Gouye!!!!!

Gouye is one of the most popular moves you’ll find at Haitian Konpa dance club events. But what is Gouye or what does Gouye mean?

Gouye means to whine. This whine dance is usually done by a set of dancers. Two partners, a lead and a follow, connected at their foreheads ( Tet Kole) and their hips while they whine in 1 of 2 circular motions.

The Gouyad break down

Yes! There is a particular way to Gouye. When you Gouye with someone, you’ll be whining in one of 2 circular motions. The first rotation is a figure-8 rotation. One of the first things you’ll learn in a dance class is how to move your hips in a figure 8 rotation. Gouyad ( or to Gouye ) is pretty much the same motion but with a partner. The right leg of both the lead and the follow will be placed in between their partners’ feet ( as depicted on 3rd point in the image above). This way when both partners won’t knock each other’s knees out while whining in the figure-8 motion.

The second rotation is pretty much a full circle ( or half of 8 )  whine. This is more command than the full figure eight whine because both partners get more out of the dance. With your bodies locked close together, you whine into each other in a circular motion. 

The different types of Gouyad

If you were raised in the Haitian Konpa dance culture and was exposed to Gouyad music ( music that provokes Gouye dancing ), you should have been exposed to other Gouyad dance terminologies. Words like Kole sere, ploge, and yayad should sound familiar to you.

PROACTIVE vs NONACTIVE

To better describe the next set of dance moves, I want you to consider proactive verse non-active dancing. Gouyad (to Gouye) is a proactive dance move because it requires a lot of activity. True. You stand in one place but your hips are actively rotating and you’re bending your knees a lot.

YAYAD

Another proactive dance move is Yayad. This is a zouk flavored dance alternative to the afro-cultural whine where the hips are required to rotate. It was introduced to zouk as an alternative to Gouyad because most non-afro cultural dancers found it difficult to rotate their hips in a figure-8 motion. So Yayad was a side to side rock. Partners connect and hold each other the same exact way they would hold their partner in a Gouyad dance, the only difference now is that their bodies are locked together as they rock their hips side to side.

PLOGE

On the other hand, when you Ploge ( which literally means to plug) is a different approach. There’s a deeper level of intimacy and connection. This move is usually reserved for couples or singles looking to mingle. But in this dance, the knees of both parties are disabled due to the feet repositioning.

When two dancers connect to Ploge, the toes of both partners are directly in front of their partners’ toes. This dance now becomes a nonactive dance. Hips are no longer rotating and knees are stiffer. The only thing moving is the hips of both parties. Instead of rotating their hips in a circular motion, they’re moving their hips in a backward and forward motion. Both partners hold each other extra tighter and their focus is simply to take it slow and to enjoy every single moment of the dance.

TRY IT!

Now you should have an idea of how to Gouye and you should have a better understanding of the different types of Gouyad dancing. When you get a chance, go to a Haitian club partner and try it out. Take someone with you that you don’t mind Gouyad dancing with. You can’t just Gouye with anyone if they don’t welcome it. But if you’re confident, DO YOUR THANG!

 

Lastly, if you’re ever looking for workshops where we teach Gouyad lessons. Click here to find any available Gouyad workshops if any are listed.

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