Gamsenegger/en

Form

two concentric circles, men inside facing partner, no hold, elbows bent and hands laid on body (not necessarily on hip)

Steps

side tip, sashays, two step polka (Zweischrittdreher) and waltz

Music

A B B C C

Dance

Part 1: 2/4 time

Bar 1: On 1st beat the normally outside feet ( boy’s left and girl’s right) tip on ball once, slantwise to the side in ballroom direction and step back to position on 2nd beat.

Bar 2: Same as 1 against ballroom direction

Bar 3 - 4: Partners (boy ccw and girl cw) turn around own axis, once, with 3 steps and close

Bar 5 – 8: Repetition of 1 – 4

Finally taking ballroom hold, stretched arms pointing in ballroom direction (starting position for part 2)

Part 2: 2/4 time

Bar 1 – 2: 2 chassays in ballroom direction (side – close – side – close)

Bar 3 – 4: 2 chassays against ballroom direction

Bar 5 – 8: turning round cw twice with 8 steps, advancing slightly forward in ballroom direction with each step.

Bar 9 –16: As 1 – 8

Part 3: ¾ time

Bar 1 –16: Waltzing round room in ballroom direction with smoothly tread small steps as used in Landlers.

This is repeated until the music stops playing.

Note

In case there are difficulties with the two step polka in bar 5-8 of part 2, you could also dance polka steps.

Gamsenegg is the place of the notation of this dance in Carinthia. It was noted in 1896 and first published in 1935 by Roman Maier.

Source

• Herbert Lager: Österreichische Tänze, 2. Teil. Österreichischer Bundesverlag, Wien 1969, S. 21.
• Translated by: Sissy Banner, Amstetten/NÖ., Austria

Music

• zweistimmige Noten mit Bassbezifferung
• Griffschrift für Steirische Harmonika

In other languages

• German