Bablekan (Ahmet's Version) Kurdistan
These notes ©2018, Andrew Carnie. This is the version taught by Ahmet Lüleci. We also do a different version of this dance notated here: Bablekan. The dance is named after a family in the Eastern Kurdish region of Turkey.
Music: AL 005; Siçak '91
Meter: The meter for this is tricky. Ahmet originally notated as 10/4, other notes adjusted it to 2/4. Personally, I don't hear either of these. I hear the phrasing of the music as 5 bars of 3/4. Where the steps are grouped as (1)(23) or QS. [The music might actually SQS, but the dance is QS, where the dance Q corresponds to the first musical S and the dance S corresponds to the musical QS] Most Bablekan music is in 2/4 and the steps are even. But here they are clearly syncopated. I'm going to notate it in 3/4. If you don't hear the music this way, try one of the other notes linked below!
Formation: Open circle, hands in W position, holding pinkies. The dance leads R. Start facing center.
Introduction: Start when the full band comes in (2 bars after the drums come in)
Part 1:
Bar 1: Step on R to R, arms sway (windshield wiper) to the R (1), cross L over R, arms windshield wiper to L (2,3)Bar 2: repeat bar 1
Bar 3: Step on R to R and slightly in, arms come up and forward (1), Lift L knee with a bounce on R, arms come down to V position (2,3)
Bar 4: Take a small step backwards out of center on L (1), Close R next to L backing out of center (2,3), arms stay down in V position. Can shimmy shoulders
Bar 5: Take a small step backwards out of center on L (1), Touch R toe next to L (2,3), arms return to W position on the touch.
Ahmet says to do this 9 times in total.
Part 2:
Bar 1: Step on R to R (1), hop on R (2), Cross L over R (3), arms are as in bar 1, part 1Bar 2: Repeat bar 1
Bar 3: Jump on both feet slightly in (1), Lift L knee, pumping it down, while hopping on R (2)
Bar 4: Take a small step backwards out of center on L (1), Close R next to L backing out of center (2,3), arms stay down in V position. Can shimmy shoulders
Bar 5: Take a small step backwards out of center on L (1), Touch R toe next to L (2,3), arms return to W position on the touch.
Ahmets notes say to do this 6 times in total
Other notes on the web
- http://www.socalfolkdance.org/syllabi/syllabus_idyllwild_1992.pdf
- http://evansvillefolkdancers.com/resources/Notes/B/Bablekhan%20DN.pdf
- http://www.socalfolkdance.org/dances/B/Bablekan.pdf
- http://www.socalfolkdance.org/dances/B/Bablakhan_A_Kurdish.pdf
John Chu's 1992 Tucson Video
John doesn't do the sequence as Ahmet describes. He only does Step 1 7 times instead of 9, and does step 2 9 times instead of 6.Also spelled Bablekhan.
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