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FOLKLORE>
DANCES> Group dances
I WANT TO SLEEP
Noriu miego
This dance is spread in Lithuania, and in every village is danced in a
different way. The melody has two text variants. For kids we are proposing the following
variant: “ I’ve been sowing the rue, I’ve been sowing the mint”. Most often the
movements of the I stanza are repeated many times. Hereby we are providing a little bit
more expanded variant, originating from the North East of Lithuania. The dance is danced
in couples, and some parts in fours. It is better, when the dance is danced by an even
number of couples.
The music consists of two parts, first containing four bars, the second
containing eight bars. The time is 2/4, tempo is moderate. The main step of the dance,
which in the description is called “I want to sleep” was danced by the village people
in very different ways.
The sequence of the dance
The couples of dancers for the I stanza stand in a row in fours: one
couple in front of another couple, and two neighbouring fours are backing one another, as
shown in the I figure. The hands of all dancers are on the waists.
1. The step
“I want to sleep”
(4 bars) |
“I’ve been sowing the rue, I’ve been
sowing the mint” |
Jump in turn: before the bar the dancers
stand up with both feet and jump a little.
1 bar:”one-and” - softly jump down on both full feet: the right
foot has to be put forward and the left foot has to be put in one foot’s distance back;
the weight of the body is on both legs; “two” - a pause, “and” stand up with both
feet and again jump up.
2 bar: repeat the movements of the 1 bar, but now, having jumped down
on both legs, the left leg is put forward, and the right leg is in one foot’s distance
back from it.
3-4 bar: repeat the movements of 1-2 bar twice faster and finish with a
jump. |
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Hard springing step:
1 bar: ”one” - jump on the right foot, and stretch the left foot,
tense at the knee, forward with the toes (or with the heel) on the ground; “two” - a
pause;
2 bar: repeat the movements of the 1 bar with the other leg.
3-4 bars: “one” - jump on the right foot, and stretch the left leg,
tense at the knee, forward with the toes (or heel) on the ground; “two” - repeat the
movements of “one”, jumping in the same place onto the left foot; “one” - to
repeat the movements of the “one”, jumping in the same place onto the right foot;
“two” - jump (i.e. jump on to both feet in the same place). |
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