Albania Valle Gajdes

Date: August 16, 2018. Uploaded by Jim Gold.
Jim Gold Balkan Adventure tour of Bulgaria, Serbia. Macedonia, Albania, and Greece. July 29-August 12, 2018. Led by Jim Gold and Lee Otterholt, Produced by Jim Gold International. Jim Gold is an America folk dance teacher, choreographer, and organizer of folk dance tours around the world. More information at www.jimgold.com
Dance Instructions written by Lee Otterholt
Valle Gajdes
(Albania)
I learned this dance from Bardhi Polyani in Korce, Albania August 2018
Pronunciation: VAH-leh GAEE-dehs Translation: Gajde (bagpipe) dance.
Music: 4/4 meter
Formation: Open circle; hands in W-position.
Steps & Styling:
Meas 4/4 meter Pattern
I. BASIC STEP
1 Facing diag R and moving to R: Step fwd on R (1), step fwd on L (2), step fwd on R to R (3), with L ft placed next to R calf, bounce on R (4)
2 Step fwd on L (1), step fwd on R (2), step fwd on L (3), hop on L while turning to face ctr (4)
3 Facing ctr and moving away from ctr: Step back on R (1), step back on L (2), step back on R (3), step back on L (4)
4 Still facing ctr but dancing in place: Step on R to R (1), hop on R while swing in L up in front (2), step on L to L (3), hop on L while swinging R up in front (4)
As the dance gets faster the leader introduces progressively more energetic variations:
VARIATIONS:
Meas 1: Leader can turn CW (to R) on first 3 steps. Leader can also signal for others to do the same.
Meas 1: Facing diag R and moving to R: Step fwd on R (1), step fwd on L (2), skip on L on upbeat (a), big step on R, bending knee (3), hop more energetically on R, lifting L ft higher under you (4)
Meas 2: Skip (not just step) on the first 3 cts and again hop more energetically on ct 4
Meas 3: “Skip and Twizzle” the steps moving bkwds (that is, hop on the upbeats and twist the heel of the free ft, which is in front, inwards. (Also called a “reel step.”)
Dance description copyrighted by Lee Otterholt
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