Daichovo, Plain or Fancy? Take your pick.....

Daichovo Horo is one of my favorite dances because it's exuberant and lively, and so is the music that accompanies it!

Here's a little background on the Daichovo from the Phantom Ranch website, with the story behind it and a description of several variations.

http://www.phantomranch.net/folkdanc/dances/zizajnan.htm

The Daichovo is a dance from the northwestern (Severnjasko) region of Bulgaria. Although it's danced all over all over the country (and around the world), this is the area where it's most popular. Like many dances from the Balkans, it's in an odd rhythm. For those interested in time signatures, it is in either 9/8 or 9/16 (depending on the speed) and the rhythm is quick-quick quick-slow. The accent is on the first beat, although the fourth is the longest.



Here's another dressed up version of the Daichovo.



After watching these two performances you may be somewhat intimidated by this dance. Not to worry, there are easier versions out there, although to best enjoy Daichovo Horo, you need a little stamina. Maybe more than a little, because it can be quite a workout, so some conditioning helps. If you're interested in incorporating some ethnic dance in your exercise routine, read this post, it's a good place to start :)

On Ethnic Dance and Exercise http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/12/on-ethnic-dance-and-exericise.html

The next video proves that Daichovo is a dance for everyone. This group includes people of all ages, some of them quite young. They are probably in excellent shape, since the music goes on for nearly five minutes, and from what I can see no one's left the line....



Here's what I call "Daichovo for Dummies" :) Though I have to admit the instructor does a good job breaking down the steps.



If you'd like to read more on folk dances from Bulgaria and other Balkan countries, you may find these links of interest.

The Flavors of Bulgarian Rachenitsa : http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

The Travels of Pajduško Horo:
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/travels-of-pajdusko-horo.html


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