(Almost) The Same Dance Different Music: Alunelul Batut

I loved Nutella before the Internet made it cool. - unknown

Alunelul Batut is a dance popular on Zoom; it is easy to follow and doesn't require much space. The dance is from the region of Oltenia in Romania.  Like many dances there is more than one piece of music that fits. The music in Video #1 is the one most often played.  The dancers are from Vienna, Austria.

I describe the stamping as "beating up the hazelnuts."  What happens when you beat up hazelnuts and mix them with with a bunch of other ingredients? You get Nutella. 

 

Nutella actually has its own day, February 5th.  I ate it while living in Europe and had a hard time finding it in the States except in specialty stores until the 1990's.  I don't eat it anymore because it's high in calories and contains lactose. When you're fighting the Battle of the Bulge (not the one that took place during World War II) Nutella, alcohol and junk food are the first things to go.

 

This version of Alunelul Batut uses different music and a slightly different choreography. The steps are the same, but this group uses a hand hold instead. The dancers are from Copenhagen, Denmark. 

I have never done this dance in a group B.C. (Before Covid) so I don't know how it is done in North America. According to the notes, it's done like in the video below, with arm swinging.  So the best way to dance it is the version that is preferred in your "village."  I prefer the hand hold to the back basket hold in Video #1.

 

If you enjoyed this you may also like:

 

The Different "Flavors" of the Romanian Folk Dance: Alunelul

 

Dances From Oltenia, Part Three (links to parts one and two)

   
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