2007

Ardeleana din câmpie

The Ardeleana family of dances are couple dances done in column formation. Partners face each other in two parallel lines, as in American contras and English country dances. Ardelenele are prevalent in the western part of Romania and found mostly in the regions of Bihor, Arad, and Banat. There are many variations in the region of Banat: Poarga, Ardeleana Jute, Mânânelul and De Doi. Couple dances there are elegant and usually involve sequences where the play of arms, circle movements, patterns and turns (by the woman) are harmonious. The style is characterized by small steps with knees flexed and on the balls of the feet, producing an effect of light, flowing movement. Presented in 2007 by Sonia Dion and Cristian Florescu. View the pdf here.

Bourrée Droite Du Pays Fort

This bourrée means “straight bourrée from the strong country.” It comes from the region of Sancerre in Upper Berry, which is called the “strong country” because of its energetic dances. Pierre Panis and Paul Bouart taught the dance to Louise and Germain Hébert, who introduced it at the 1968 Folk Dance Camp at The University of the Pacific, Stockton, California. Bourrées are the “real” French dances, and although their origin is unknown, they are widely spread throughout French territory.

Presented in 2007 by Michèle Brosseau and Germain Hébert. View the pdf here.

Cemen

The name "Cemen" means “grass.”

Rhythm: 10/8 meter. Actually slow, quick, slightly quicker, but is called “slow, quick, quick” and
counted as “1-2-&.”

Presented in 2007 by Ahmet Lüleci. View the pdf here.

Coconiþa

Târnave is north of the county of Sibiu, on the Transylvanian Plain, between the two rivers in the region (Târnava Mica and Târnava Mare). Coconita falls in the category of women’s sung dances, very widespread in central Transylvania. It is a closed circle dance that generally moves in a clockwise direction. The CW direction indicates the archaic, ritualistic character of the dance. The verses sung are usually about marriage. The word coconia derives from cucoan (lady), referring to an elegant, noble, distinguished woman who may or may not be married.

Presented by Sonia Dion & Cristian Florescu in 2007. View pdf here.

 

Dramskoto

An urban dance from the early 20th century done to a well-known song, Dujni mi, dujni. The dance is related to the “strolling” Odeno or Pravoto type as well as the Serbian dance Šetnja. Learned from the Goce Delèev Macedonian Society in Sofia, 1969.

Presented by Yves Moreau in 2007. View pdf here.

Gergjovdensko Horo

A dance connected with St. George's Day (Springtime) celebrations in Western Thrace.
Pronunciation:  gehr-gyoff-DEHN-skoh hoh-ROH
Music: Yves Moreau CD YM-UOP-07, track 3 2/4 meter
Formation: Open circle. Face ctr. Wt on L. Hands joined in W-pos.
Styling: Happy, yet earthy.

Presented by Yves Moreau in 2007. View pdf here.

Glava li ta boli

A variation of the Pravo Horo from the Rhodopes (Pravo Rodopsko) on a popular song interpreted by Nadežda
Hvojneva. Learned from Belo Stanev, Germany, 1999.
Pronunciation: GLAH-vah lee tah BOH-lee
Music: Yves Moreau CD YM-UOP-07, track 10 3/4 meter
Formation: Open circle. Face slightly R of ctr. Wt on L. Hands in W-pos.
Styling: Calm and proud

Presented by Yves Moreau in 2007. View pdf here.

Gülbeyaz

Gülbeyaz means “White Rose” and is also a girl’s name. It is from the Black Sea area.
Pronunciation: GYOOL-beh-YAHZ
CD: Ahmet Lüleci Turkish Dances, Band 5. 4/4 Meter
Formation: Arms bent from the elbows, forearms touching neighbor’s forearms, hands slightly lower than the elbows. This is known as “Black Sea Position.”

Presented by Ahmet Lüleci in 2007. View pdf here.

Gulli

The name translates as “the one with the rose.” It is used as a female name.

Pronunciation: gool-LIH

Music: Ahmet Lüleci Turkish Dances, Band 2

Formation: Semi-circle, V-pos, hands R under, L over, facing center.

Styling: Flat-footed, but bouncy.

Described and presented by Ahmet Lüleci in 2007. View pdf here.

Gülsüm

From West Anatolia.
Pronunciation: gyool-SOOM
CD: Ahmet Lüleci Turkish Dances, Band 10. 9/8 Meter
Rhythm: Counted as QQQS.
Formation: Semi-circle, arms free in W-pos.

Presented by Ahmet Lüleci in 2007. View pdf here.

He Cane

Pronunciation: HAY djah-NAY (means ''Oh, my soul'')

Music: Ahmet Lüleci Turkish Dances, Band 11 3/4 Meter

Formation: Semi-circle, little fingers joined in V-pos.

Described and presented by Ahmet Lüleci in 2007. View pdf here.

Heyamo

Laz work song from the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. Heyamo was collected and arranged by Birol Topaloglu, translated by Brenna MacCrimmon. Birol is a Turkish Laz musician. The Laz people are a minority group who live in the mountainous regions of eastern Turkey around the Black Sea. Their language is related to Mingrelian Georgian. It is very unusual to find harmonized songs in Turkey and the harmony in this tune is very much a part of the Georgian influence in their culture. As the borders were drawn up between Turkey andthe Soviet Union, the planners used natural boundaries like rivers and mountains to establish their lines. Some of these went straight through communities. Because of the tensions between the two countries it became impossible to carryon daily life on both sides of a river. To visit relatives on the Turkish side, for example, Soviet-siders would first have totravel to Moscow, then Istanbul and Ankara, and finally on an uncomfortable overland journey, a total of thousands of miles—justto reach a destination that was in effect a stone’s throw away—or risk being shot at by border guards. The villagers used songs to communicate what was happening on their side of the border, letting the other side knowwho was getting married, how the harvest was going, and so on. The songs were sent freely from one side of the valley to the other because their language was unknown to most soldiers posted atthe watch points.

Described and presented by Ahmet Lüleci in 2007. View pdf here.

Hora nevestelor

This dance comes from the village of Roia de Seca, in the county of Alba, in central Transylvania. Alba borders on the north with the countyofClujand on the southwiththat ofSibiu.It covers 6231 km, that is,2.6 percent of the total area of Romania. The capital city is Alba-Iulia (73,000 inhabitants) and was, for a period in the past, the national capital.
Hora nevestelor din Roia de Seca belongs to the category of women’s dances generally referred to as Purtata fetelor. These dances are known by different names, however, depending on where they are danced. For example, in the villages of Cpâlna and Feisa, it is called Purtata; in the village of Crciunel, it is known as Btut and in Roia de Seca, Hora nevestelor, as mentioned. The term neveste means “married women.” Thus in Roia de Seca, traditionally, only married women did the dance. Originally the song was sung a cappella. Nowadays one or two musicians from the local area accompany the dancers.

Presented by Sonia Dion and Cristian Florescu in 2007. View pdf here.

Hora nuntaºilor

The word nuntaºilor¸ means wedding guests. Whether in western Romania (Banat) or any other region in the country, marriage is a commitment that still today is an important stage in people’s lives. Marriage is synonymous with a multitude of rituals and customs, which vary from region to region, but everywhere weddings are always celebrated with a lot of spirit and given much importance. Due to the significance of the event, everyone prepares for it long in advance.

Presented by Sonia Dion & Cristian Florescu in 2007. View pdf here.

Jabadao de “Bagad Men Glaz”

In 1992, we met a nice group from Brittany at Heritage International in Corwall, Ontario. We present their version of this famous dance. The name refers to “Saraband,” a devilish dance. Many versions exist. A few patterns here are unique… Bagad is a musical formation.

Presented by Michèle Brosseau and Germain Hébert in 2007. View pdf here.

Kalenin Dibinde

Pronunciation: KAH-lah-neen dee-BEEN-dah (A gypsy dance)
Music: Ahmet Lüleci Turkish Dances, Band 1 6/8 meter
Formation: Little fingers or hands joined in W-pos. Arms make small movements up and down
throughout the dance.

Described and presented by Ahmet Lüleci in 2007. View pdf here.

Komarevsko Horo

A dance from Komarevo (Mosquitoville) near Pleven, North Bulgaria. It combines elements of the Pajduško in 5/8 meter and the Dajovo in 9/8 meter. It is danced to the song Radka Platno Tâe made famous by the legendary singer Boris Mašalov. Learned in Bulgaria from Živko Petrov in 1970.

Pronunciation:  Koh-MAH-ref-skoh hoh-ROH
Music: Yves Moreau CD YM-UOP-07, track 7
Rhythm: 5/8 + 9/8. Counted here as 1-2, 1-2-3, 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3 or
Q-S-Q-Q-Q-S (1,2, 3,4,5,6)
Formation: Short mixed lines, hands joined down in V-pos. Face LOD, wt on L.

Presented by Yves Moreau in 2007. View pdf here.

La Champeloise

An easy mixer from the Nantes area. It’s a variation of the popular dance called “Circassian circle.” Learned from Hubert Sellier, Montréal, January 25, 2005.
Pronunciation: lah sham-pah-LOHW-zha
Music: CD “Cocorico,” Band 9. 2/4 meter
Formation: Circle of cpls, all facing LOD. Inside hands joined in W-pos. Outside hands are free.

Presented by Michèle Brosseau and Germain Hébert in 2007. View pdf here.

La Virondée

A round bourrée with a “waltz” chorus. Morvan is located between the departments of Nièvre and Côte d’Or. It is a mountain area (Massif du Morvan) a bit isolated and has a bourrée style of its own.
Pronunciation: lah vee-RAWN-day
Music: CD “Cocorico”, Band 5 3/8 meter
Formation: Circle of cpls in single file, all facing LOD: M are in front of their ptr. M’s hands are free; W hold their skirt.

Presented by Michèle Brosseau and Germain Hébert in 2007. View pdf here.

Men Gülem

Pronunciation: MEHN gyool-LEHM
CD: Ahmet Lüleci Turkish Dances, Band 8. 6/8 Meter
Formation: W only or mixed W and M. Two circles. If mixed, M on outside circle, facing and moving CW, W in the inside circle, facing and moving CCW. If dancers are all W, W may all face in
the same direction, or some W will face CW alternating with W facing CCW. Arms free as indicated below.

Presented by Ahmet Lüleci in 2007. View pdf here.

Narino

Pronunciation: nah-REE-noh (a girl’s name) This is also a girl’s dance.
Music: Ahmet Lüleci Turkish Dances, Band 4. 4/4 and 6/4 meter
Formation: Semi circle, hands joined in V-pos.
Styling: Movements are soft and subtle, not sharp.

Presented by Ahmet Lüleci in 2007. View pdf here.

Oropa

Pronunciation: oh-ROH-pah
Music: Ahmet Lüleci Turkish Dances, Band 6. 4/4 meter
Formation: Semi-circle, arms bent from the elbows, forearms touching neighbor’s forearms, hands
slightly lower than the elbows. (Known as “Black Sea Position”)

Described and presented by Ahmet Lüleci in 2007. View pdf here.

Purtatã de pe Mureº

Purtatã and De-a Lungu belong to the same family of dances. They are the oldest couple dances from Transylvania. The first traces of them go back to the 17th century. A number of specialists say that in all likelihood they descend from La Polonaise. It is thought that couple dances began to spread across Central and Northern Europe in the 16th century. In Romania, they didn’t reach Valachia, in the southern part of the country, since the Carpathian  Mountains—a natural barrier—and the Ottoman occupation would have limited their expansion.
Initially, Purtata was a procession associated with wedding ceremonies. Its purpose was to solemnly introduce all the participants and wedding guests, to make official who would dance with whom (especially the singles!), and to have everyone proudly show off all their finery.
As time went on, Transylvania’s repertoire was enriched with many couple dances. Each one had an important place and was danced in a precise order during the evening, in keeping with local traditions. Nonetheless, either Purtata or De-a Lungu continues to be the opening dance at all festivities in the region.

Presented by Sonia Dion & Cristian Florescu in 2007. View pdf here.

 

Quadrille “La Haute-Taille”

A caribbean version of the popular french quadrille. Settlers brought their dances along with their tools and belongings. We learned only the first part called “Pantalon.” There are 4 or 5 parts in total. Source: Group “Canne à sucre,” Héritage 1997 International, Lachine, Québec, Saturday July 5th.The dance is “called” in “French Creole” for our dancing pleasure.

Presented by Michèle Brosseau and Germain Hébert in 2007. View pdf here.

 

Rano e Radka ranila

A well-known “dance-song” related to Pravo Horo from the region of Stara Zagora. Observed at the Trakia Pee Festival, Haskovo, 1966. For the story of Radka, see song words at the end of this section.

Presented by Yves Moreau in 2007. View pdf here.

Sârba bãtutã

The region of Iasi is in the center of Moldavia. Many dances of the type known as Sârba bãtutã are found there: Sârba de la Sticlãria, Sârba-n ciobãn㺠ªârba de la Flãmânzi, etc. The main feature of these dances is dynamic, quick footwork together with much stamping.

Presented by Sonia Dion & Cristian Florescu in 2007. View pdf here.

Sârbeasca

The historical territory of Banat, located in South-eastern Europe, now covers three countries: Serbia (Baham, Banoniva or Banate), Hungary (Bánát or Bánság) and Romania. Its historical capital (Timiºioara), along with two-thirds of its territory, is in Romania today. Banat comes from the word ban.

Presented by Sonia Dion & Cristian Florescu in 2007. View pdf here.

Suite Des Deux-Sèvres

Here are three easy dances from the department of Deux-Sèvres, formely a part of Poitou. Learned from Michel Piot, Pont-Chrétien, April 1972.
Pronunciation: SWEET-tuh day duh-SAYV-ruh
Music: CD “Cocorico”, Band 11. 2/4 meter
Formation: Quadrette: one cpl facing another cpl.

Presented by Michèle Brosseau and Germain Hébert in 2007. View pdf here.

Te aven baxtale

In Romania Gypsies are mentioned for the first time in the 16 century in Walachia. From there they migrated to Transylvania and later into West Europe. It is interesting to know that Gypsies in Romania were slaves until the nineteenth century.
Pronunciation: teh ah-VEHN BAHF-tah-leh
Music:  Sonia Dion & Cristian Florescu Romanian Realm Vol.1, Band 4
Sonia Dion & Cristian Florescu, 60th Stockton Folk Dance Camp, Band 5 2/4 meter
Formation:  Mixed circle or couple or individual, arms free, facing center.

Presented by Sonia Dion & Cristian Florescu in 2007. View pdf here.