Dancing the slow hora

[Matt Jaffey <mjaffey2...>]

Helen Winkler wrote to Matt:
>Did you learn the slow hora at the workshop?  I'm trying to analyze the 
>rhythm pattern and this is what I think is described as the basic:
>1&2  step R
>&    step L
>3&   step R
>(then repeat with opposite footwork)
>
>This is actually quite challenging.  I think people might have difficulty 
>doing this, since the second step is so quick.

Dear Helen,

First of all, I think there must be others on the Jewish-Music list with
more experience in this than I. Don't think that, just because I attended a
couple of workshops two years ago, I have expertise in this. So I'm posting
this to the list. If I'm completely off, I hope others will come forward
and correct me. The written information that I sent you comes from Erik
Bendix, who learned from Michael Alpert. I have a similar document from
Sanna & Mars Longden, who learned from Michael Alpert and from Ron Wixman.

speaking as a musician, the first thing to get away from is the idea that
the hora is in 3/8 time like a waltz. There's a downbeat and an upbeat, so
you could think of it as in 2 with a limp. The ratio of time 1 (between the
first beat and the second) to time 2 (between the second beat and the
first) can vary with the tune and the performers, though on the old
recordings, it tends to more closely resemble a 3 to 2 ratio than a 2 to 1
ratio. Thus, some musicians learn this rhythm by thinking of 5 beats. But
in the end, it's just one impulse, with a downbeat and an upbeat component,
what Zev Feldman quoted Mr. Hescheles as calling "the heartbeat of the
universe".

So, if you think of dancing to 5 counts, it would go:

1-2 Step R
3   Step L
4-5 Step R

This gives the left step half the time of the right. What you were trying
to do was giving the left step 1/3 the time.

But, as a dancer, I wouldn't think of the dance in 5 counts. I'd just think
of two emphasized steps (1st and 3rd), and one passing step. It's easy to
know what to emphasize when you do this to music, since the two beats are
always played distinctly by the rhythm section. Then you don't have to
think about what is the ratio between the 1st step and the 2nd - it's
natural to linger on the 1st step for a moment, since it comes with the
emphasized downbeat. In any case, it obviously has to be comfortable.

The instructions on the pages that I sent you said "R-L-R-and,
L-R-L-and...(Long-short-long-and)". In terms of the 5 count, I think the
"and" means that during the 5th count, the rear leg is being brought
forward in readiness for the next downbeat. I believe the word "short"
means that the middle step brings the trailing foot only up to the same
position as the leading foot (or maybe not even all the way up to it?).
This takes less time than a full step.

BTW, the instructions also said "Formation: A circle, hands shoulder". I
think that should have read "Formation: A circle, hands shoulder-height in
W position", i.e. holding hands with neighbor, elbows down.

Hope this helps,

Matt

P.S. You mentioned that others have sent you different instructions for
dancing the slow hora. How could I find out about those?




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