Lüsener Deutscher

Pair-dance in a circle, free number of pairs.

Starting Position:

Flankenkreis side by side, boys standing on the inner side.

Dance-position:

Kreuzfassung, right arm on top.

Dance:

Short (tripped) Gehschritte, at each quarter note 1 step.

1. Figure (8 measures):

round-dancing left / anticlockwise around the boy as rotation-axis.

2. Figure (8 measures):

round-dancing right / anticlockwise around the girl as rotation-axis.

3. Figure (8 measures):

The closed hands are hold above the head; beneath them alternating the girl turns right/clockwise (1 measure), then the boy left/anticlockwise (also 1 measure).

4. Figure (8 measures):

Opening of the left hands. The boy rotates the girl in front of him right/clockwise. He emphasizes each first quarter note of a measure with a slight stamp. At the end also the right hands open.

5. Figure (8 measures): "Deutsch tanzen" (= "german dancing")

The girl rotates alone right/clockwise in front of the boy in dancing-direction, the boy follows her, "plattelnd" (^~clapping):

Measure 1:

1st quarter note: one clapping on right thigh, then left, at the same moment jumping on the left foot.
2nd quarter note: one clapping on right thigh, then left, at the same moment jumping on the left foot.
3rd quarter note: one clapping on right thigh, at the same moment jumping on the left foot.

Measure 2:

1st quarter note: stamping with right foot
2nd quarter note: clapping hands in height of breast klatschen.
3rd quarter note: clapping on right sole backwards

Measure 3:

Like measure 1.

Measure 4:

1st quarter note: stamping with right foot.
2nd quarter note: clapping beneath the raised right thigh.
3rd quarter note: clapping beneath the raised left thigh.

Measure 5-7:

Like measure 1-3.

Measure 8:

Stamp with the right foot, and ankle arms in the height.

6. Figure:

Geschlossene Fassung. Waltz.

If the dance is played twice, then can choosen be in the first round instead of the waltz the german dance. Older dancer, who might have problems with the german dance, may dance already in the fifth figure a waltz.

Recorded 1941 by Alois Niedrist.

A Landler, typical for the alps, is also known in several variations in Tyrol. In this court-dance, the boy shows his skills, the girl hergrace and loveliness. Some of the tyrolian forms of Landler are of a very ancient typ; they have very small, nearly run steps anda great freedom in the kind and sequence of figures. The Zillertaler Landler and the Ahrntaler Landler are of this type. The former dance has got this fixed form only by folkdance-descriptions.

A second group of dances has been determined by the cultivation in clubs. Simultaneousness, huge number of figures and show effects are they signs. Some of these forms came back to the people, i.e. not organised circles, but cannot deny their origin, although some changes. This is true for the Figurentanz and the Dreiertanz.

The third group is formed by Landlers, in which the boy demonstrates his skills through "Plattler". Some of these dances are the Lüsener Deutscher and the already mentioned Figurentanz.

Source: Karl Horak, Tiroler Volkstanzbuch, Musikverlag Helbling, Innsbruck, 1974.