Zimushka
(Russia)

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

Alternative Names 'Зимушка' is the original spelling.
'Zimushka' is an English transcription by Hennie.
'Simuschka' is a German transcription by Hennie.
Translation Little Winter.
Formation Circle. V-hold.
Dance Structure (A1 + B + A2 + (C1 + C2) + D) x 3.
Music Structure 4 counts/bar. 11 bar phrases.
Music Speed 115 counts/min.
Choreographer Hennie Konings & Roozs.
Musicians Ozorniye Naigrishi.
Source Hennie Konings in his Russian/Ukrainian course in Bognor Regis in 2005.

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 Hennie Konings.

A gentle, but continually moving, Russian dance to pleasantly unusual music. It was based on a choreography by a dance company called "Roozs" (approx. phonetic transcription) based in turn on elements from the traditional dance called "Vladimia" (approx. phonetic transcription). 'Zimushka', 'Little Winter', is a term that used as an encouragingly positive alternative to 'Zima', 'Winter'.

The main beat in the music is, unusually, in the high pitches not the low. It is a bell which sounds on every count. The bell does not vary throughout the main music and the phrasing, being so long, doesn't help much either. There is a low bass note coincident with the bell on the first count of every bar. However the bass note is similarly sounded at a few other places too. Fitting to the odd 11 bar phrasing disrupts the symmetry of Part C (being 7 bars instead of the 4 or 8 expected from the clear pattern of Part A) and leaves a stray lone bar on the to be filled in with Part D.

Style: Gliding with small steps but continually moving. Toe leads, flat footed, feet skim the floor. Back upright. Stamps are gentle.

Introduction

Summary: Start 8 counts after ringing starts. Walk in R L R. Stamp L. Ditto out on opposite feet.

Wait until the bell starts ringing then do the following introductory steps in the 4 bars which follow.

Start Facing the centre of the circle. V-hold.
1-2 Remain stationary.
3
1 R forwards.
2 L forwards.
3 R forwards.
4 Stamp L forwards on heel without weight transfer.
4 Repeat bar 3 on opposite feet travelling out backwards (walk L R L backwards, R heel stamp).

Part A1

Summary: Walk 16 steps acw.

Start Facing acw around the circle. V-hold.
1
1 R forwards.
2 L forwards.
3-4 Repeat counts 1-2 (walk R L forwards).
2-4 Repeat bar 1 thrice more (making 16 steps around the circle in total).

Part B

Summary: 8 steps in raising arms. 3 steps & stamp to face L. Ditto R. Ditto centre. 8 steps out lowering arms.

Start Facing the centre of the circle. V-hold.
1-2
Feet Repeat Part A1 bars 1-2 but going into the circle (walk 8 steps in starting with R foot).
Arms Smoothly raise arms to a high W-hold.
3
Feet
1 Step on R.
2 Step on L.
3 Step on R.
4 Stamp L on heel without weight transfer.
Direction Turn smoothly 90 deg acw to face cw around the circle.
Arms L hand goes to above head of person on ones left, R hand goes above ones own head.
4 Repeat bar 3 in mirror image but the turn needs to be 180 deg cw to end facing acw around the circle from the preceding position (step L R L, R heel stamp ending with R hand above head of person on R).
5 Repeat bar 3 to return to facing the centre (step R L R, L heel stamp ending in high W-hold).
6-7 Repeat bars 1-2 in reverse on opposite feet (walk 8 out starting with L foot whilst lowering arms into V-hold).

Part A2

Summary: Part A2 in mirror image.

The same as Part A1 but in mirror image (walk 16 steps cw around the circle starting with L foot).

Part C1

Summary: Solo circle acw in 7 steps. Stamp step across. Back out 3 steps and stamp.

Start Facing acw around the circle. No hold.
1
Feet Walk 4 steps forwards starting L foot.
Path A solo acw circular path (a little circle tangentially on the outside of the main dance circle).
Arms R arm trails bit behind and a bit out to the side with elbow straight. L upper arm is a similar angle out from the body infront. L elbow is bent so the forearm is horizontal any across the body infront but well separated from the body and with palm facing body.
2
1-3 Continue walking 3 more steps (L R L) on the solo acw circular path ending back on the main circle facing inwards (as one started facing cw around the circle, it is only 3/4 of circle not a whole one).
4
Feet Continuing the turn to face 45 deg acw of the direction to the centre of the circle, land on R foot with a flat footed stamp whilst raising the L foot off the ground a behind and leaning slightly forwards. Emphasis is on down into the ground not an upward leap or flick. (This is the only vigorous step in the dance and even this is quickly over; if it is done too dramatically then there is not time for the next step).
Arms R arm goes infront with the forearm horizontally across the middle of the torso. L arm goes behind similarly.
3
1-3 Walk out backwards facing the centre of the circle for 3 steps (step back L R L).
4 Close R foot to L foot with a heel stamp without weight transfer.

Other than the dramatised last step, bars 1-2 are identical to (the mirror image of) the turn in the popular Russian dance Kak Pri Balkye.

Part C2

Summary: Part C1 in mirror image.

The same as Part C1 but in mirror image (solo circle cw in 7 steps starting with R foot, stamp step across onto L foot, walk backwards R L R and stamp L without weight transfer). However, because one starts facing the centre of the circle instead of around the circle, one needs to do a whole a circle instead of 3/4.

Part D

Summary: Walk back L R L. Close R without weight.

Start Facing the centre of the circle. No-hold.
1
Feet
1-3 Walk backwards 3 steps (step back L R L).
4 Close R foot to L foot without weight transfer whilst turning to face acw around the circle ready for the next Part A.
Arms Regain V-hold.

This is basically just filling up a spare bar of music getting ready for the main dance to start again.

Ending

Summary: Part A1. Intro 2nd half. R close. Stamp L infront without weight. Stamp L close.

Start Facing acw around the circle. V-hold.
1-4 Repeat Part A1 (walk 16 steps acw around the circle starting with R foot).
5-6 Facing the centre, repeat the steps (bars 3-4) of the Introduction (walk R L R in & stamp L, walk L R L out and stamp R).
7
1 Close R foot to L foot.
2 Stamp L heel infront without weight transfer.
3 Stamp L foot flat closed to R foot transferring weight onto both feet.
4 Pause.

The final stamp should be on the last beat of the music, if it has all been counted correctly.

Notes by Andrew Hardwick.
Written 2005/1/23. Updated 2006/3/25. Ending summary correction 2019/8/31.
Contact (email:info@duramecho.com).
Available on-line at http://duramecho.com.