Bauernmadl

Bauernmadl Dance Instructions and Music

LYRICS:

1. Bauernmadl, Bauernmadl, d'Spielleut machn auf,
Bauernmadl, Bauernmadl, tanz' ma no oan drauf!
2 Bauernmadl, Bauernmadl, schöne Ringl* tragns,
Bauernmadl, Bauernmadl, alle Buama sagns!

Chorus:
Bauernmadl hin, Bauernmadl her, juhe,
Gibts denn auf der ganzn Welt koa Bauernmadl mehr?

Translation:
1 Farm girl, farm girl, musicians are starting to play,
Farm girl, farm girl, let's dance another one!
2 Farm girl, farm girl, they wear pretty rings*,
Farm girl, farm girl, all the boys say it!

Chorus:
Farm girl to, farm girl fro, hurrah,
Aren't there any farm girls left in the whole wide world?

*Ringl = refers to rings on the fingers and/or Ohrringe (earrings). The boys looked at the girl's jewelry to gauge how well-to-do the farm girl was.

Music as shown is written for 3-part harmony (Dreigesang). Music from Alpenländische Lieder by Wastl Fandl.

Note: the translation is provided only as information. The English words are NOT meant to be sung. The Bavarian words are meant to be sung in Mundart (dialect), not "Hochdeutsch." A region's Mundart is inseparable from the music itself. Many regional variations exist for the lyrics as well as for the dance steps themselves.

The book, Tanz rüber, tanz nüber: Eine Auswahl fränkischer Tänze (Kurt Becher, published by Bayerische Landesverein für Heimatpflege), says that the dance is called "Bauernmadla" in much of Franken and describes a different dance sequence. In other parts of Franken, the same dance is called "Bedmadla" (as it is called in Effeltrich); Bauernmarla (in northern Oberfranken); "Bauernmädle" in the Würzburg area; "Bauremadl" in Spessart; and "Buwers-Mäche in Rho"n. In Nürnberg the lyrics are:

Seitdem dass die Bauernmadla Ha"kelhus'n trog'n,
dou kannst zu dene Krankertslouder gar nix mehr sog'n,
Bauernmadla hi, Bauernmadla her,
mog i doch mei Lebenstog ka Bauernmadla mehr.

Ever since the farm girls started wearing crocheted bloomers,
you can't tell the miserable rascals anything,
Farm girl to, farm girl fro,
For the rest of my days, I won't want a farm girl.

Bauernmadl - Dance Music

The dance music is taken from a collection by Georg von Kaufmann, who was instrumental in the Volkstanz movement in the 1950s. The "Chiemgauer version" of the "Bauernmadl" comes from Ruhpolding and has edged out many other versions of the dance. Other variations exist for the waltz. After the waltz is played, begin again without pause at the beginning of the dance.

Directions for Dancing the "Bauernmadl"
Letters correspond to the circled letters in the music

Boy and girl stand next to each other facing counterclockwise, boy on the left, girl on the right. (Boys form inside circle, girls the outside circle.) Hands are in Kreuzfassung (crossover or "skater's" position--join right hands and left hands; right arms over left arms).

- 4 measures: Begin on first beat with Aussenfuss (outside foot--always defined as the foot that is away from your partner), take 6 steps in counter-clockwise (CCW) direction. On 7th step, couple turns (towards each other, keep holding hands) and boy stamps.

- 4 measures: Begin with Aussenfuss, take 6 steps clockwise (CW). On 7th step, couple turns and boy stamps.

- 2 measures: Begin with Aussenfuss, take 2 steps CCW, on 3rd step couple turns and boy stamps.

- 2 measures: Begin with Aussenfuss, take 2 steps CW, on 3rd step couple turns to face each other and boy stamps.

- 4 measures: Boy's right hand holds girl's right and she turns in place under his arm then stops to repeat A-E; after the second time, the waltz sequence begins.

- 16 measures: Couple waltzes, and repeats steps from the beginning.

This dance can be done either as a couples dance (couple stays together throughout the dance) or a Wechseltanz (partner-changing dance). If the latter, the girl waltzes with her own partner for the first waltz sequence, then repeats A-E with him. Before the second waltz sequence begins, the girl turns by herself to the boy in front of her, stops to face him (there is no Schuhplattler-type "catch"), waltzes with him, then repeats parts A-E twice with her new partner. At next waltz sequence, she goes to the third partner and so on through the rest of the music. Often when the time comes to move to the next partner, the Tanzleiter (dance leader) will call out "Dirndl Weiter" (girl moves on).

Remember -- the boy should always greet and acknowledge (with a smile and a nod) a new partner and she should do the same. At the end of the dance, the couple should look at each other and acknowledge each other again.

The directions for this dance are found in two sources. One is the instruction sheet that comes with the compact disc "Bairische Tanzweisen" by Sigi Ramsto"tter and the Teisendorfer Tanzlmusi und Geigenmusi. The CD features 27 different songs with the dance instructions to them. Some of the songs, such as "Bauernmadl," also have lyrics. The other source is the book Chiemgauer Ta"nze by Georg von Kaufmann, who was a teacher to Sigi Ramsto"tter.

A Note about the Form of the Dance

The form of this dance is a couples dance known as "Siebenschritt," one of the most widely distributed dance forms in Germany. The name derives from the main element of the dance--seven steps forward and seven steps backward. Rheinla"nder figures and a waltz are also elements of the dance. Many of the Siebenschritt Ta"nze have lyrics. The music timing is most often 2/4, seldom 4/4. The end of each group of seven steps is often accented with a stamp. Eighteen examples of this dance are noted in the book; many more exist, including those simply called "Siebenschritt." The "Bauernmadl" itself has numerous regional variations and lyrics. The dance form dates back at least to the early 1800s. (This explanation taken from Handbuch des Deutschen Volkstanzes by Aenne Goldschmidt.)

This handout prepared by Karin Dean-Kraft and Richard Michels for the dance and music workshops taught at the Gaufest in Delaware, June 1997