Schwedischer/en

(The Swabian)

Form

pairs facing ballroom direction, inner hands joined, arms hanging

Steps

balance steps and waltz steps

Dance

Bar 1: On 1st beat both partners step forward with outside feet and sway inner legs across on 2nd beat, knees slightly bent. At the same time joined hands sway forward (not too far) and heels of standing legs lift a little (not really a hop, but it almost looks like one) according to the movement of the sway.

Bar 2: Same starting with inside feet; joined arms sway backward and partners turn to each other.

Bar 3 - 4: While the dancer allusively does one more “sway step” followed by one waltz step in position he twirls the girl cw under his lifted right arm (one revolution).

Bar 5 – 8: waltzing round (two revolutions with four waltz steps)

This is repeated until the music stops playing.

Note

In Austria this dance is also known by the name “Haxenschmeißer” (Dialect for Beine werfen, meaning “leg thrower”). A variation is known under the name “Der Lustige” (Good Fun).

The name has nothing to do with Sweden but the more with Swabia, a part of Bavaria. Obviously the word “Schwäbischer” was corrupted by the time, first mentioned as a dance in the 16th century. In the 18th century it used to be a predecessor of the waltz. Zoder gives a detailed list of names and where it was found, more or less all over South-German speaking Europe.

Source

• R. Zoder, Österr.Volkstänze, 3.Teil, Nr.18
• Translated by Sissy Banner, Amstetten/NÖ., Austria

Music

• zweistimmige Noten mit Bassbezifferung
• Griffschrift für Steirische Harmonika