The Dance
The dance was created in 1937 for a festival to celebrate the discovery of water in the desert after a seven-year search. The choreographer was Else I. Dublin.
The dance is sometimes known as "Ushavtem Mayim", after the first words of the lyrics, or simply just "Mayim", but "Mayim Mayim" is the original and most common name. The movement to the first four counts has become known as the "Mayim step" and is similar to the grapevine step found in other forms of dance.
"Mayim Mayim" is done in a circle formation, facing the center through most of the dance, and holding hands except when clapping.
| Count | Step |
| Part 1 | |
| 1–4 | Grapevine: Step R foot across in front of L foot, step on L foot to L, step on R foot behind L foot, step on L foot to L (turning a bit as you go, so that the R foot goes more forward and backward, rather than directly crossing) |
| 5–16 | Repeat counts 1–4 three more times |
| Part 2 | |
| 1–4 | Run four steps forward, R L R L. Begin leaning forward with arms down on 1, then straighten up and raise arms during 2–4. |
| 5–8 | Take four steps backwards, R L R L, bringing arms back down again. (A variation, more recent than the first version given here, is to clap on count 5 before beginning to bring the arms down, while in an earlier version the arms are brought down on 5.) |
| 9–16 | Repeat counts 1–8 |
| Part 3 | |
| 1–3 | Facing left, run three steps forward around the circle, R L R |
| 4 | Face center while hopping on R and touching L foot slightly to the side. (In another variation, a fourth step is added here, onto the L foot, and the rest of this part is done with opposite footwork.) |
| 5–6 | Facing center, hop on R foot while touching L toe in front, hop on R foot while touching L to side, near R foot and slightly to the back. |
| 7–12 | Repeat counts 5–6 three more times, and on 12 transfer some weight onto L foot. |
| 13–20 | Repeat counts 5–12 with opposite footwork and clapping hands each time you touch R in front, finishing with R foot free to start Part 1 again. (In yet another variation, some people turn while doing counts 13–20). |
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Famous quotes containing the words the dance and/or dance:
“It was not till the middle of the second dance, when, from some pauses in the movement wherein they all seemed to look up, I fancied I could distinguish an elevation of spirit different from that which is the cause or the effect of simple jollity.—In a word, I thought I beheld Religion mixing in the dance.”
—Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)
“Mr. Lincoln at least you’re a man of honor. You said you wanted to dance with me in the worst way, and I must say that you’ve kept your word. That’s the worst way I’ve ever seen.”
—Lamar Trotti (1898–1952)
“My men, like satyrs grazing on the lawns,
Shall with their goat feet dance an antic hay.”
—Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593)