The Varndler
(an original livening up of the Varsovienna by Kathy Potter)
For more information contact Kathy Potter at kathy@the-pottery.org
Please feel free to use this dance but if you do please acknowledge Bad Wallaby Dance Band
32 bar Varsovienna music with a flatter rhythm in the Mazurka part
Start facing partner
Man takes lady’s right hand in his left and turns her under. Honour partner (2bars)
Man takes lady’s left hand in his right and turns her under. Honour partner (2 bars)
Couple joins both hands and turn single without releasing hands (pepper grinder) (2 bars)
Man takes lady’s right hand in his left and turns her under into a ballroom hold (2 bars)
Couple turns anticlockwise in place taking three small steps to change places and man then points left foot along the line of dance, lady points right foot (Varsovienna turn) (2 bars)
Repeat Varsovienna turn clockwise, finishing by pointing along line of dance (2 bars)
Man takes lady’s right hand in his left and turns her under (2bars)
Man takes lady’s left hand in his right and turns her under (2bars)
Man takes lady’s right hand in his left, moving against line of dance, starting inside foot both step and pivot bringing them back to back, close feet, and step again pivoting to face (2bars)
Turn single (2bars)
Man takes lady’s left hand in his right, moving against line of dance, starting inside foot both step and pivot bringing them back to back, close feet, and step again pivoting to face (2bars)
Turn single (2bars)
Couple joins both hands (both hands remain joined for whole figure). lady remains in position and raises left arm, man walks under the arch, and around behind the lady finishing on her right side (keep the original arch high). Man continues moving around lady in this position and lady turns in place until man is back to place. Still holding both hands, man pulls his left hand back towards himself to unwind the lady who turns in place finishing face to face with couple holding both hands. (4 bars)
Lady raises right arm and the figure is repeated in the opposite direction (4 bars)
I wrote this dance because I love the Varsovienna music but I always found the dance a bit tedious. To be honest all that Mazurka stepping was a bit hard on the knees too. I hope you enjoy this dance as much as I do.
K