar the footwork looks the mirror image of bar 3 but the hips are in the same direction as bar 3 which feels a bit confusing at first).
2	R close (note that in this bar the footwork looks the mirror image of bar 3 but this step takes weight unlike the close of bar 3 which can be a source of error).
3	As bar 3 count 3 (hip thrust).
4	Pause.

1	L in place.
2	R across infront. Return knees to flexed during this.
3	L in place.
4	R lift commencing bringing it around behind.

1	Tuck R foot behind L knee.
2-3	Rise up slowly & strongly on L leg (by straightening L knee & raising L heel).
4	Pause.

7-8

Feet

1	R back.
2	L back.
3-8	Repeat counts 1-2 (back on R & L) thrice more (making 8 steps backwards in total).

Arms

Lower down steadily with straight elbows ending in V-hold.

Stance

Steadily regain the crouched (knees bent & torso learning forwards) stance.