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Mihoya Hoonen Odori  三保谷豊年踊 り Japan These notes ©2017, Andrew Carnie. We learned the dance from Shirley Hauck, who learned it in Japan from the choreographer Kyoko Uzuki and from their friend Nobuko Shimada. Kyoko Uzuki was honored by the Japanese Emperor at an event this past summer.  This dance is supposed to represent parts of the harvest. Singer: Minoru Onoda (小野田実) Lyrics : Yajima Noriko (矢島寵児) Composer : Haruo Kurauma (倉若晴生) Arranger : Maki Makino (牧野三朗) Meter : 4/4 Formation : Circle of individuals, all facing LOD (CCW) Introduction : Start with singing. Part 1: Sunrise Bars 1-2: take a step forward on R foot with a deep knee bend, arms swing up over head out to the side and down, and then up in front of the body with arms parallel and with palms up -- all while you straighten up and close L next to R, slowly shifting weight onto L Part 2: Mirrors (Getting ready in the morning) Bar 1: Step forward on R foot, while bringing L palm in front of face (as if it were a mirror...

Winds on the Tor England These note ©2017, Andrew Carnie. This is a modern Sacred Circle dance from the Galstonbury Circle group. The original notes have the following description: The Tor on Glastonbury Hill is where  Joseph of Aramatia, the uncle of Jesus, was thought to have brought the chalice and the spear after the crucifixion. The Well and the Hill are thought by many to be the place where  the veils parted most between the worlds of wonder and the mundane. In any rate, a sacred height for centuries, even millennia!  And the wind, she still blows across the grasses there. Music : Rawlin's Cross, The Wedding Gift ( https://youtu.be/BqM8oadha0s ). The original recording for this dance was "The Young Brown Cow" ( https://youtu.be/l2A5_Xy4ijs ). Groups are now doing it to the Wedding Gift. Meter : 3/4 Formation : Closed circle, hands down in V position, leads to the R OR done as a closed circle not holding hands. Introduction : Start with the whistle on the Wedding Gif...

Sài Lóng Zhōu  赛龙舟  賽龍舟  Dragon Boat Racing Hong Kong These notes ©2017, Andrew Carnie.  My colleague Nancy Bannister learned this from a group of dancers from Hong Kong who were on the same tour of Hungary as her in 2017. The dance is supposed to look like rowing a dragon boat.  Choreographed by : Lau Ting-kwok ( 劉定國) Music by Chiu Man Hoi ( 趙文海) Meter : 2/4 Formation : Short lines of 6-8 people, in "conga line" format,  (facing back of neighbor, start with hands free to do the rowing). The lines start in parallel.  Introduction : 4 bars Part 1 Bar 1: Pushing off of L foot, Leap onto R foot forward (1), step on L next to R (2), arms make a rowing motion to the R Bar 2: Bar 1 Bars 3-4: repeat bars 1-2, but with arms making rowing motion to the left.  Bars 5-8: repeat bars 1-4 Bar 9 with hands on neighbor's shoulders (conga line style), jump forward on both feet at shoulders width (1), jump on both feet forward again (2) Bars 10-12: repeat bar 9, t...

Jocul Moşilor  Romania These notes ©2017, Andrew Carnie. This dance was originally taught by Cristian Florescu and Sonia Dion. I learned it from Shirley Hauk. The dance name means "Old Man's Dance", but it's part of a tradition where the dancers dress up like caricatures of old people or animals and pantomime dancing like old people. Similar dances from other parts of the Balkans are listed below in under "see also". Music : unknown source Meter : 2/4 Formation : Open circle hands down in V position, facing LOD Introduction : 8 bars Part 1 Bar 1: Facing LOD, with body bent over and with knees bent, step forward in LOD and to the R on the R (1), Step forward in LOD and to the L on L (2) Bar 2: Step R forward in LOD (1), Close L next to R (&), Step R forward in LOD (2) Bars 3-4: Repeat bars 1-2 with opposite footwork Bars 5-8: Repeat bars 1-4 Part 2 Bar 1: Turning to face center, step on R to R (1), Close L next to R (&), step on R to R (2) Bar 2: Stam...