This dance…
is called: Ghasem abadi
The dance depicts the work of the women in the rice fields.
The dance origins from the north of Iran.
Societal relevance
The dance is a group dance depicting the work of the community of women in the rice fields.The dance consists of different patterns of dance steps and a vocabulary of different gestural movements that refer to their daily work in the rice field such as picking the rice, carrying or shaking the rice basket.
This movement vocabulary is phrased and structured in repeated intervals of sequences through the course of the dance. The formation of the dance is performed unisolo, structured in different group constellations - in circles or in lines.
Music
The music consists out of repeated melodic rhythmic patterns that are looped throughout the dance.
Costume
The clothing corresponds to the traditional costume worn in the region.
[1] Talks with Farnaz Abdul (Dancer from Iran)
is called: Ghasem abadi
The dance depicts the work of the women in the rice fields.
The dance origins from the north of Iran.
Societal relevance
The dance is a group dance depicting the work of the community of women in the rice fields.The dance consists of different patterns of dance steps and a vocabulary of different gestural movements that refer to their daily work in the rice field such as picking the rice, carrying or shaking the rice basket.
This movement vocabulary is phrased and structured in repeated intervals of sequences through the course of the dance. The formation of the dance is performed unisolo, structured in different group constellations - in circles or in lines.
Music
The music consists out of repeated melodic rhythmic patterns that are looped throughout the dance.
Costume
The clothing corresponds to the traditional costume worn in the region.
[1] Talks with Farnaz Abdul (Dancer from Iran)
How to dance the dance
Dancers
5 female dancers that perform in a group chorus
Space
The dancers perform in and around the centre of the space
Starting Position
The women are lined up in 2 lines facing each other, one line on the left side of the stage, one on the right side of the stage. The dance starts with a pose: The dancers look over their shoulder to the front with their eyes looking downwards. Their arms are lifted up in a triangular shape at the height of their head. The elbows are bent and pulled apart, their hand palms are joined. Their inner leg is stretched out to the side, their foot is pointed. We hear the intro of the music.
In the following we hear a repeating music pattern. With every loop of the music pattern there is a new movement pattern introduced that lasts for the length of the music pattern. Some of the movement patterns will be repeated throughout the dance.
Moving through space
10 X 2 Adjustments steps (Continuously Changing right/left)
Adjustments steps: An adjustment step is a combination of a walking step and an additional step. One foot advances, the other foot is placed next to it with weight transfer. Do not stretch your legs, kneel slightly and dance on the ball of your foot with the adjusted leg.
Starting from the starting position (see above) with the leg that is stretched out: 2 small adjustment steps, arms and hands reaching downwards on the side of the foot with which the first step is made. 2 small adjustment steps with the opposite foot, arms reaching to the correspondent side upwards with a gestural pose of the hands same as hold in the starting position. Doing the steps, the dancers move forward, grouping themselves together ending in a half circle open to the front. Their bodies face to the front.
Repeat 2X
The dancers look front. The hands grab the skirt. The upper body swings 3-times from side to side - right/left/right/- with the opposite leg bent and the foot turning in to perform the swing. Then a full turn towards the left is performed.
Repeat 2X
The dancers swing their arms 2 times – first to the outside of the circle, then towards the inside of the circle. The opposite leg is in each case stretched out, the weight on the ball of your foot. While performing the swing the thumbs of the dancer’s hands are hooked into each other, hand palms are stretched open away from the body.
In the following the hands are pushed front as if pushing something away from the body, simultaneously performing two little jumps backwards towards the centre of the circle away from the hands.
8 Adjustments steps while the upper body is slightly bend forward.
With every adjustment step the opposite arm is reaching down “grabbing the rice”. The women move around the space finally ending up in two lines of 3 dancers in the front and 2 dancers in the back, facing the front.
The arms are bend in a rectangular shape of 90 % with the hand palms facing each other in front of their body. In this shape their arms swing in a shaking manner 4x side to side like “shaking the rice basket”.
Right/left/right
Left/right/left
Right/left/right
Left/right/left
While doing this the women from the back line are moving forward with small steps. The women of the front-line step on the spot.
They then stretch out their arms above their heads, “swinging the rice basket” above their head- Left/right/left/right.
Repeat right/left.
A Turn to the right. Simultaneously they perform a gesture with the hand: the right back of the hand touches their forehand, the hand palm facing front as if “to look far away”. -
A turn to the right. At the end of the turn the women are seated down in two lines behind each other, three in the front, two in the back, sitting on the knees facing the front.
On the floor – sitting on the knees
The right hand reaches down, grabbing twice in the air “as if rice picking”- their upper body is slightly bend forward. The right hand reaches up grabbing twice in the air “as if rice picking” with the upper body looking up. The right hand reaches down, grabbing twice “as if rice picking”- their upper body is slightly bend forward. The right hand palm opens up on the height of the head, blowing something away from the hand.
The arms bent in a rectangular shape of 90 % with the hand palms facing each other in front of their body. In this shape their arms swing: righ-left- performing on each side two circle-like movements forward “shaking the rice basket”, then they swing forward downwards- forward upwards shaking their arms right/left/right “as if shaking the rice basket”.
They bend forward grabbing gently in the air “as if picking up rice” alternately with the left and right hand. The hands reach higher and higher until the arms are stretched out above their heads. Here they fold their hands into fists and turn the fists and lower arms around each other while performing a full circle around their body towards the left. Having performed their circle, they open their hands above heads with their hands wide open and their fingers spread, performing small sudden gestures as if throwing something away until the arms are back down next to the hips.
Gesture: Putting the right finger on the cheek, then changing, putting the left finger on the cheek. The head moves towards the finger.
The women are moving upwards to stand up again. Their arms are bend in a rectangular shape with their hand palms facing each other in front of their body. In this shape their arms swing in a shaking manner 4x side to side like “as if shaking the rice basket”:
Right/left/right
Left/right/left
Right/left/right
Left/right/left
Standing they fold their hands into fists and turn the fists and lower arms around each other while swinging the upper body to the Right/left/right/left. The opposite leg is thereby bent and the foot is turning in standing only on the ball of the foot.
In a circle
The dancers walk in circle anti-clockwise, with the right hand grabbing the skirt and the left arm lifted up. The left arm is slightly bent, the hand palm is opened up “as if carrying” a rice basket”. They perform 10 steps: Before stepping on the following foot their stretch out their leg diagonally forward with a pointed foot before they replace the leg in front of them to perform the next step. The upper body thereby swings away from the stretched-out leg. The women move around the space finally ending up in two lines of 3 dancers in the front and 2 dancers in the back, facing the front.
On the spot
Repeat - 2X
The dancers look front. The hands grab the skirt. The upper body swings 3-times from side to side - right/left/right/- with the opposite leg bent and the foot turning in to perform the swing. Then a full turn towards the left is performed.
The dancer bends up the left lower arm and opens the hand palm. The right hand brushes twice over the left hand palm “as if brushing away the rice”. The gesture is performed 3 x. Once to the right side, to the middle and to the left side.
The dancers open up their arms to the side, bend down and up “as if lifting up branches of rice”. They then open up the arms to the side with the hand palms open to the sides. The elbows are slightly bent. They then perform a turn to the right.
Moving forwards & Bacvkwards in space
Repeat 2x
The dancers perform 4 adjustments steps (Continuously Changing left/right).
The front line turns to the back and moves backwards. The back line turns to the front and moves to the front. When the right foot is going forward, the right arm reaches to the front, slightly bent with the hand palm open to the front. The left arm is bent to the side with the handpalm open to the front and the finger tips next to the left ear. Everything is performed opposite when the left foot is stepping forward.
After the 4 adjustments steps the dancers make a half turn facing in the direction they just came from. The two lines are facing each other. The front line looks to the back. The back line to the front. On place they gently “shake the rice basket” from side to side starting to the right.
With the left arm the dancer “holds the rice basket” in front of them on hip height. The right arm “grabs” into the “basket” and “spread the rice seeds” opening up her arm – 2x. They then stretch out the arm in the air in a V position with the hand palms facing each other performing 4 turns to the left.
In a circle
The dancers walk in circle anti-clockwise. Both arms are stretched out with the hand palm facing upwards. The outer arm performs a half circle closing in on the inner hand palm and opening up again. This is done 3 x.
The dancers continue to walk in the circle. They support the inner arm on the hip. The outer hand grabs the skirt. Before stepping on the following foot their stretch out their leg diagonally forward with a pointed foot before they replace the leg in front of them to perform the next step. The upper body thereby swings away from the stretched-out leg. The women move around the space and finally walk out of the space for the end of the dance.
Dancers
5 female dancers that perform in a group chorus
Space
The dancers perform in and around the centre of the space
Starting Position
The women are lined up in 2 lines facing each other, one line on the left side of the stage, one on the right side of the stage. The dance starts with a pose: The dancers look over their shoulder to the front with their eyes looking downwards. Their arms are lifted up in a triangular shape at the height of their head. The elbows are bent and pulled apart, their hand palms are joined. Their inner leg is stretched out to the side, their foot is pointed. We hear the intro of the music.
In the following we hear a repeating music pattern. With every loop of the music pattern there is a new movement pattern introduced that lasts for the length of the music pattern. Some of the movement patterns will be repeated throughout the dance.
Moving through space
10 X 2 Adjustments steps (Continuously Changing right/left)
Adjustments steps: An adjustment step is a combination of a walking step and an additional step. One foot advances, the other foot is placed next to it with weight transfer. Do not stretch your legs, kneel slightly and dance on the ball of your foot with the adjusted leg.
Starting from the starting position (see above) with the leg that is stretched out: 2 small adjustment steps, arms and hands reaching downwards on the side of the foot with which the first step is made. 2 small adjustment steps with the opposite foot, arms reaching to the correspondent side upwards with a gestural pose of the hands same as hold in the starting position. Doing the steps, the dancers move forward, grouping themselves together ending in a half circle open to the front. Their bodies face to the front.
Repeat 2X
The dancers look front. The hands grab the skirt. The upper body swings 3-times from side to side - right/left/right/- with the opposite leg bent and the foot turning in to perform the swing. Then a full turn towards the left is performed.
Repeat 2X
The dancers swing their arms 2 times – first to the outside of the circle, then towards the inside of the circle. The opposite leg is in each case stretched out, the weight on the ball of your foot. While performing the swing the thumbs of the dancer’s hands are hooked into each other, hand palms are stretched open away from the body.
In the following the hands are pushed front as if pushing something away from the body, simultaneously performing two little jumps backwards towards the centre of the circle away from the hands.
8 Adjustments steps while the upper body is slightly bend forward.
With every adjustment step the opposite arm is reaching down “grabbing the rice”. The women move around the space finally ending up in two lines of 3 dancers in the front and 2 dancers in the back, facing the front.
The arms are bend in a rectangular shape of 90 % with the hand palms facing each other in front of their body. In this shape their arms swing in a shaking manner 4x side to side like “shaking the rice basket”.
Right/left/right
Left/right/left
Right/left/right
Left/right/left
While doing this the women from the back line are moving forward with small steps. The women of the front-line step on the spot.
They then stretch out their arms above their heads, “swinging the rice basket” above their head- Left/right/left/right.
Repeat right/left.
A Turn to the right. Simultaneously they perform a gesture with the hand: the right back of the hand touches their forehand, the hand palm facing front as if “to look far away”. -
A turn to the right. At the end of the turn the women are seated down in two lines behind each other, three in the front, two in the back, sitting on the knees facing the front.
On the floor – sitting on the knees
The right hand reaches down, grabbing twice in the air “as if rice picking”- their upper body is slightly bend forward. The right hand reaches up grabbing twice in the air “as if rice picking” with the upper body looking up. The right hand reaches down, grabbing twice “as if rice picking”- their upper body is slightly bend forward. The right hand palm opens up on the height of the head, blowing something away from the hand.
The arms bent in a rectangular shape of 90 % with the hand palms facing each other in front of their body. In this shape their arms swing: righ-left- performing on each side two circle-like movements forward “shaking the rice basket”, then they swing forward downwards- forward upwards shaking their arms right/left/right “as if shaking the rice basket”.
They bend forward grabbing gently in the air “as if picking up rice” alternately with the left and right hand. The hands reach higher and higher until the arms are stretched out above their heads. Here they fold their hands into fists and turn the fists and lower arms around each other while performing a full circle around their body towards the left. Having performed their circle, they open their hands above heads with their hands wide open and their fingers spread, performing small sudden gestures as if throwing something away until the arms are back down next to the hips.
Gesture: Putting the right finger on the cheek, then changing, putting the left finger on the cheek. The head moves towards the finger.
The women are moving upwards to stand up again. Their arms are bend in a rectangular shape with their hand palms facing each other in front of their body. In this shape their arms swing in a shaking manner 4x side to side like “as if shaking the rice basket”:
Right/left/right
Left/right/left
Right/left/right
Left/right/left
Standing they fold their hands into fists and turn the fists and lower arms around each other while swinging the upper body to the Right/left/right/left. The opposite leg is thereby bent and the foot is turning in standing only on the ball of the foot.
In a circle
The dancers walk in circle anti-clockwise, with the right hand grabbing the skirt and the left arm lifted up. The left arm is slightly bent, the hand palm is opened up “as if carrying” a rice basket”. They perform 10 steps: Before stepping on the following foot their stretch out their leg diagonally forward with a pointed foot before they replace the leg in front of them to perform the next step. The upper body thereby swings away from the stretched-out leg. The women move around the space finally ending up in two lines of 3 dancers in the front and 2 dancers in the back, facing the front.
On the spot
Repeat - 2X
The dancers look front. The hands grab the skirt. The upper body swings 3-times from side to side - right/left/right/- with the opposite leg bent and the foot turning in to perform the swing. Then a full turn towards the left is performed.
The dancer bends up the left lower arm and opens the hand palm. The right hand brushes twice over the left hand palm “as if brushing away the rice”. The gesture is performed 3 x. Once to the right side, to the middle and to the left side.
The dancers open up their arms to the side, bend down and up “as if lifting up branches of rice”. They then open up the arms to the side with the hand palms open to the sides. The elbows are slightly bent. They then perform a turn to the right.
Moving forwards & Bacvkwards in space
Repeat 2x
The dancers perform 4 adjustments steps (Continuously Changing left/right).
The front line turns to the back and moves backwards. The back line turns to the front and moves to the front. When the right foot is going forward, the right arm reaches to the front, slightly bent with the hand palm open to the front. The left arm is bent to the side with the handpalm open to the front and the finger tips next to the left ear. Everything is performed opposite when the left foot is stepping forward.
After the 4 adjustments steps the dancers make a half turn facing in the direction they just came from. The two lines are facing each other. The front line looks to the back. The back line to the front. On place they gently “shake the rice basket” from side to side starting to the right.
With the left arm the dancer “holds the rice basket” in front of them on hip height. The right arm “grabs” into the “basket” and “spread the rice seeds” opening up her arm – 2x. They then stretch out the arm in the air in a V position with the hand palms facing each other performing 4 turns to the left.
In a circle
The dancers walk in circle anti-clockwise. Both arms are stretched out with the hand palm facing upwards. The outer arm performs a half circle closing in on the inner hand palm and opening up again. This is done 3 x.
The dancers continue to walk in the circle. They support the inner arm on the hip. The outer hand grabs the skirt. Before stepping on the following foot their stretch out their leg diagonally forward with a pointed foot before they replace the leg in front of them to perform the next step. The upper body thereby swings away from the stretched-out leg. The women move around the space and finally walk out of the space for the end of the dance.