Bring on the Border Crossers, Part Two

We are all human beings, and our nationality is simply an accident of birth.
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

There are dances that have elements in common, even though they are from different countries.  Alunelul from (Romania) is a very popular children's dance.. Here the grown-ups have taken over. Video #1 includes instruction and a translation of the lyrics.  This version is instrumental; for the vocal check out Video #2.



Vocal version with sing-along lyrics:



Video #3 is Podaraki, a dance from Greece with similar steps.  The music sounds more like something from Bulgarian Dobrudja than Greece.  Must be the accordion and the stamping.



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Bring on the Border Crossers!

Variations on the Romanian Folk Dance Alunelul

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Balkan Dances That Are Often Confused, Part 17: Opinca and Opincuta

It's sensational to be part of a series that takes on a life of its own.
Robert Wagner

The series continues: who knew that the names of so many Balkan dances were so confusing?

Today's dances are similar when it comes to name (an additional syllable), the first from Romania (Bukovina), the second from Moldova. Moldova is a separate country, although they speak the Romanian language.  Their folk music is very similar to Romanian.  To confuse matters even more, there is a region named Moldavia (Moldova) in Romania.

Opinca is a dance very popular in my Sunday night group. The name is derived from the Romanian word for peasant sandals, now used as dance shoes.  They are made of leather and tied to the feet with leather strips. Nobody in the video is wearing them.



Opincuta is a totally different dance. If you click on the link you can find the dance notes as well as the lyrics, so you can sing along.

The leader is Roy Butler.  He has many videos on YouTube.  He is really into folk dancing, especially Romanian dances.



If you enjoyed this you will also like:

Balkan Dances That Are Often Confused: Part 16.  This post links to the others in the series. You can spend a good part of a day reading them and still be confused.


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Two Variations on the Turkish Dance Esmer

For this brunette I would die.
(Turkish song Esmer)

Esmer is a dance that has caught my attention recently. It is from Turkey.  The Ottoman empire held sway over the Balkans for over 500 years and much of the music of this region has been influenced by Turkish rhythms (aksak). Instruments such as the zurna and davul (tupan) are especially popular in the Pirin region of Bulgaria and in North Macedonia.

The song is about a man who is smitten by a dark-haired woman (esmer translates to brunette in English).   You can find the lyrics to the song here, in Turkish and in German.

Video #1 is the one done in my Sunday dance group.



Video #2 is an instrumental version with different steps, introduced by Ercument Kilic, a folk dance teacher from Ankara. It's energetic, and includes claps and turns not seen in Video #1.



If you enjoyed this you may also like:

The Zurna in Bulgarian Folk Music

The Haidouks (rebels), including the famous poet, Hristo Botev, were instrumental in the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.

The Haidouks in Bulgarian Folk Songs


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Balkan Music and the Celtic Connection

I have a multicultural background, so I tend to have an open mind about things, and I find other cultures interesting.
Viggo Mortenson

When you blend two cultures what results is an interesting blend. This is the Celtic version of the dance Adje Jano from Serbia.  The singer is Talitha Mackenzie.



I am not a fan of commercials but this one caught my attention: it's an ad for rakia. The music is a Bulgarian dance tune played on Scottish bagpipes.



If you enjoyed this you may also like:

East Meets Barry West: An Irishman's Adventures in Bulgaria


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Variations on the Croatian Folk Dance: Raca Plava

Raca Plava translated literally means "blue duck." The lyrics are peculiar when translated from Croatian. The song is about a man who is in love with a woman who steps off a boat. He recognizes her by her distinctive walk and wants to marry her.  The refrain is "this year the roses will bloom."

The link to the song provides Croatian lyrics with a German translation.

Raca Plava is very popular in folk dance circles. I know of two variations: Video #1 is the version taught by Yves Moreau and the one that our dance group uses.



Video#2 is a simplified variation performed by the Tanzgruppe Baeckerstrasse, from Vienna, Austria.  Like the Israeli Dunav group, they have many folk dance videos posted on YouTube.  Most of them were posted in the early 2000's.  The group used to have a web site; but they may have disbanded since I can no longer find it.



Video #3 is a funky version of Raca Plava.  The kids in the foreground dance it freestyle, along with the singers.



If you enjoyed this you may also like:

Crazy Croatian Dance Songs


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Dancing in Elevens

Why do we believe that in all matters the odd numbers are more powerful?
Pliny the Elder

Odd number rhythms are prevalent in Balkan dance. Today's post features dances in 11/8 and 11/16 (the 11/16 is faster).

Video #1 is the dance Isu Bialo Nedo.  This is a slow 11/8.  The rhythm isn't obvious, but if you listen carefully it's there.



Video #2 is the familiar Boris Karlov version of Gankino Horo. This dance uses the basic kopanitsa step.  The rhythm is a fast 11/16 and a lot less subtle than in Video #1.



Video #3 is a dressed-up Thracian Kopanitsa. It starts with a slow, synchronized walk, then a running step that reminds me of the dance Jove Male Mome followed with some fancy footwork.  The dancers make it look easy. The rhythm is 11/16.



If you enjoyed this you may also like:

Dances to Music Arranged by Boris Karlov

Variations on the Bulgarian Folk Tune: Gankino Horo


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Balkan Dances That Are Often Confused Part 16: Staro Pomaško and Pomaško Širto

I'm not confused. I'm just well mixed.
Robert Frost

The series continues....

The other night I mixed up Staro Pomaško with a totally different dance, Pomaško Širto.  The lady who was programming even got confused and played both dances one after the other, so we could compare them.

Staro Pomaško, in video #1, was first.  It is a dance from the Rhodope region in southern Bulgaria, in 7/8 rhythm (slow-quick-quick), almost like a Macedonian lesnoto (along with step-lifts during the vocal part).

Pomaks are Bulgarian Muslims.   Most of them live in the southern part of the country.



Pomaško Širto is also a Pomak dance in 7/8.  The original music had a very long gaida (bagpipe) introduction; part of it was cut.

Širto is the Bulgarian version of the Greek Syrtos.



If you enjoyed this you may also like:

Dancing in Sevens, Part One

Dospatsko Horo is a very well-known Pomak dance from the Rhodope region..

Variations on the Bulgarian Folk Tune: Dospatsko Horo



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