There is something special when creative people get together.
Joy Mangano
Today's post features creative ideas used with the music to Diko Iliev'sDunavsko Horo. It is a dance traditionally done at midnight to welcome in the New Year.
Video #1 is a flash mob of dancers in front of National TheaterIvan Vazov (Bulgarian poet, novelist and playwright who lived from 1850-1921.) It is a work of art by Rashev Photography: the dancers wear bright colors and arrange themselves in different formations.
Video #2 is an original arrangement of Dunavsko Horo. It uses the composer's music with some interesting variations. It is a blend of techno and traditional.
In the range of music that we play - roughly 300 years' worth-there really are more similarities than differences.
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Today's post features two Florecica dances with different music and different choreography performed by a group of dancers from Boulder, Colorado.
Video #1 is the version familiar to most folk dancers, Florecica Olteneasca. The best description of it is a Sârba on steroids. A Sârba is aRomanian folk dance related to the Bulgarian Pravo Horo and the Serbian Čačak. The dance is from the region of Oltenia in southern Romania.
The first part of the dance, which is relatively easy, consists of Sârba choreography(the spelling Sirba is also used).
This video took place at a Romanian festival in Boulder, Colorado, and the dancers are from the Hora Romaneasca dance group The musical accompaniment for this dance is known by the politically incorrect name of Jew's Harp (drîmba is the name in Romanian). The other instrument is a kobza.
Video #2 is the same group performing Florecica #2. Like the previous video you can hear the "chatter" in the background. This is also a fast dance done in Sârba rhythm, punctuated by shouts from the leader. The opposing lines at 0:52 remind me of a Bulgarian dance, Sitna Zborernka.
This version of Florecica is played on violins, cimbalom and panpipes.
I do love brash pop music. It's fun.
Romey Madley Croft
I never knew of the Eurovision Song Contest until I moved to Germany. My friends had everyone over to watch the show, which took place Saturday night in early May. It was a social event, something like the Super Bowl here in the States. We ate, drank and critiqued the songs. I remember it as a mix of mostly sappy love songs with a few humorous ones thrown into the mix.
Songs in a foreign language don't tend to go over well in the States, with few exceptions because people don't understand the lyrics. In Europe, children in elementary school learn at least one foreign language so they grow up multilingual. In the United States, young people don't usually learn a second language until high school.
Today's theme is the use of Balkan folklore in Eurovision. The theme for the year 2017 was "Celebrating Diversity." I didn't find any good songs for 2017, but here are some from years past with a strong folklore flavor.
Video #1 is the Bulgarian entry for 2013, Samo Shampioni(Only Champions) by Elitsa and Stoyan. Back in 2007 they had made it to fifth place with the song Voda (Water).
There are several folklore elements: the gaida player with the mask, the three women in the background with elaborate embroidered costumes, and Elitsa singing in the style of the Shope region.
This song placed 12th in the semi-finals; why I don't know. I give it a "thumbs up" for energetic performance (at one point it looked like a duel of the drums) and the use of Bulgarian folk motifs.
The Serbian entry for 2010 features brass band music, very popular in Serbia.
Ovo je Balkan (this is Balkan) is the name of the song. I detected a kolo rhythm at 1:14 and several times throughout the song. This is a dynamic performance, a bit crazy and fun to watch. You wouldn't know it from watching the performers, but this is a sexy love song. It finished 13th in the finals.
Video #3 is the Eurovision entry from 2013: Alcohol is Free, from Greece. During the intro, one of the musicians plays a tiny stringed instrument (tambouras), then all hell breaks loose after the drums and the trumpet play (at 0:41).
I found the lyrics in English translation (something always gets lost in translation) and what I got from them was a song about drunken sailors on a sea of whiskey (why not ouzo?) I give them points for a dynamic and fun presentation with the presence of Greek folklore. The band's name is Koza Mostra (a play on Cosa Nostra, maybe?) This is definitely not a love song!
The song placed 6th in the finals.
The Croatian entry for Eurovision 2006 was Moja štikla, (My High Heel) The dancing reminded me of the Greek Pentozali, the choral singing is pure Croatian.harmony.
The singer, Severina, really stands out in her red dress (she tosses it at 2:20) and her passionate performance, along with her backup (wearing folk costumes) was a pleasure to watch.
This song placed 12th in the finals. Maybe the judges and the audience just don't appreciate folklore and pop culture as much as I do.
I always feel like people in general are much weirder and insane than anybody really wants to admit. How dare somebody watch anything and go, 'That's not real!' Go on the subway. For five minutes.
Max Greenfield
Today's name game is about two dances that sound similar: Elenino Horo, also known as Eleno Mome and Enino Horo.
Video #1 shows dancers on a subway (U-Bahn) station in Vienna, Austria. How they managed the volume and acoustics in a subway tunnel is a mystery to me, since I see no loudspeakers. The dancers also timed this in between trains, just in case one of them fell off the platform...
Subways and subway stations are venues for artists and musicians, but you don't often see people dancing on subway platforms. The bystanders act like this is totally normal. Anything goes in large cities.
There are other tunes used for this dance, also known as Eleno Mome and you can find lyrics on the site Songbook for Nearsighted People.
Video #2 is a performance by the group Faux Pas, at the Balkanalia Festival in Dresden, Germany. This Eleno Mome has lyrics (you can sing along if you want). Elenino Horo can be done to many different tunes; there are versions by the Bulgarian accordionist Boris Karlov, and also brass renditions by the composer Diko Iliev.
These dancers stay in step a little better than the people in Video #1 (who may have had something to drink before dancing in the U-Bahn.) I have to admit subway platforms are not ideal dance floors.
Video #3 is an amateur group from Bulgaria practicing Enino Horo in a studio. The music sounds similar to the song Ripni Kalinke.
The bagpipe in this piece is the kaba gaida, an instrument native to the Rhodope region of Bulgaria. The dance is a pravo variation from that area.
If you look at music, you see theme, variation, you see symmetry, asymmetry, you see structure, and these are related to skills in the real world.
Dave Van Ronk
Today's post features several variations of the Thracian Rachenitsa (Тракийска Ръченица), a dance from south central Bulgaria. It is a dance in an odd rhythm, 7/8 or 7/16 depending on the speed. Thrace is a geographical region in three different countries: Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey.
Video #1 is a simple Thracian Rachenitsa. This version is done "na horo" (in a group, holding hands).
Rachenitsa can be danced solo, as a couple, or in a line.
Video #2 is another variation that we often do during live music parties. This version has more arm movement than the previous one.
The notes underneath the YouTube video describe it (translated from Bulgarian) "as a ten minute horo by non-professionals." They dance around a bunch of white balloons at a wedding (there is a quick glimpse of the bride at 0.35). At 8:00 a man and a woman dance a couple's rachenitsa (that and the solo are usually freestyle), and two women at 9:27.
Bulgarians are known for long dance medleys at parties. It takes a lot of energy and a lot of booze to fuel all that energetic dancing. The leader carries a Bulgarian flag, and passes it to the next leader at 8:48.
Video #3 is a lively (and more complex) version of Thracian Rachenitsa, performed by the dance club 7/8. Wonder where they got that name?
7/8 is the time signature for rachenitsa, lesnoto, and chetvorno. It depends on the grouping of the beats. Rachenitsa is apple-apple-pineapple.
In a word, the Vlachs are the perfect Balkan citizens, able to preserve their culture without resorting to war or politics, violence, or dishonesty. (source unknown)
Today's post features different versions of the Bulgarian folk dance Izruchana, also known as Izruchanka. It is of Vlach origin from northwestern Bulgaria.
Video #1 shows the version of Izruchana most popular with folk dancers in North America, performed by a group from China.
According to the notes, this is a men's dance. In the video, there are both men and women in the line.
Video #2 uses the same music as Video #1. This is a different choreography in the Vlach style (the name Izruchana is not mentioned in the title). The group is Severnyatsite from the city of Pleven. The costumes are predominantly red and white, typical for northern Bulgaria.
Video #3 is another version of Izruchana, performed to different music. If you're a frequent reader of The Alien Diaries, you'll recognize the dancers. The Dunav group from Jerusalem, Israel has many teaching videos, both on their website and on YouTube.
How quickly the new and strange becomes old and familiar.
Garon Whited
Today's post features the ensemble Fluieras from Romania. What is really unusual about this video is that the group performs Bulgarian dances to what sounds, at first, like Romanian music. The tunes are Bulgarian, arranged for a Romanian folk orchestra. It reminds me of translation from one language to another.
The music starts with a caval (same as Bulgarian kaval) but you'll hear the difference when the orchestra plays violins, cimbalom, and accordion.
The costumes and the music are from the Shope region of Bulgaria. The video begins with Shopsko Horo,Daichovoat 2:57, Graovsko at 5:00. At 6:33 is the grand finale.
It often happens that when you look at familiar things through someone else's eyes you see them as you have never seen them before.
John Mole
Today's post shows how the same music can be used for different dances. The musical arrangements are different but the tunes are similar. You get a sense of déjà vu.
Momino Horo (Young Women's Dance) was featured on this blog about two years ago. Video #1 is the original, arranged by Yves Moreau using dance steps typical to the region of Lom in northwest Bulgaria. In Video #1, Yves also leads the dance.
Momino Horo is a "hybrid" dance. From the beginning of the video until 2:07, the music sounds more Middle Eastern or Macedonian than Bulgarian. There are lesnoto steps that you usually see in dances from southwestern Bulgaria or Macedonia. After 2:07, the dance becomes pure Vlach, with stamps, shouts and the "penguin sway" step, also common to dances from Romania.
Pay attention to the music from 2:07 until the end, because you will hear it again in Video #2.
Video #2 is Vlashko Horo (not the one we know from Yves Moreau) that uses the same tune as Video #1 with different steps (recognizable as Vlach). Listen carefully at 0:13.
Kasapsko Horo is another dance from northern Bulgaria. It's not as fast as the dance in Video #2 but you can see the Vlach origins here, too. The dancers do this slide from side to side that is common to dances in northwestern Bulgaria and southwestern Romania. You'll see it at 0:53.
By the way this can be filed underBalkan Dances that are Often Confused because there is a Kasapsko Orofrom Macedonia, and a different version of Kasapsko Horo from the Pirin region of Bulgaria. Kasapsko is a butcher dance: the word has its origins in the Turkish word "kasap".
The music from the danceSitno Vlashkosounds familiar. Why? It's the tune from Kasapsko Horo. This is modern music in a modern setting, a shopping mall in Bulgaria.
It's a proven fact that capital punishment is a known detergent against crime.
Archie Bunker
Archie Bunker was famous for his malapropisms. He was a fictional character in the show All in the Family. The show was so popular that it ran for eight seasons: 1971-1979.
The word "malapropism" originated from a character, Mrs. Malaprop, who often confused words that sounded similar (see quote above).
Sometimes, at dance, we intentionally (or unintentionally) mispronounce the names of dances. The names have stuck and everyone knows which one we mean.
Video #1 is a folk dance from the Dobrogea region of Romania. One of my friends calls it Dragon Dance. Its real name is Dragaicuta. The notes describe it as a "women's dance, done by friends of the bride, to mourn the loss of her in marriage."
I came up the name Rusty Nail for Rustemul because I practice dance in my basement. I stepped on a rusty nail while doing Rustemul and the name stuck. Fortunately the nail was lying on the floor so I wasn't hurt. It was an annoyance more than anything else. Now I use the Shop Vac on the basement rug before dancing. It is my husband's work space and he fools around with tools and hardware when I'm not there.
Which region of Romania is this from? The notes I found mentioned Muntenia, but the title on the video is "Rustemul din Oltenia." Both Muntenia and Oltenia are in southern Romania.
The name Nebesko Kolo sounds a lot like a popular brand of cookies here in the States (Nabisco). Nebesko means heavenly in Serbian and some people think Nabisco makes heavenly cookies. Their most popular brand is the Oreo, which has many different varieties as you can see in this taste test video:
Back to Nebesko (Nabisco) Kolo. We use different music for this dance, but the same choreography.
I'm not sure if this dance is from Serbia or Croatia, although I know there is a region in Serbia where tamburitza music is popular. The notes mention a country, Yugoslavia, that no longer exists. It broke up in 1991.
Horror From Veche is actually a souped-up version of Hora Vechean old dance for young people :) This group is fun to watch. Listen carefully to what they say when they're dancing, it's quite funny. Too bad the video isn't closed captioned.
We need creativity in order to break free from the temporary structures that have been set up by a particular sequence of experience.
Edward de Bono
What I have found fascinating in the world of folk dance is the concept of "the different village." In the "different village", the dance is performed in a different manner than the way we were taught. Choreography is not a static entity, and variations make it interesting and more challenging.
Today's dance variations are of Kutsata, from the Bulgarian region of Dobrudja. It is a rachenitsa (the national dance of Bulgaria) and in the time signature of 7/8 or 7/16 (depending on the speed).
Kutsata translates into "the cuckoo" in English via Google Translate. A lady on Facebook pointed out that Google Translate was incorrect; that the name of the dance is derived from kutsam (to limp). Thanks for the feedback!
The dances of Dobrudja are known for their "heaviness", stamps and strong arm movements.
Video #1 features dancers in elaborate embroidered costumes, accompanied by live music (accordion, tupan and gaida).
Video #2 is performed by the dance club 7/8. They named themselves after the time signature that is common to the folk dances rachenitsa, lesnoto, and chetvorno. The difference is the grouping of the beats; rachenitsa is apple-apple-pineapple; lesnoto and chetvorno are pineapple-apple-apple.
This is a different choreography from Video #1, to different music.
Video #3 is of a dance class practicing another version of Kutsata, with stamps, arm waving, and knee bends in true Dobrudjan style.
Video #4 is a dance related to Kutsata. The music is the same as in Video #1, but the dance is listed as Панделаж (Pandelas).
When I was doing preliminary research on this case, I remembered the story about Tlazolteotl.' [Mulder] glanced at the old archaeologist. 'Am I pronouncing it correctly? It sounds like I'm swallowing a turtle.'
Kevin J. Anderson
Today's post is about a very popular dance from Bulgaria. If you requested this dance in Bulgaria the way it's pronounced in North America they would think it's a river in Dobrudja! This is another example of confusion in the world of folk dance.
The reason the title above is in Cyrillic has to do with the difference between the Bulgarian words: râka, meaning "hand" and the word "reka" meaning river. The "a" in râka sounds almost like a "u".
Today's post features four variations of the dance Dobrudjanksa Râka. Each one is done to different music. Notice that all of them have strong arm and hand movements.
Video #1 is from the series "Teach Yourself Bulgarian Folk Dance." This is Râka in its most basic form, performed by dancers in elaborate embroidered costumes. The yellow head scarves on the women are typical for Dobrudja.
Video #2 is a variation popular in Bulgaria performed by the folk dance club 7/8.
Video #3 is the variation of Dobrudjanksa Râkamost popular with groups in North America. The ladies are members of the New Orleans International Folk Dancers.
Years ago Dobrudjanksa Râka used to be performed only by women. It has become an "equal opportunity dance" for a long time. Men are allowed in the line, too :)
Version #4 is presented by the Bulgarian folk dance club Акцент (Accent).
There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another.
Frank Zappa
Today's post features a dance created from the beautiful Greek song Tou Paradiso Lemonia. One of the dancers from the Sunday night group in Wethersfield introduced it last year. It's a very catchy melody in 7/8 rhythm (pineapple-apple-apple).
The leader in the video is Murray Spiegel; the group is the Morristown Folk Dancers from New Jersey.
Below are the lyrics in English translation provided by Danai Kyriakou, via YouTube. It's a tragic song about lost love; it probably would make more sense in the original language; something always gets lost in translation.
The singer's name is Pantelis Thalassinos. You can find his songs on YouTube.
This was the best translation I could find (Google Translate didn't work well).
Lemon tree of paradise a twig of oblivion Keep for me too keep for me too For I have two years in my throat a tired sigh And lips locked up, and lips locked up My body filled with myrrh and fragrances that wake the hearts my good lemon That wake the hearts my good lemon that stop the pain Send me your white blossom with its aromas before I fall and wither in other bodies Before I fall and wither in other bodies before I enter into the third year Lemon tree of paradise hide the clothes of the murderer Into the closet of bitterness Into the closet of bitterness the bloody waters so to get again my wings That love has broken that love has broken My body filled with myrrh and fragrances that wake the hearts my good lemon That wake the hearts my good lemon that stop the pain Send me your white blossom with its aromas before I fall and wither in other bodies Before I fall and wither in other bodies before I enter into the third year before I enter into the third year If you enjoyed this you may also like:
I'm a shepherd, not a sheep, and I've always prided myself on being a leader and not a follower.
Dustin Diamond
Today's post features Ciobanasul (Shepherd's Dance). I found three versions of it on YouTube that caught my attention.
Video #1 had me a bit confused. That seems to be a common occurrence on The Alien Diaries, where confusion rules the world of folk dance. This dance is listed as from Romania, but the description on YouTube mentions that this is a dance from Moldova. Moldova and Romania are different countries, although the official language is the same for both: Romanian. There are also similarities in music and dance styles.
To add even more to the confusion, there is a province in Romania named Moldova/Moldavia. It borders the country of Moldova.
The first figure looks like a part of the Chicken Dance. It is repeated several times in the dance.
Video #2 is a different version of Ciobanasul to different music, performed by a school group dressed in elaborate embroidered costumes. They perform it as a line dance (dances from Romania and Moldova are usually done in a circle).
Video #3 is Ciobanasul performed as a couple dance (it becomes a circle at 2:38). This group is from Bacau in Romania. What is really cool is to see all these young people performing folk dances and continuing the traditions.
If you want confusion, check out the series: Balkan Dances That Are Often Confused. It starts with the most recent post. The others can be accessed from there.
The things that stand out are often the oddities.
Pierre Salinger
Every so often I like to do an "odds and ends" post. They are best categorized under "miscellaneous" and feature something unique about Balkan folklore. There have been a number of them in the past (see links at bottom of page), but I have never made a numbered series of them.
Video #1 is best described as a jam session with Macedonian folk musicians. They play traditional and modern instruments: tupan (drum), kaval (flute), accordion and guitars, and make beautiful music.
This is a medley of dance tunes in 7/16 (galloping-apple-apple): Ratevka and Sitna Lisa. Pay attention to the little girl at the lower left hand corner of the video at about 1:00. She's got rhythm!
If you want to see the dances done to these melodies, please check out the posts listed at the bottom of the page.
Video #2 shows the group Formatsia Iliev from Bulgaria. The aerial views are fantastic. The scenery is surreal.
I don't know how all these musicians can fit in a small boat and not capsize. They are also boating in an area that looks like an obstacle course with dead trees sticking out of the water. The river is the Danube, River of Many Names (and many obstacles.) The rocks appear later in the video.
The video begins with a man fishing, and the musicians pop up and surprise him. The next scene takes place on the riverbank, with the guys playing an upbeat Bulgarian Vlach tune on accordions, clarinet, keyboard and drum. Behind them is the obstacle course with sunken trees. At 2:15 and 3:35 a group of young female dancers in northern Bulgarian folk costumes appears. At 2:58 the musicians are on a rocky shore at sunset. It's best to watch the video in its entirety to get the full effect of weird. I would like to know where the really BIG rock came from.
At 4:05 the name of the town, Marten, appears and shortly after that the musicians leave in a donkey cart.
Although Marten is a small town numbering about 3,000 people, somehow I found it in English Wikipedia; it is not far from the large city of Ruse and was once a Roman fortification. The town is also known for a large meteorite crater.
The name of the tune translates to "Martenska Teaser."
This is one of the most unique music videos I've ever seen and the music is great.
If confusion is the first step to knowledge, I must be a genius.
Larry Leissner
At dance, there are many well-educated people. For some reason many folk dancers are into math and science. I don't know how many of them are geniuses, but if genius thrives in an atmosphere of confusion, I am in good company.
The never ending series on sound-alike dance confusion continues.
Video #1 is Sandansko Horo, named after the town of Sandanski, located in the Pirin region of Bulgaria. This dance has a compound rhythm structure of 9/16 and 13/16.
If you listen to the music carefully, you will hear the kaval (open ended-flute) and the tambura (lute-like instrument popular in southwestern Bulgaria).
Remember last week's post with female dance leaders and skirts? The leader wears a skirt, but it's short enough for the other dancers to see her feet. I'm glad short skirt lady is leading and and not the woman third in line 😊.
Video #2 is Strandzhankso Horo from southern Bulgaria. The rhythm of this dance sounds like it's in 9/8, almost like a slow daichovo. From what I've seen on YouTube, this dance is not performed outside Bulgaria. There are many amateur dance groups that perform in competitions all over Bulgaria and the video below is an example.
Strandzha is the region best known for Nestinari (fire dancers). They dance on coals on the feast day of Saints Constantine and Helen which falls on May 21st.
If you enjoyed this you may also like:
Balkan Dances That Are Often Confused (there are many!) Just follow the link in Part 12 which goes to the rest of the series.
Long skirts are annoying; they get in the way.
Natalie Dormer
Folk dancing is a follow the leader thing. But if you can't see the feet, how do follow? There is something about a long, flowing skirt that some people like; however, if a female with a long skirt leads a dance, it's hard to see her feet.
Today's post features leading ladies wearing skirts. The dances are easy ones from Serbia, and most people can pick them up by watching. What do you do if you're totally new to folk dancing? Or if you've been dancing a while and are not familiar with the dance? Sometimes the best thing to do is follow behind and find someone wearing pants who knows what he or she is doing.
Video #1 is Raca, a Vlach dance from Serbia. It's an easy dance that's easy to screw up if you don't pay attention, especially when it speeds up. It tends to go awry when people try to have a conversation while doing it. (Hint, the faster the music, the smaller the steps).
Notice how the lady third in line had to bend over to see what the leader was doing.
Video #2 is the dance Srbijanka. Leader and the woman behind her both wear long skirts. You have two choices: follow the third person in line or follow the man at the end. (He knows what he's doing, but that isn't always the case).
By the way, I never wear skirts at dances. It's too cold in my area for most of the year, and in summer I prefer capri pants. I also wear colorful shoes, so when I lead, it's easier for people to see my feet.
At one of the annual conventions of the American Society for Aesthetics much confusion arose when the Society for Anesthetics met at the same time in the same hotel.
Rudolf Arnheim
When it comes to the subject of similar names, do you sometimes get confused? It happens quite often at dances!
Do you know the difference between hora and sirba? Today's post features two Romanian dances with similar names. One is a hora, the other a sirba.
Hora is the generic name of a dance popular in Romania and Moldova. It can be easily confused with the Israeli dance of the same name, or the Bulgarian dance with a similar name (horo) or the Greek dance with a name almost like the Bulgarian (horon).
Are you confused yet?
Sirba (also spelled Sârbă) is a Romanian folk dance related in rhythm to Serbian Cacak and the fast Bulgarian Pravo Horo. You can dance a fast pravo to a sirba or a cacak to a sirba. They are pretty much interchangeable. During a live music night I (mistakenly) led a cacak to what the band listed as a sirba. No one took offense to my confusion because the music went perfectly with the steps. Besides, Sirba means "Serb like." The Romanians borrowed the sirba from the Serbs!
Video #1 is Hora Pe Loc from Romania. Pe loc means "in place" Hora is usually done in a circle but it's impossible to make a circle with only four dancers.
Video #2 is Sirba Pe Loc is a dance from the region of Muntenia (southeastern Romania). There are many variations of the sirba. Villages, towns and regions often have a sirba named after them. It is a dance commonly done at weddings, when the guys get drunk and want to show off. The women are too busy struggling to balance on their high heels. They usually have their own "heel friendly" line.
The dominant instruments in the music are the bagpipe and the cimbalom. Sirba Pe Loc is a favorite among international folk dance groups worldwide.
May the forces of evil be confused on the way to your house.
George Carlin
We know that dancing keeps evil forces away, and that confusion helps. George Carlin was definitely on to something. After you finish reading and dancing to this week's post check out some some of his comedy routines. (WARNING: do not listen to Carlin when there are small children around!)
Kulskoto is the dance also known as Arap. There are a number of tunes for Arap, the best known is Zaiko Kokoraiko from Macedonia. Neveno Mome, a Bulgarian song, is also used, as well as Katerino Momeby Tatiana Sarbinska. And then there's Kulskoto, a song and a dance without words.
Video #2 is Kulsko Horo, a dance from the Severnjashko (northwestern) region of Bulgaria. It is not to be confused with Kulskoto!
The Vlach people are a sizable minority in this part of Bulgaria, and their dances are known by their stampiness. Kulsko Horo is from the town of Kula in the Vidin area. Kula means "tower" and the tower is a leftover from a Roman fortress. The Romans left structures all over Bulgaria which used to be a part of the Roman Empire.
The Vlachs were decendents of Romans who lived in the Balkans, and they settled all over the place, including Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece.
The version shown here is the one taught by Yves Moreau.
Video #3, Kulsko Horo Version #2, is a dance from the same region, but with different choreography and different music. Are you confused yet?
I never want to confuse people or go over their heads.
Wiz Kalifa
Today's post involves two dances with sound-alike names, different music, and different choreographies. It's enough to make anyone confused.
Video #1 is Cigansko Horo (translation: Gypsy Dance). Gypsy is the politically incorrect term for Roma people, The Roma do not use this word when referring to themselves. People used to think that the Roma were from Egypt. The word "gypsy" is a corruption of "Egyptian."
The Roma originally came from India and migrated west to Europe.There have been genetic and linguistic studies that traced their ancestry to the Indian Subcontinent. Roma people have made numerous contributions to Balkan music; two well-known examples are: Esma Redzepova, singer (who passed away last December) and Boris Karlov, accordionist.
Cigansko is a variation of the dance Chichovo Horo.Chichovo is part of the Cocek family of dances popularized by Roma people in the Balkans. Are you confused yet?
Video #2 is the dance Ciganko. If you are a frequent visitor to The Alien Diaries, you will recognize the voice of Daniel Spasov in the song. It is about a man hopelessly in love with a Roma woman. Spasov is a Bulgarian folk singer and a co-host (with Milen Ivanov) of the weekly program on Bulgarian TV: Ide Nashenskata Muzika, which features musicians and dancers from different folklore regions of Bulgaria.
The Sunday night group that I dance with has been working on this dance for a couple of months. I think I finally have it memorized.
If you enjoyed this you may also like:
A Romani Potpourri, Part Two (one of the videos is the song Ciganko performed by Daniel Spasov. It's accompanied by a brass band and women in colorful costumes).
Men are like bagpipes. No sound comes from them until they're full.
Irish proverb
Bagpipes are popular all over Europe: Ireland, Scotland, and the Balkans. This week's post is part of the continuing (and possibly never ending) series: Balkan Dances That Are Often Confused.
Video #1 is Sirba din Cimpoi. Sirba is a very popular Romanian dance usually punctuated with shouts and stamps. Cimpoi is a bagpipe. Bagpipes and Sirba go very well together, especially when the bagpipes are well inflated with hot air :)
Although bagpipes are often associated with Bulgaria and Macedonia, where the instrument is called gaida; they are part of the folk music of Romania as well.
The choreography is by Mihai David (seen here in the video) and the one most popular with recreational folk dancers.
Video #2 is another variation of Sirba din Cimpoi. The group is Tingluti from Copenhagen, Denmark. The in and out step with the arm swinging reminds me of a dance very popular in Bulgaria: Dunavsko Horo.
Video #3 is Cimpoi, a fast and furious dance played on (guess what?) a bagpipe. The rhythm is 6/8.
I have noticed when the Dunav group posts a video, the number of people dancing indicates the difficulty. They are from Jerusalem in Israel and have an excellent web site, with downloadable music and video, as well as song lyrics, dance notes, and sheet music.
Yehuda and Mika, the dance experts, demonstrate Cimpoi.
The series: Balkan Dances that are Often Confused: this link leads to part eight, which in turn goes back to seven, six, five, four....it just doesn't go to liftoff!
Figure skating is a mixture of art and sport.
Katarina Witt
Let's start with the Romanian folk dance Hora Pe Gheata, which translates to "dance on the ice." You don't need skates to do this, a smooth wooden floor will work. To enhance the slidey effect, you can dance in socks.
Now let's get to the really good stuff. Today's post features ice dancing performed by young people from a skating club in Romania. They wear folk costumes adapted for skating.
Video #2 is Hora Primaverii (springtime dance), even though it is always winter at the skating rink. That ice has to be kept cold, you know. If the summer heat gets to you, you can always take refuge at your local ice arena. I used to ice skate but I don't anymore because it's so cold at the rink and it's difficult to move around in a heavy jacket.
Video #3 is a group of kids dancing a sirba...on ice! This was a special show that the club gave for the Romanian National Day on December 1st.
Video #4 shows the young people dancing to an excerpt from Enescu's Romanian Rhapsody #1and a medley of other folk tunes. They demonstrate exceptional talent. Who knows, they make may it into a future Winter Olympics!
Choreography isn't written in stone, nor does it exist in a vacuum.
-Katley
My approach to folk dance is one of flexibility. I find that too many people focus on one choreography whereas I focus more on "feeling the music" and letting it take you where you want to go. The basic choreography is a guide, the variations are like frosting on a cake. There is room for creativity in folk dance, and different "villages" have their variations on a basic theme.
Today's dance is Tai Tai from the Greek region of Thessaly, usually performed around Easter.
Video #1 is the version done by recreational folk dancers.
The music is haunting and beautiful, sung by a female chorus and accompanied by a clarinet. This dance has two parts: part one with a front basket hold (slow) and the second part with step hops, pas de basques (crossovers) and raised hands.
Video #2 is the Greek version. The melody is the same, although the music has a definitely different quality, with a male singer and a lower octave on the clarinet.
The choreography is different than the previous video. The first figure resembles a slow Pravo Horo (three steps forward and one to the side); the second figure looks like Sta Tria, the Greek version of Lesnoto. The dancers also do turns and swings into the middle of the circle.
You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely.
Ogden Nash
Dancing keeps you young, and the younger you start the better. Staying immature is optional. Who wants to grow up anyway?
Today's post features young people performing dances from Serbia and Bulgaria.
Video #1 is of three Chinese kids from the States dancing Sestorkafrom Serbia.Check out the girl who leads (she also does the sound effects. Hoo-ha he-hop!
This dance is usually done in a belt hold, but the kids here are using a basket hold. Either one is fine. Short lines are best; three to four people is a good number.
The lyrics are at the bottom of the screen, so you can sing along.
Video #2 is the kids's dance ensemble Hopa Trop dancing a Shopska Rachenitsa. The group is from Seattle, Washington.
The title of the video is Proletni Igri (Springtime Dance). I'm still waiting for spring because the weather has been so chilly.
Video #3 is of the kids' ensemble Dimitrovche from Toronto, Canada. The description (in Bulgarian) translates to Big Thracian Dance. It's actually a dressed-up version of Pravo Horo. The kids are dressed-up, too, in elaborate embroidered costumes.
I never want to confuse people or go over their heads.
Wiz Khalifa
Today's post features two dances with names that are easily confused. It is part of a series that ran away with itself.
Opsa is a dance very popular in the Serbian community in the United States. It probably came into existence during a party when a bunch of people got tanked on slivovitz. It is an easy dance, fun, and you even get to shout opsa! numerous times.
Despite the U.S. origin, the lyrics are in Serbian, and one part sounds like the words "whatever doesn't kill you opsa skochi" (listen at 0.08).
The lady in the middle is Sasha, who used to teach dance at the 92nd Street Y in New York City many years ago. She also led workshops in upstate New York, on the grounds of a Workmens' Circle summer camp. It was tricky dancing around those poles.
Video #2 is the Bulgarian dance Opas, the Dobrudjan version of Pravo Horo. There are many versions of this dance; this variation is the most popular in the folk dance community. At dance recently the programmer mistakenly played this tune instead of Opsa. He had everyone confused except me.
Video #3 is a different version of Opas performed by Zagortski dance group from Bulgaria.
Dobrogea is a historical region which spans two countries. The northern part is in Romania and the southern part is in Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, the name is transliterated to Dobrudja.
Dobrogea is a region in Romania where much of the music is in odd rhythms. The song in video #1 is in 7/8 meter (pineapple-apple-apple). The accent in the music is similar to the Bulgarian sirto or Greek kalamatianos. You can dance to it.
Catalina Alexa is a young performer of Romanian folk songs. This song was originally made famous by Natalia Serbanescu, who passed on in 2007.
Video #2 is a group of women and girls performing Eu Sunt Fata Dobrogeana. It concludes with another song in geampara rhythm.
Video #3 is a totally different version of Eu Sunt Fata Dobrogeana performed by Elena Platica. In this song, there are two different rhythms: 7/8 geampara and 3/4 waltz.
There is info on Elena Platica in Romanian, but I couldn't find the lyrics to the song.
Songs in asymmetric rhythms are common in the Balkans and so are rhythm changes within the same song.
It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want—oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!
Mark Twain
The country of Moldova celebrates the spring holiday Mărțișor. It is observed in a similar fashion as in their southern neighbor, Romania and begins on March 1.
Today's video (it is actually part one of three) is a celebration from the town of Dubăsari in Moldova.
The official language of Moldova is Romanian. Moldova was part of Romania between 1918 and 1940 and used to be known as Bessarabia. The music is very similar in character to Romanian folk music.
I have posted Part One of the concert here (the other two in the series can be seen on YouTube.)
In Bulgaria, March 1 is the day of the Martenitsa, a spring holiday which celebrates Baba Marta, a mythological character with tremendous mood swings.
The video explains the tradition of the Martenitsa, with instructions on how to make one. It is accompanied by cheerful Bulgarian folk music. You can even dance to it!
A city isn’t so unlike a person. They both have the marks to show they have many stories to tell. They see many faces. They tear things down and make new again.
Rasmenia Massoud
Today's music and dance are from the city of Stara Zagora in the south central (Thrace) region of Bulgaria.
Video #1 is Starazorska Rachenitsa, named after the city. Rachenitsa is the national dance of Bulgaria and danced all over the country; it has many regional styles. The Thracian rachenitsa tends to be slow and smooth. Oftentimes in this dance the arm movements are emphasized.
The name rachenitsa is derived from the Bulgarian word for hand or forearm: ръка.
Here you will see a club demonstrating the dance. Afterwards, there is instruction, and then everyone else joins in. This version is "na horo" or in a group.
The next dance is Staro Zagorsko Horo. The difference between rachenitsa and horo is that a horo is a group dance; rachenitsa can be performed solo or as a couple as well as in a group.
Staro Zagorsko Horo is a pravo variation.The pravo is the most popular dance form in Thrace, although there are regional variations done in other parts of the country. Like the rachenitsa, it is danced all over the country.
This dance starts off slowly and speeds up. The beginning is a pravo variation with grapevines and sways. The fancy footwork starts at 2:32.
If you are a regular reader of The Alien Diaries, you will recognize the Chinese "bonding folk dance class."
“Knowledge is the name professors give to the confusion they create.”
― Marty Rubin
Today's post will give you even more knowledge about the confusion of names in Balkan dance with two dances from Romania.
Video #1 is the dance Balta, whichfits a lot of steps in less than two minutes. The music reminds me of Calusari, another Romanian dance.
"Balta" is the Romanian word for marsh or swamp. It is also the name of a commune in Romania.
The performance in the video is smooth and seemingly effortless. It is a pleasure to watch this man dance.
Video #2 is Ca la Balta. This is a modern version played on a saxophone. Click here if you want to hear the traditional version on panpipe and cimbalom. The name translates to "as in Balta."
If you enjoyed this you may also like the rest of the series Balkan Dances That Are Often Confused.
The link goes to Part Six, you can access the other posts from there.
If you love Balkan music and dance you have come to the right place! The Alien Diaries began in February 2010 and is updated at least twice a month.
This blog is dedicated to the memory of my cat Fatso (see avatar), who passed away on April 9, 2011 from congestive heart failure. He was the inspiration for several of my early posts.
Don't forget to check out my second blog, Light and Shadow, for some humor, satire, photos and poetry!
