Mendo Barı (Turkey) ~ Folk Dance Musings

Mendo Barı
Turkey

These notes ©2016, Andrew Carnie. Originally taught in the US by Ercüment Kiliç, who learned this dance when he was a member o the Turkish National Ensemble. The dance is from the region of Artvin, in the NE of Turkey, so it shares many similarities with dances from Armenia and the Caucasus.

Music:

Meter: 4/4
Formation: Open circle. Start W left hand in small of own back and R hand forward in neighbor's R. Face LOD to start. leads R
Introduction: start right away with main melody.

Part 1 (Slow music)

Each step in this part has a bit of a bicycle motion to it bringing the L up and around before stepping on it.
Bar 1: Leaning forward from the waist and facing LOD, step R (1), L (2), R (3) in LOD. Brush L foot across R instep.
Bar 2: Turning to face center, step L to L, straighten up, and arms come up in front parallel to the ground at shoulder height (1), Step on R next to L (2), Step on L next to R (3), Brush R across in front of L instep (4)
Bars 3-12: repeat bars 1-2 five more times (six in total)

Part 2: Scissors

Drop hands down to V position
Bar 1: Run R (1) L (&), R(2) in LOD. Run L (3), R (&), L (4) in LOD
Bar 2: Jump on both feet (1), hop on R, kicking L forward (2), Touch L toe across in front of R foot (across instep) (3) Hop on R, kicking L forward, and turning towards center (4)
Bar 3: Facing center two sets of Scissor steps: Step on L in place, kicking R forward (1). Step on R foot in place, kicking L forward (&), Step on L in place kicking R forward (2); then Step on R in place kicking L forward (3). Step on L kicking R forward (&), Step on R, kicking L forward (4)
Bar 4: Repeat counts (1&2) of bar 3 (one set of scissors, stepping on L to start). Hop on L touching R across L instep (3), hop on L kicking R forward (4)
Bars 5-8: repeat bars 1-4 of part 2.
Bars 9-16: repeat bars 1-8 of part 2, except squat on count 1 of bars 10, 14 (the equivalents to bar 2)

repeat entire dance from the beginning

Other notes on the web

Page 46 of (1984) Stockton Folk Dance Camp

Folk Dance Musings

Friday, 19 August 2016