A new dancer asked me to share a video of the grapevine step (and other basic steps). I found it’s not that easy to find. We haven’t danced this dance, but it’s got a nice slow grapevine in it.
The thing about grapevines is:
- it’s always the same pattern: you’re putting one foot in front of the other and the same foot behind the other, travelling in one direction or the other
- however… you might start with a side step and then foot in front or just foot in front or just foot behind
- and you may go left or you may go right.
- I learned that this “complete” pattern is not what they do in tango, salsa, line dance or hip hop. There it’s what we might call 3/4 of a grapevine.
I find it a great relief to do a dance where there are several full grapevines all in a row–you really get into the rhythm of it.
At the time marker of 0:20-0:24 is a complete grapevine to the left!
When I put out a request to a serious circle dancer friend she told me that it’s also called Mayim, Mayim or Maim Maim (mime mime) aAnd found this helpful tutorial for Israeli folk dance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYEk0qalvsU
I hope some circle dancers might take up the challenge of making a series of videos with basic steps. It would have really helped me when I was brand new. It was all very well and good to have such a lovely supportive group assuring me I’d learn over time but I would have practised the basic steps at home and enjoyed dance earlier than I did.
What about other newbies? would this (have been) be helpful to you?
Let It Be a Dance! 