Zwiefache session at the Downeast Country Dance Festival 2011

From Squidoo - Zweifacher is most common in the Alps - Southern Germany, Austria , and Switzerland - but the mixed rhythms are also found in Denmark, Norway, some French, Italian, and Slovenian dances. "The current definition of Zwiefacher requires two things: mixed rhythms and the possibility for couples to turn face to face." It's a mixture of waltz steps danced to waltz bars (3/4) and pivot or polka steps danced to oom-pah bars (2/4) with set tunes to patterns.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Zweifacher
• folk
• music
• dance
• festival
• dancing
• Zwiefache
• Downeast
• Country
• Dance
• Festival
• 2011

[teresepawl]

thanks so much for clarifying. We're just happy to be able to have some folks do it. It is hard to find in the US!

[WestfaliaMagna]

You must make a difference between thev dancing form and the rhythm pattern. The dancing form comes indeed from Southern Germany (NOT from the Alps !) an seems to be much younger than the tunes and the music. This kind of MUSIC goes back to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Browse e.g. for a gaillard by William Byrd !! And especially this tune comes even from the Netherlands (!) and is close related to the Dutch National Anthem, but became its mixed rhythm later in the Bavarian Forest !

[hgw0601]

S´Eisenkeilnest!