Alagöz (Azerbaijan) ~ Othaters

Alagöz
Azerbaijan/Turkey

These notes ©2018, Andrew Carnie. Originally taught and arranged by Ercument Kiliç from traditional steps done by his community. The name of the song means "Hazel Eyes"

Music:

Neither of the following is the recording Kilic used, which was on a workshop cassette, but these are the same melody

Meter: 3/4
Formation: Open circle, start in pinky finger hold, with hands held down in V position, with locked elbows. Leads to the R
Introduction: None

Part 1

Bar 1: Moving forward in LOD, Step R (1), L (2), R (3). Arms push forward on count 1, and swing back.
Bar 2: Continuing LOD, repeat bar 1 with opposite footwork
Bars 3-4: repeat bars 1-2
Bar 5: Facing LOD, Step backwards on ball of R foot (1), Step back on ball of L (2), Step back on ball of R, while kicking L foot down low forward (2), Throughout head looks backwards over L shoulder. Arms are up in W position, and windshield wiper to the R.
Bar 6: Repeat bar 5 with opposite footwork, Arms swing to the L.
Bars 7-8: repeat bars 5-6
Bars 9-16: repeat bars 1-8

Part 2

drop hands with neighbors, face center
Bar 1: Step on flat of R foot with a bent knee, arms are extended to R at waist level, wrists push down, where hands follow wrists. Middle finger lower than rest of hands (1,2), step on ball of L foot behind R (3)
Bar 2: Repeat bar 1
Bars 3-4: Repeat footwork of bars 1-2, but with palms up.
Bar 5: Cross R over L, moving in RLOD, stepping on flat foot (1,2), Step on ball of L foot to L (3), arms are the same as in bar 1
Bar 6: Repeat bar 5
Bars 7-8: Repeat bars 5-6, but with palms up
Bars 9-16: Repeat bars 1-8

For women both the R and L hands are pointing to the R. For men the L fist is placed on L hip

Part 3

Bar 1: Raise R hand up above head and forward, as if shielding eyes. L hand is down and points back. Starting to trace a CW circle. Step R (1), Step L behind R (2,3)
Bar 2: Continuing to trace circle Step on R (1), lift L heel up behind (2,3)
Bars 3-4: repeat bars 1-2 with opposite footwork, completing the circle.
Bars 5-6: Switching hands so L is up and R is down, and using the footwork of bars 1-2, dance forward into the center of the circle
Bars 7-8: Repeat bars 5-6, but backing out fo the circle.
Bars 9-16: Repeat bars 1-8

Repeat Parts 1-3, two more times

Ending
Repeat bars 1-12 of part 1
Bar 13-16: With arms in W position, pointing to the R, shuffle backwards on balls of feet.

Tucson Video

This video includes Ercument Teaching the dance, at a workshop in 1990 in Tucson. He starts with part 2. The dance with music starts at 7m36s.

Other sources:

Ercument Kiliç (1990) Unpublished Type written Dance notes

Also spelled: Alagoz