Baroiges Tanz, Jewish folk dance

Baroiges Tanz

A Jewish Dance

Record: Folk Dancer MH 1090

Taught by the Hermans as learned from L. Shapiro.

FORMATION: A group of four couples is best although it may also be done with three or five couples or even more.

PART 1: All couples face counterclockwise around own set. The lady stands to LEFT of man, with inside hands joined. Lady has free hand on her skirt. Man clenches fist behind back. All walk forward starting on right foot, three steps, R,L,R. Swing left foot forward with straight knee as you slightly bend right knee. Move forward again, L,R,L, swing right foot forward. Continue in this manner to make 8 times in all.

PART 2: Face partner. Girls have both hands on skirts. Men have both fists clenched behind backs. Step to own right 3 steps, R,L,R. Stamp with left foot. Repeat same to own left. Turn slowly in place to own right, R, L, R, L. Now repeat this figure by moving to own left, then to own right, then turn in place slowly to own left. Be sure to make the turn a slow turn with 4 steps.

PART 3: Ladies form a left hand star. If a handkerchief is available hold one corner of the handkerchief in the middle rather than hands. The girls move around the inside of the set with the step used in first part, as the men dance in place with a step‑together-step-stamp to right and to left.

PART 4: Face partner and join right hands. Balance forward three steps, R,L,R. Stamp on left foot. Balance backward, L,R,L, stamp on right. Change places with partner, taking 4 slow walking steps R, L, R, L, foot…… Balance forward and back again as before, but this time instead of changing places, drop hands and turn by yourself to own right. This leaves the men in middle of set.

PART 5: The men make a left hand star and go around the inside of the ring with the step used in part 1, as the girls do the step-together-step-stamp in place with hands on skirts.

PART 6: Join righthands again, and balance forward and back and change places as in Part 4. This concludes the dance. However the dance is repeated on the record and at the very end instead of dropping hands and turning by yourself, the dancers take three slow walking steps forward and finish standing right shoulder to right shoulder with joined right hands about eye level to make a little window through which they look at each other in a pose.