Tunisian Women's Dance - Women's dance from Siliana (Tunesia)

Tunisian Women's Dance

Girls' dance from Siliana

Tunesia

These notes ©2016, Andrew Carnie. This is a dance from the town of Siliana in northern Tunisia, The music was recorded in Monastir in 1974. The Dance was researched and taught in the US by Mardi Rollow.

Music: Girls Dance from Siliana, Music of the Shikhat and Dance Music of Tunesia. Disques Maghrebins 1976
Meter: 3/4
Formation: Pairs of women facing each other, hands out to sides
Introduction: Start with the wail of the mijwiz (after one bar of drumming)

Part 1:

Bar 1: Moving in LOD, step forward on L, left hip goes forward (1,2), Step back in place on R, left hip goes back (3)
Bar 2: Step forward on L, Left hip goes forward (1,2), kick R forward low with R hip going forward (3)
Bars 3-4: repeat bars 1-2 with opposite footwork
Bars 5-16: repeat bars 1-4, three more times

Part 2:

Bar 1; Facing center, cross L over R, pushing L hip forward, left arm swings in front (1,2) step back in place on R (3)
Bar 2: Swing L back behind and step on it, L arms swings backwards (1,2), step back in place on R (3)
Bars 3-6: repeat bars 1-2, two more times
Bar 7: Repeat bar 1
Bar 8: Step on L in place (1,2,3)
Bars 9-16: repeat Bars 1-8 with opposite footwork moving to the L

Part 3

This step is very similar to step 1 but with a slightly different timing. The step moves forward towards partner
Bar 1: Moving in LOD, step forward on L, left hip goes forward (1), Step back in place on R, left hip goes back (2,3)
Bar 2: Step forward on L, Left hip goes forward (1,2), kick R forward low with R hip going forward (3)
Bars 3-4: repeat bars 1-2 with opposite footwork
Bars 5-8: repeat bars 1-4

Part 4

Bars 1-16: Take hands with partner, and repeat the footwork of part 2. On bar 1, pull R elbow back, on bar 2 pull L elbow back.

Part 5

Bars 1-8: Drop hands, bend over at the waist and repeat Bars 1-8 of part 2 (traveling to the R, crossing L in front)
Bar 9: Starting to turn CW, step on L in place, lifting R in front (1), step on R next to L (2,3)
Bars 10-16: continuing to turn CW repeat the footwork of Bar 9.
Bars 17-32: repeat bars 1-16 with opposite footwork and direction (turn CCW)

Parts 6-8

repeat parts 3-5

Part 9: (Music is accelerating)

Bar 1: Facing center and traveling in RLOD, step L to L (1), Step on R next to L, hooking L in front of R shin (2,3). [Note, I've notated this as QS (1)(2,3), but Rollow's notes have it as SQ (1,2)(3)]
Bars 2-11: repeat Bar 1 ten more times
Bar 12: Step on L to L (1,2,3)
Bars 13-24: repeat bars 1-2 with opposite footwork and direction (in LOD)

Part 10: 

Repeat the footwork of Part 1, traveling in LOD

Part 11

Repeat the footwork of Part 3, facing center and dancing in place

Parts 12-13

repeat parts 10-11

Part 14

Bars 1-8: repeat the footwork of Bar 1 of part 9
Bar 9: Step on L to L (1,2,3)
Bars 10-17: repeat bars 2-9 with the opposite footwork and direction (facing center to the right)
Bars 18-25: repeat bars 2-9

Part 15: "Tchou-Tchou Tunisien"

Bars 1-24: using the footwork of bar 1 of part 9, keep dancing to the L, quickly speeding up. When the music starts speeding up shimmy your shoulders as well as your hips. On the last chord, step on R foot backwards and lean back.

Bill and Karen Faust's Fayetteville Video

Other Sources

• Rollow, Mardi (1976) unpublished typewritten dance notes
• Anonymous hand-written dance notes (probably written by Karen Faust)

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Honei Viter (Ukraine)

Honei Viter  (Evanchuk Version)

Ukraine

These notes ©2016, Andrew Carnie. As choreographed by Vince Evanchuk in 1972. A different version was taught by Anatol Joukowsky's.  Honei Viter means "whirlwind".

Music: StarS-8413
Meter: 2/4
Formation: Circle of women, hands on hips, not holding hands with neighbors.

Part 1: In and Out

Bars 1-2: Introduction, no action
Bars 3-12: Dance 10 pas-de-basques into the center, starting with the R foot (extend free foot on each count (2))
Bars 13-24: Dance 12 pas-de-basques backing away from the center

Part 2: Diamonds

Bars 1-2: Put R hand on chest, holding down beads, using two pas-de-basques, dance CW to back R diagonal
Bars 3-4: Dance CW to back point of diamond, with two pas-de-basques
Bars 5-6: Dance forward to L diagonal, with two pas-de-basques
Bars 7-8: Dance forward to R diagonal, with two pas-de-basques
Bars 9-16: Repeat bars 1-8.

Part 3: Turns in place

Bars 1-7: Using 7 leaping pas-de-basques (leap in place on first count), spin in place turning CCW.  L hand is on chest, holding down beads.
Bar 8: Jump onto L, stopping the spin (1), stamp R next to L (2)
Bars 9-16: repeat bars 1-8, but with R hand on chest, and turning CW.

Part 4: Slides/Sashay steps

Bar 1: Form a small circle, holding hands down in V position with neighbors. Facing center, step R to R (1), Close L next to R, with weight (2)
Bars 2-4: repeat bar 1, three more times
Bar 5: Step R to R (1), Close L next to R, with weight (&), Step R to R (2), Close L next to R with weight (&)
Bars 6-7: repeat bar 5, two more times
Bar 8: Step R to R (1), Stamp L next to R, no weight (2)
Bars 9-16: repeat bars 1-8 with opposite footwork and direction.

Part 5: "Cherry Picking"

Bars 1-12: Do 12 pas de basques in place, starting with R foot. Alternately raise R and L hands up in front of face as if picking cherries off of a tree. Raise R, when doing R pas-de-basque, Raise L when doing L pas-de-basque
Bars 13-18: Using 6 pas-de-basques, and continuing cherry picking hand movements, face and travel in RLOD.
Bars 19-24: Do 6 pas-de-basques with cherry picking movement facing center in place. End with an extra step on R to free up L foot.

Part 6: Pushing away from center

Bar 1: Turn to face RLOD, putting L hand up near head with elbow out, fall on L (1), Push off on ball of R (&), fall on L (2), push off on R (&)
Bar 2: repeat bar 1
Bars 3-4: Pulling L shoulder back, and turning 1/2 way to face LOD, repeat bars 1-2 with opposite footwork, direction and arms.
Bars 5-6: Pulling R shoulder back and turning 1/2 way to face RLOD, repeat bars 1-2
Bar 7: repeat bar 3
Bar 8: Fall on R (1), step on L turning to facing diagonal R

Part 7: Figure 8 with heel step

Throughout this step the dancers trace a figure 8, start by going CW toward R rear diagonal. 
Bar 1: Step on R heel forward (1), close L next to R (&), Step forward on R (2). Hands are held out in front, palms down circling slightly to the R
Bar 2: repeat bar 1 with opposite footwork and circling hands to L
Bars 3-16: repeat bars 1-2, seven more times

Part 8: Toe-heel

Bar 1: Put both hands on chest holding beads. Hop on L touching R toe next to L (1), Hop on L again, touching R heel forward (2)
Bar 2: Leap onto R, touching L toe next to R (1)
Bar 3: Repeat bar 2 with opposite footwork
Bar 4: Repeat bar 2
Bar 5: Repeat bar 3
Bar 6: Repeat bar 2
Bar 7: Repeat bar 3
Bar 8: Repeat bar 2

Part 9: Into the center, Scuff step, Turning Hop Step Steps

Bars 1-4: Do 4 pas-de-basques into the center, L, R, L, R
Bar 5: Facing and moving in RLOD, Step forward on L (1), Scuff R forward (2), step on R next to L (&)
Bars 6-7: repeat bar 5, twice
Bar 8: Step L in RLOD (1), stamp R next to L (2)
Bars 9-11: Making 3 complete CCW turns hop on L (1), step on R next to L (&), step on L next to R (2); L hand is on beads, R hand is held straight out to R side
Bar 12: Facing center, jump on both feet twice (1,2). Both hands are on beads
Bars 13-16: repeat bars 9-12, but turning CW. L hand is out to L side, R hand is on beads

Part 10: Scissors

Bar 1: Step on R, while Kicking L forward, Leap on L while kicking R forward
Bars 2-5: Repeat bar 1, four my times
Bar 6: Do a Pas-de-bas in place, (the & count is a cross of the L over R)
Bars 7-12: repeat bars 1-6 with opposite footwork

Part 11: Hop-kick, pas-de-basque

Bar 1: Hop on L, lifting R foot next to L knee (1), Hop on L again kicking R forward (2), hands on hips
Bar 2: Do a pas-de-basque in place (RLR)
Bars 3-4: repeat bars 1-2
Bars 5-8: repeat bars 1-4
Bars 9-12: repeat bars 1-4

Part 12: Heel Steps, Skips

Bar 1: Touch R heel forward (1), Step on R next to L (2). Hands on hips
Bar 2: Repeat bar 1 with opposite footwork
Bars 3-8: repeat bars 1-2, three times.
Bar 9: Hop on L (&), Step on R backwards (1), Hop on R (&), and Step backwards on L (2)
Bars 10-16: repeat bar 9, seven more times

Part 13: Pas-de-basques back and forward

Bars 1-2: Do two pas-de-basques (RLR, LRL) backing away from center. Arms push forward from chest level and then out to the sides.
Bars 3-4: do 2 pas de basques forward, arms come up and forward, then circle down onto hips.
Bars 5-8: repeat bars 1-4

Part 14: Vepad

Bar 1: Fall onto R into the center, with R shoulder in (1), Rock back on L (2)
Bar 2: do 1 pas-de-basque in place (RLR). Hands are on hips
Bars 3-4: repeat bars 1-2 with opposite footwork, with L shoulder in.
Bars 5-8: repeat bars 1-4
Bars 9-16: repeat bars 1-8

Part 15: Pas-de-basques backwards and ending

Bars 1-7: Doing 7 pas-de-basques steps, backing away from the center RLR, LRL, RLR, LRL, RLR, LRL, RLR. Arms are extended forward at shoulder height. Hands flip down at wrists on each count 1, and then flick up on each count (2)
Bar 8: Leap onto L in place, hands flick down (1), Stamp R next to L, arms raise high up above head in Y position (2)

Bill and Karen Faust's Fayetteville Video

 Sheet Music

• Geisler, Richard (1989e) The Europe Collection. Village and Early Music Society.

Other sources

• Unattributed handwritten dance notes.

Also Spelled: Honey, Vitr

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