Travel Steps Study Guide 4.3: Reference Notes, Saidi

Saidi (Theatricalized Women’s Style)

True Saidi folklore is danced only by men, but women borrow steps from this style for theatricalized folklore dances, or for folkloric-inspired Oriental dance.   Men dance Saidi steps with a flexed foot; women often soften the line of the leg with a pointed foot.  I recommend a pointed foot as basic technique for women, and use a pointed foot to demonstrate the movements in this section.  However, women may certainly imitate men’s flexed-foot styling, especially if the mood or music calls for a strong or flirtatious variation. 

Time-Marking Heel Drops

28:59      Basic Drop (Even Timing)

29:04      Heel drop with Turn in Place

29:14      Heel Drop Layered Underneath Hipwork

29:20      Timing Variation: Saidi Rhythm

Drop on the “doum,” lift up on the “tek.”  Drop-lift, drop, drop, lift.

Heel Drop, Lift, Pivot to Close

I’ve described the direction of the pivot in this movement as closing.  This nomenclature follows the “open” and “close” naming convention I use throughout this presentation, but for this particular move the label may feel counterintuitive.  This is a folkloric movement, not an Oriental one, and the impetus of the turn comes from springing up and from the unweighted leg’s side of the body.  A dancer may feel like she is “opening” in this pivot.

All three variations of this movement have a slight knee bend layered over the heel drop.  The legs spring back to straight in preparation for the pivot.

29:27      Basic

29:31      Timing Variation: Saidi Rhythm

29:37      With Forward Extension

Saidi Time-Marking Steps

		Step	Hold	Step	Hold
29:47	1	forward	·         heel lift-and-drop	back	·         heel lift-and-drop
29:54	2	side	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         knee-lift	side	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         knee-lift
30:00	3	side	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         turned-out attitude front	side	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         turned-out attitude front
30:05	4	side	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         parallel attitude front	side	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         parallel attitude front
30:12	5	forward	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         parallel attitude front	back	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         parallel attitude front
30:24	6	side	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         knee-bend	side	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         knee-bend
30:30	7	side	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         turned-in knee bend	side	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         turned-in knee bend

Touch → Lift or Bend

30:35      From Bent Knee Touch Front, Lift to Parallel Attitude Front

30:41      From touch under the body, to turned-in knee bend 

30:46      From touch under the body, to parallel knee bend

 

30:54      Hop with Side Extension, Hop with Knee-Bend

Many dancers will consider this cheerful movement to be the most difficult piece of vocabulary included in Travel Steps.  If you are among them, don’t be discouraged!  It definitely requires both strength and stamina, but the footwork becomes easier (and less tiring) once it’s in your “muscle memory.”  Here’s the breakdown for learning this step:

·         Start with your weight on your right foot, and your left leg in a turned-out touch side.  Center your head over your right foot, leaning your torso slightly right, so that your left leg and the left side of your body make a long diagonal.

·         Still leaning toward the right, hop, and bend your left knee.  While you are in the air, use the knee bending motion to pull your body to the left.

·         Land back on your right foot.  You are now a little bit to the left of where you started.  Your unweighted left leg is turned out and a bit to the side, and your left knee is bent so that your left calf is parallel to the floor and crossed behind your right calf.  Your body is leaning toward the right, and your left foot is roughly under your right shoulder.

·         Hop a second time from your right foot.  While you are in the air this time, change feet, and lean your torso to the other side.

·         Land on your left foot in a position that mirrors your starting position.  Now it is your right leg in a turned-out touch side, and your torso leans slightly left.

When you have the footwork sequence, keep the upper body strong but relaxed, and find a subtle undulation in the chest, up to the side.  The head may turn slightly from side to side, looking out over the extended leg.  

Ball-Change, Ball-Change

The pivots in this sequence happen on the “and” between counts.  Notating the combination in a way that shows both counts and the “and”s between counts, the breakdown looks like this:

		Step (1)	Hold (&)	Step (2)	Hold (&)	Step (3)	Hold (&)	Step (4)	Hold (&)
31:06		side	(wait)	in place	·         pivot to close	side	(wait)	in place	·         pivot open

I’m showing this sequence with a closed right hand and looping arm path, to suggest a cane or stick.  Of course it may also be done with an open hand and relaxed arms, or with an actual cane held in the right hand. 

Ball-Change, Step-Hold

		Step	Step	Step	hold
31:18		ball-change side		in place	·         heel lift-and-drop ·         parallel attitude front

There’s a very slight asynchronicity between the audio and visual here.  If you have trouble seeing the rhythm of the footfalls, I suggest muting the sound for a moment.

→ Next in the Travel Steps Study Guide: Reference Notes for Layered Footwork Combinations with Style Variations - American Cabaret 

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