K'var Acherei Chatzot - Mechol Hashaket - כבר אחרי חצות (israel)

K'var Acherei Chatzot - Mechol Hashaket  (Sturman Version)

כבר אחרי חצות

Israel

These notes ©2016, Andrew Carnie. Originally choreographed by Rivka Sturman in 1964. The dance is known by a variety of names. Mechol Hashaket, K'var Acheri Chasot and Erev Ba (But not the Erev Ba best known to International Folk Dancers). Rivka originally choreographed this dance to Erev Ba in 1960 but because Yoav' Ashriel’s dance was a hit, she reset it to this tune. There are other dances choreographed to this song including ones by Shlomo Bachar (1970) and Ya'akov Shebrabani (1990), but this one remains the classic.  Mechol Hashaket means "Quiet Dance", K'var Acherei Chatzot means "After midnight".

Music:

• https://youtu.be/u691UVOutA4
• https://youtu.be/ae_4mt3eRUQ
• https://youtu.be/miCM0294SAE
• https://youtu.be/R_X8z7Ofnn8
• El Al Songs of Israel vol 2

Singer: Ilanit
Lyrics: Amos Etinger
Composer: Nurit Hirsh
Israelidances.com entry: http://www.israelidances.com/dance_details.asp?DanceID=1531
Meter: 4/4
Formation: Open Circle, hands in "greek escort position" (L forearm parallel to the ground, palm up, R arm tucked under neighbors arm, with forearm and palm resting on top of neighbor's L)
Introduction: Start with singing.

Part 1

Bar 1: In LOD step R (1), L (2), R (3), pause (4)
Bar 2: Back up in RLOD on L (1), Close R next to L (2), Step L forward (3) pause (4) [backwards yemenite]
Bars 5-16: repeat bars 1-2, seven more times (8 in total)

Part 2

Hands drop down to V position
Bar 1: In LOD step R (1), L (2), R (3), pause (4)
Bar 2: turning to face center Step L to L (1,2), touch R toe (or heel) forward, bringing hands up to W position.
Bars 3-8: repeat bars 1-2, three more times, drop hands down to V position at the beginning of each repeat of bar 1.
[Note that in the video of Rivka doing the dance she actually drops hands on count 1 of bar 2 and brings the up in front of her body, then she snaps her fingers with crossed hands on count 2]

Sequence

Start with singing
Part 1 as described above
Part 2 as described above
Part 1 except only do bars 1-8  (four times through the sequence)
Part 2, three times through.
There are then a variety of fudges.

• The way we do it: after the three repeats of part 2, we sway on R (1), Sway on L (2), Touch R (3,4)
• Louie Tucker does the above before the three repeats of part 2
• Another way: after the 3 repeats step R (1), L (2), R (3), and rock back on L (4)

Then do Part 1 as described above

Part 2 as described above

Part 1 as described above

Bars 1-2 of part 2, end with R foot forward and arms up.

Other notes on the web

• http://www.folkdance.com/LDNotations/KvarArcharayChatzot1996LD.pdf
• Page 133 of (2003) Stockton Folk Dance Camp
• Notes for Shlomo Bachar's Choreography:  Page 11 of http://www.socalfolkdance.com/syllabi/syllabus_statewide_1995.pdf

Bill and Karen Faust's Fayetteville Video

Other videos on the web

This group adds two yemenites and 2 cherkesiyas after each repeat of part 1 and part 2. They also have a turning step on the odd measured sequence. 

Lyrics

From http://shironet.mako.co.il/artist?type=lyrics&lang=1&prfid=108&wrkid=3606

כבר אחרי חצות,
עוד לא כיבו את הירח.
כי לפני כיבוי אורות
אורות של כוכבים,
נותנים עוד רגע קט לאוהבים.

מחר יהיה זה יום חדש
ומה אפשר מיום חדש כבר לצפות?
אז תן לנו עוד רגע,
רק עוד רגע
אף על פי שכבר אחרי חצות.

כבר אחרי חצות...

כבר אחרי חצות,
עוד לא הדליקו את הבוקר.
כי לפני שמנקים
את האתמול מן הרחובות
נותנים עוד רגע קט לאהבות.

מחר יהיה זה יום חדש...

כבר אחרי חצות,
עוד לא הדליקו את השמש.
כי לפני שמחלקים
את העיתון והחלב
נותנים לנו עוד רגע שנאהב.

מחר יהיה זה יום חדש...

From: http://hebrewsongs.com/?song=kvarachareichatzot
Kvar Acharei Chatzot

Kvar acharei chatzot
Od lo kibu et hayareach
Ki lifnei kibui orot,
Orot shel kochavim
Notnim od rega kat la'ohavim.

Chorus
Machar yihyeh zeh yom chadash
Uma efshar mi yom chadash k'var letzapot
Az ten lanu od rega,
Rak od rega
Af al pi shech'var acharei chatzot.

Kvar acharei chatzot
Od lo hidliku et haboker
Ki lifnei shemenakim et ha'etmol
Min har'chovot
Notnim lanu od rega kat la'ahavot.

Chorus

Kvar acharei chatzot
Od lo hidliku et hashemesh
Ki lifnei shemechalkim
Et ha'iton vehechalav,
Notnim lanu od rega shenohav.

It's already after midnight

It's already after midnight
They haven't yet turned off the moon.
Because before "lights out"
The lights of stars
Give another small moment to lovers.

Chorus
Tomorrow it will be another day
And what can you expect from a new day?
So gives us another moment,
Just another moment,
Even though it's already after midnight.

It's already after midnight
They haven't turned on the morning yet
Because before they clean yesterday
From the streets
They give us another tiny moment for love.

Chorus

It's already after midnight
They haven't turned the sun on yet
Because before they deliver
The newspaper and the milk
They give us another moment for loving.

Other sources

• Houston, Ron (2010) The Folk Dance Problem Solver 2010. Society of Folk Dance Historians

Also spelled: Chasot, Chazot, Hazot, Acherey, Kvar, Acharei, Acharey, Hatsof, Hasheket