Waldjaeger/en

Waldjäger (Woodland Hunter )

from the Mühlviertel (Mill District in Upper Austria)

Form

unlimited number of pairs in ballroom hold, but both partners slightly turned towards ballroom direction

Steps

walking steps, two step polka (Zweischrittdreher)

Dance

Bar 1: Beginning with outside feet, two walking steps forward. Finally turning towards each other .

Bar 2: Turning round once with two steps, cw. Taking starting position on the last beat.

Bar 3 - 4: As 1 - 2

Bar 5: On 1st beat one tip forward with ball of outside feet, on 3rd beat returning to close.

Bar 6: Same as 5 with inside feet

Bar 7 – 8: Partners face each other and dance round twice with 4 steps cw.

This is repeated until the music stops playing.

Note

This is a fairly racy dance. The change of moving forward and turning round implies a good command of the two step polka. It helps with the latter, when the partners tread between their feet so that their common axis is as tight as possible.

There are several dances and melodies noted with this name. The one above and a slower form from the Innviertel (Inn District in Upper Austria) are still in use.

Source

• R.Zoder, Österr.Volkstänze, band 2, Nr.4
• Translated by Sissy Banner, Amstetten - NÖ., Austria

MP3

• Here is a MP3 from Dancilla.
• Here is a MP3 from www.volksmusik.cc.

Music

• zweistimmige Noten mit Bassbezifferung
• Griffschrift für Steirische Harmonika