 |
Hopkele
Dance Notes
|
WORKMANS CIRCLE SHER
Background:
This was learned from Naomi Lasher, born in Latvia. She
came from considerable Yiddish yikhus; both her father,
Mendel Mark, and her uncle, Yidl Mark were prominent
yiddishists and educators.
This version of the sher was danced at Camp Kinder Ring
in NY ca 1945-51 by counselors, waiters and lifeguards
who danced to live music after their work day was over.
The music was provide by the likes of Shalom Secunda and
the drummer Abe Marcus of the Metropolitan Opera
Orchestra, and other 2nd Avenue theater musicians who
were working at the camp. Naomi recalls there were about
6-8 pieces in the band: fiddle, drum, reeds, trumpet and
piano. Dancing every evening for the staff was the
regular way of socializing. Other dances included
troika, korobushka, Russian 2-step as well as the
popular ballroom dances: foxtrot, rumba, polka, waltz
and jitterbug.
No one taught any of the dances; they were learned by
watching and participating. Everyone seemed to know what
they were doing.
The Dance:
Formation: four couples in a square, numbered
counterclockwise 1,2,3,and 4, with #1 couple facing the
orchestra. Man left, lady right.
The form of the dance is like a rondo, always returning
to the chorus after each leading out:
Chorus / Man 1 leads out
Chorus / Man 2 leads out
Chorus / Man 3 leads out
Chorus / Man 4 leads out
Chorus /Lady 1 leads out
Chorus /Lady 2 leads out
Chorus /Lady 3 leads out
Chorus /Lady 4 leads out
Final Chorus
Chorus:
| A |
All circle left (always to the same music) 16
|
|
A
|
All circle right
|
|
B
|
Head couples (1+3) advance 4 (small bow) retire 4
Heads pass over and under, ending in opposite position 8
Side couples (2+4) advance 4 (small bow) retire 4
Sides pass over and under, ending in opposite position 8
|
|
B
|
Repeat, returning to place 16
|
Leading out Figure: (each individual who leads out
goes first to the couple on their right, then across the
square, then to their left)
|
C
|
Man 1 and man 2 approach left shoulders –arms crossed 4 steps,
jump on both feet or squat on count 4
Man 1 and 2 circle past each other back to back
by looking over their right shoulder and walking
in a half circle clockwise, advancing to other’s
partner in 4 steps
Each man and new partner turn together, right
hip to right hip, right arm around waist, slow
buzz with a deep bend, left arm raised but bent
so as not to hit others on crowded floor. 8 cts
Repeat C returning to own partner
|
|
D
|
Man 1 and Man 3 do Leading out figure
|
|
E
|
Man 1 and Man 4 do leading out figure.
|
Dance repeats from chorus until everyone has done the leading out figure:
Man 2, 3, 4 then
Woman 1,2,3 and 4
Conclusion:
Circle left 16
Circle right 16
Man 1 releases hands with woman 4, begins “threading the
needle” starting between woman 4 and man 4
All wound up lines snake around the floor
At a drum cue, all lines unwind, starting with the first man unwinding.
The entire conclusion takes the same amount of time as
once through the dance (ABCDE)
All lines form one big circle and proceed to do the HORA:
Hands on shoulders
Step left to side, right behind
Jump both feet, kick right, kick left
(or balance right, kick left)
couples would shine in center, by crossing hands and
doing the same step, holding close and rotating quickly
on cts 1,2
pulling away and kicking on 3,4,5,6 in place
Different music (not the sher) would accompany the Hora-
Artza Alinu or some such Israeli tune.
Collected August 2003 at Circle Lodge
By Steve Weintraub and Deborah Strauss
|
