Gina Bellman
Every time I dance with a different group, it feels like stepping into another village because they do some of their dances differently than my "home" group. The "different village" concept is very common in the world of folk dancing.
Today's excursion into the world of Bulgarian folk dance features variations of Povlekana, a rachenitsa from the region of Dobrudja.
Rachenitsa has many variations and is the national dance of Bulgaria. It can be fast or slow and follows this rhythm: apple-apple-pineapple (7/8 or 7/16 depending on the speed).
Video #1 is the version that is most popular. It's performed by dancers in elaborate embroidered costumes from the Dobrudja region: the women wear distinctive yellow headscarves. This was part of a dance competition and the ensemble received excellent marks, mostly 9's and one 10.
Video #2 shows a group from Bulgaria at another dance competition performing Povlekana to different music. This is part of a medley with the dance Kutsata (starting at about 1:20). Their black and orange uniforms remind me of Halloween.
Video #3 is another version of Povlekana, performed by an American group in California. It has different music and different steps. There is a short review of the dance at the beginning.of the video. This variation is similar to another dance from Dobrudja, Sej Bop (not to be confused with the more familiar Sej Sej Bop).
If you enjoyed this you may also like:
Balkan Dances That Are Often Confused
Two Variations on the Bulgarian Folk Dance: Opas
Bulgarian Folk Dances from the Region of Dobrudja
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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