Barboursville International Recreational Dance (BIRD) Project

St'tris (Σ'τρεις) - Dance Tidbit

2011-10-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Bill for the following contribution.

The lively dance with the gaida (bagpipe) called St' tris that we did last Wednesday is just one version, but is the version as it is done in the village of Kufalia.

Kufalia is about 39 km (24 miles) northwest of Thessalonika, Greece. The people in Kufalia arrived as refugees from East Romelia in 1906 and settled in a number of villages in Northern Greece. Their region, East Romelia, was in northern Thrace, which is today part of Bulgaria.
St'tris is one of 6 dances from Kufalia that were taught during the `12th Seminar of Greek Dance' this summer. Tripodhis is one that I taught and we have been doing the last couple of weeks.

Others from Kufalia include:
Rihtos
Kastrinos
Sygkathistos
Baituska

St'tris literal translation is 'On Three' or 'In Three' possibly because one complete pattern is composed of 3 counts of 4.

St'tris is pronounced 'Strees' with a trilled 'r'. Other parts of Greece may pronounce it as sta treese.

The following are some YouTube videos of different versions of St'tris. The music is not the same as used in Kufali but the dances are all very similar. St'tris is characterized with very rapid arm swing behind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcvplAaFsj8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ln2AUMzSS0&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6_lssnFTj4

Some variations of the dance involve a swinginig arm movement with a pause where the arms are held in the 'W' position.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKiZRXfTtvk&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAJp8SjZNJo&feature=related

Please pass the word about this blog to your friends.

Another Day, Another Dance!

Tripodhis,Kukuvicka, and the Greek Seminar

2011-09-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

Bill has taught the Greek Dance " Tripodhis" that he learned at the dance seminar we attended in Greece this past summer. Sue C. noticed that it sounded very similar to the Bulgarian dance we do "Kukuvicka ". You can listen to a version of "Kukuvicka" at http://www.dunav.org.il/balkan_music_bulgarian.html#all .

The dance "Tripodhis" is done to the song "Bati kuritsia stu churo". Neither one could be found online. Sorry! If you find them, please let me know.

Anyone looking for a great dance vacation check out the 13th Annual Seminar with a great teacher Kyriakos Moididis! The 12th was fantastic!
http://www.moisidis-dance.gr/en/

Timber Ridge and beyond

2011-09-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

Another great year at the Labor Day Camp at Timber Ridge. Dance, sing and play 'til you drop!!
Go to http://www.dancingplanetproductions.com/dancecamp.htm to see what you missed!

A big THANK YOU to Betsy and Jamie Platt!

I was able to start the third part of the BIRD Project, which is interviewing folk dancers about their experiences folk dancing. Thank you to all that participated.

Susan O. is teaching Pembe a Macedonian dance. The one on Youtube is near to the one that we dance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2qvxvY7lq4&feature=related
There is also a Serbian dance of the same name but different music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj2E-S_x3dU

Please forward this blog to your dancing friends!
Happy Dancing!
Another Day, Another Dance

Serbian Dancers on Jay Leno

2011-08-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

Did anyone see Novak Djokovic, the world's reigning top tennis player (from Serbia), on Jay Leno the other night. He brought with him some Serbian dancers!

Here is a clip of that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpnHiVMxb7k
International Folk Dance needs some more publicity like this!
Please share this blog!

Keep on Dancing!

Another Day, Another Dance!

Sighanon

2011-08-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Bill for the following "Dance Tidbit" information.

The dance we tried out on Wednesday, 8/10/2011 was called Sighanon. It comes from the Pontos region which is now part of present day Turkey, the southern coast of the Black Sea.

"40 Red Apples"
The actual name of the song that we danced Sighanon to, is "Seranda mila kokina" or "Saranta Mila kokkina" which translates to "40 Red Apples".

We learned this in the village of Prochoma in Northern Greece which is populated mainly by refugees from Pontos and Kars. Kars is a present day city in Turkey.

Greek Genocide
The refugees were from the Greek Genocide carried out by the Turks during the years of 1914 to 1923 when the worlds attention at the time was focused on the aftermath of WW I. Explains the sometimes derogatory references to Turks in some of the lyrics of other Greek dances.

Links

I don't at present have a video link to the dance Sighanon but do have some links to performances of "Saranta Mila kokkina", "40 Red Apples".

Modern Acoustic Session. Recorded 16.10.2006 live at at Octalogic Studio (GER)
http://youtu.be/7oXm_BeQrm4

Very dated ( 60's ??) black & white movie with people singing to lone bagpipe version of the song. They appear to be drinking Ouzo.
http://youtu.be/HIIhkYzBf4I

Some lyrics from "Saranta Mila kokkina"

saranta mila kokkina pouli m'
saranta mila kokkina giavri m'

s' ena mantil demena
s' ena mantil demena

saranta sevtas ki' an eftas pouli m'
saranta sevtas ki' an eftas giavri m'

k' evrik's ki amon emena
k' evrik's ki amon emena

gia ela ela pouli m'
me temen ela giavri m'

This is a 'latin alphabet' based version of Greek words.

Boris Karlov

2011-05-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you again Susan J. for the following Folk Dance "Tidbit":

When people hear the name "Boris Karloff", they usually think of the English actor who took this as a stage name, and used it in his roles in horror movies.

But the REAL Boris Karlov was an accomplished Bulgarian accordianist, who recorded a lot of wonderful music on the Bulgarian record label HORO (this means "circle dance", and in Cyrillic is looks like XOPO.) See this entry for information on this musician:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Karlov

Some of his tunes are regulars on the folk-dance circuit. You can check out YouTube to listen to some of these.
1. Obedjansko Horo
2. Vrabniska Racenica
3. Sitno Horo
4. Racenica
5. Bre Blagatka
6. Makedonsko Horo
7. Dajcovo Horo (1A)
8. Sofijsko Sopsko Horo
9. Gankino Horo (1)
10. Kjustendilsko Horo
11. Severnjaska Racenica
12. Gankino Horo (2)
13. Trakijsko Horo (A)
14. Trakijska Racenica
15. Gankino Horo (3)
16. Dajcovo Horo (2)
17. Plovdivsko Horo
18. Dajcovo Horo (3)
19. Gankino Horo (4)

Keep on dancing!
Share this site with your dancing friends.

Another Day, Another Dance!

Mary Baldwin Visit

2011-05-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, it was great to have Irene Sarnelle and her students from Mary Baldwin dance with us again! They came prepared with a list of dances that they enjoyed dancing with us. Many we had danced before, but there were also new ones that they shared with us. The room in which we dance many times seems very large, but Wednesday it almost seemed too small! The energy was so high that it was hard to stop dancing at 8:30 -- we "could have danced all night!"

See pictures of last Wednesday and other days at http://charlottesvilleinternationalfolkdance.com

Please pass this blog on to your folk dance friends.

Keep on Dancing!
Another Day, Another Dance!

Opsa "tidbit"

2011-04-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you Susan J for this "tidbit"!

Notes on the dance Opsa, which we did Wednesday, April 6.
(Andrew Carnie is a folk-dancer in Tucson, who has done some fairly extensive cataloging of various things IFD-related. Dick Crum is a well-known and -honored folk dance teacher of many decades (passed away several years ago).

Notes by Andrew Carnie July 19, 2003 based on notes by Dick Crum, July 1994.
Here’s what Dick Crum had to say about this dance:

“Opsa (OHP-sah) is currently one of the most popular dances at Croatian & Serbian dance events in the major cities of the Upper Midwest & the Pennsylvania/Ohio area. Its melody is relatively recent, having been composed & recorded in former Yugoslavia about a decade ago. The origins of the dance per se are obscure - it seems to have arisen here in the U.S., possibly around Pittsburgh. On the other hand, its structure has the same 5-measure pattern as the old Serbian Vranjanka. I first saw learned it at the Tamburitza Extravaganza weekend in Los Angeles, 1993, where tamburitza players & fans of tamburitza music from all over the U.S. had gathered, and Opsa was played & danced dozens of times.”

Translation:
1. Let's dance this kolo -- everyone loves it. It moves so freely & easily, everyone can dance it.
Refrain: You can hear the girls shouting: "Opsa!* Dance!" The boys won't be outdone – they want to dance faster, more together & better -- dance till dawn, opsa!
2. Let's dance this kolo -- everyone loves it. Boys, girls, everybody join the kolo, wind it around.
3. Let's dance this kolo -- everyone loves it.
The zurlas** are wailing, the drum is beating, and the dancers are on a high. * opsa! - spontaneous exclamation often used while dancing (no exact English translation; something like 'whee!', 'yippee!', or 'hee-haw!'
** zurla (zoor'-lah) - shawm-like folk instrument common in southern Serbia, Macedonia, & other southern Balkan countries. Usually played in pairs with accompaniment by a drum (bubanj, tapan, etc.)

Thank you again Susan for the above info.

Below are Youtube videos of the dance:
:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KKur2euYao
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KKur2euYao

The dance notes are at this site:
http://dingo.sbs.arizona.edu/~carnie/folkdance/PDFs/Opsa.pdf">http://dingo.sbs.arizona.edu/~carnie/folkdance/PDFs/Opsa.pdf

Please pass this blog along to your folk dance friends!

Happy Dancing!
Another Day, Another Dance!

Knoxville Workshop with Mihai David

2011-04-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

The Knoxville Mihai David workshop was fantastic! Mihai is a great teacher and a very entertaining personality. If you get the chance to take one of his workshops don't hesitate. It was well worth the 7 hour drive to get to Knoxville!

Another dance tidbit for those not in the know. Opincuta( which Sue C. taught previously) means "little shoe" in Romanian. Opinca( the dance that Sue C. is teaching) means regular sized shoe.

Mihai gave permision for anyone who wanted to video the workshop. I have 2 DVDs if anyone is interested please email me @ birdproject2010@gmail.com or comment to this blog. The cost is the cost of the DVDs plus shipping and handeling. Below are the dances that he taught:

1 Hora de la Putna (Moldova)
2 Hora din Neruja
3 Arcanul de la Fundul Moldove
4 Hora Ploii
5 La Mahala
6 Hora din Banat
7 Cadineasca
8 DamuL
9 Hora Dreapta
10 Sirba Fetelor
11 Atica
12 Tarina de la Abrud
13 Briul pe Opt
14 Gaselnitsa

Please forward this blog to all that you think will be interested!

Keep on Dancing!
Another Day, Another Dance!

Opinca

2011-03-31T20:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you again to Susan J. for this week's folk dance "tidbit". Sue C.introduced us to the dance, Opinca. Cool! A good dance, so thanks to Sue for the good pick. We considered how to do the arm-swinging. I think the following video may gave some guidance: this is a YouTube video of Opinca being done by members of Kolo Koalition. This is the long-established recreational folk-dancing group in Sacramento, and has a number of experienced dancers, so that I would guess that their version of the arm-swinging is correct. (Also, I think that Sonia Dion and Cristian Florescu, who introduced Opinca, have taught in that part of California, so)again I think that what one sees in the video is probably the correct way to do this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBS9lu_WkEo Also: Romanian dances are often characterized by strigaturi, which are phrases shouted out during the dance that are in cadence with the steps of the dance: http://www.eliznik.org.uk/RomaniaMusic/strigaturi.htm In Opinca, there is 1 strigaturi that is called out in 2 places. You can hear it, but somewhat faintly, on the video. I have heard this called out in person, and it sounds something like "Opishaw". This is a "choreographed" part of the dance, so it would make sense to add this in. I have e-mailed Sonia Dion and Cristian Florescu and asked that they provide the spelling, so as to make sure we get the correct pronunciation. Not all Romanian dances have these. However, the dances that have any strigaturi at all usually have these in multiple places throughout the dance. This makes Opinca is a bit unusual, in that the strigaturi is limited to one 3-syllable word, called out only twice. Here is a YouTube video of the dance Calusari, and here the strigaturi are a prominent part of the dance. This may be a bit more typical of Romanian dances that have strigaturi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndxoye0vEfg&feature=related Keep on Dancing! Another Day, Another Dance! Please share this blog with all of your dancing friends.

Troika

2011-03-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Susan J. and Bill for the following info.

From Susan J:

Sue C. has been teaching "Troika", a Russian dance. The name means "trio", and refers to a 3-horse configuration that was used in Russia to pull sleds in past times. Some of the movements of the dance mimic the prancing movements of horses. The dance is traditionally done with a man in the center of the trio, and a woman on either side. (One wonders whether this occurred because men were fewer in number than women, due to death in wars. However, this is pure speculation on my part.) In the United States, this formal assignment of the different genders to different positions in the trio is often not formally observed.

From Bill:

Another interesting tidbit “The troika is traditionally driven so that the middle horse trots and the side horses canter; the right-hand horse will be on the right lead and the left-hand horse on the left lead.” “The troika is often claimed to be the world's only harness combination with different gaits of the horses. ” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troika_(driving)

I am always glad to have help with this blog.

Below are some of the variations on the Troika that I found.

Some have a shoulder hold for the circle.
Only one had the "kick" forward running step.
One had the shouldar hold for the whole dance.
I have seen none that have the grapevine step that Leigh and I do when we do the circle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CiQ8bKU4bw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ-yoBTFmmc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBJHGvRinhA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q624FkX7D5U&feature=related

Keep on Dancing,
Another Day, Another Dance!

Kulska Sira, Su Passu Torrau

2011-03-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you again Susan J. for your"tidbits".You say it better than I ever could!

Late in our dance evening, Leigh and I did part of a wonderful dance, Kulska Sira. This is a Vlach dance. The Vlachs are a people who live in Romania and Bulgaria.

The dance was introduced by Yves Moreau, a well-known Quebecois teacher of dances from Bulgaria, other parts of Eastern Europe, and Quebec and France. Here is a YouTube video of the Sacramento group, Kolo Koalition, doing Kulska Sira.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MDF8oi8yoo

Here is another version: the music is different, the dance is very similar, but not exactly the same, as the one Yves introduced:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiF8I4SJfm8&NR=1

"Su Passu Torrau", which Susan O taught , is a Sardinian dance.
There are at least several dances by this name. The music is characterized by 6-count measures. The dances are characterized by: small steps that include step-closes; bounciness; still upper body; and stance very close to one's neighbors in line.
Here is a charming "Su Passu Torrau", which is not the same as our dance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Q8n8DP6Ic

Please pass this site on to those you think might be interested.

Keep on Dancing!

Another Day, Another Dance!

Ciuleandra "Tidbit"

2011-02-27T19:15:00.000-08:00

This week and in the future Susan J. will be contributing Folk Dance "Tidbits".

Take a listen to Ciuleandra:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mElMRhmBo-g

This is performed by a Romanian singer, Maria Tanase, who lived decades ago. She specialized in folkloric material, and was very popular in Romania. I'm never sure how good a source Wikipedia is, but here is their article on her:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_T%C4%83nase

Here is another:
http://www.romania-central.com/maria-tanase-and-the-spirit-of-romanian-folk-music/

Lastly, here is an haunting tune she did. This is from Romania, but I believe it is a Rom (Gypsy) tune, rather than a Romanian one. (There is a very nice dance to this, but while I learned it once a while back, it didn't stick enough for me to reach this.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vj6g-l28ks

And that is your folk-dance tidbit.

Susan J

Keep on Dancing and pass this site to your friends!

Another Day, Another Dance!

Orijent, Ooska Gooska

2011-02-17T18:17:00.000-08:00

Since last blogging, the Charlottesville International Folk Dancers had a great turn out at their first Saturday night dance. They plan to continue having a monthly Saturday night dance party.

The last weeks we have been learning the Serbian Dance Orijent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn148XeIxm0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuADtEVbOgk&NR=1

In both of the above videos the groups do not put out their arms the way that Susan is teaching. Susan did admit that she has never seen it done this way, but the notes from Dick Crum discribe the way she is teaching it.

Sue C. taught Ooska Gooska, but I couldn't find anything on the web demonstrating the dance.

Bill just happened to be in Ohio on Business and was able to attend the Greek dance teaching with Kyriakos Moisidis. He had a great time.

Have a great time dancing and forward this site to your friends.

Another Day, Another Dance!

Cije e Ona Mome

2011-01-27T19:20:00.000-08:00

Susan O. taught Cije e Ona Mome a Macedonian Dance last week. We didn't dance this week due to the weather!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXwSwvbigZQ&feature=email

Over the week end the 4-H group, Global Explorers, did a demostration at the annual "Share the Fun" talent event. They did a great job! It really is easier partnering with an established group. I don't have to do it all! We just show up, practice and perform!

Please pass this on!

Happy Dancing!
Another Day, Another Dance!

Learning the Names of the Dances

2011-01-13T18:21:00.000-08:00

Welcome Erin! a new addition to the group and welcome back Virginia! It's always great to see new faces and old friends.

What's the name of the dance that goes like this?(Person then does a few steps, maybe hums a few bars, or waves arms in a meaningful way, or all of the above) Has this question ever come up in your dance circle?

How can one request a dance if they don't know the name? This was a topic of discussion at our last meeting. The only way a person learns a new language is repetition. The teachers need to have the people learning the dance repeat it several times during the teaching of the dance. Also, if it is written down, repeat the name while showing the spelling. It also helps to break the name of the dance down by syllables if the name is very long. This sounds a little elementary; but it is the best way to help newcomers(and us seasoned vets) remember the names of the dances.

The dances taught were: Hora Mare, Romanian http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX8SZzcJd6o this video is the way it was taught last night, but I have also danced it similar to the following video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA_2fiJ6LsY&feature=related

Hora Batraneasc, Romanian http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o77NPEx7afA&feature=email
and Oh! a novelty dance from the USA. I couldn't find a video or music for this one.
Did you know that there is a town(city) called Novelty? There is at least one in Ohio!

Well keep on dancing!
Another Day, Another Dance!

Happy New Year and Still Dancing!

2011-01-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

We welcomed the New Year with two new additions to our group -- David and Virginia!

Even though I've been a slacker the last two months, we have continued to dance every Wednesday. Some of the dances that we have learned are Koledarsko Horo and Sadi Moma. No videos have been found of them on the internet.

Bill spoiled us at the end of the year with all of the goodies he made--gibanica, baklava, Romanian chocolate nut bread, and last but not least bagels. Rumor has it that he has been made an honorary Jew due to his bagel making skills!

Keep on Dancing!

Another Day, Another Dance!

Jove Male Mome, Sadi Moma, Do Mar Ciften

2010-11-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that November is almost over! 16 of my students and I did the demonstration/performance for the Rockfish Elementary School and it went very well.

We had 2 assemblies with the cafeteria full of students. My students performed Cimpoi. After performing my students went among the elementary students and I taught a Ugros(from Phyllis Weikart's book), Adjon Az Isten, and Zemer Atik. Fun was had by all!

On our regular Wednesday dance night we have been learning Jove Male Mome http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjCDcU1pO44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thKw3n_3Jvc as you can see, Dunav spells and pronounces Malaj which is different from the US spelling and pronunciation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6yNuDgdazU&feature=related

Sadi Moma is another dance we learned last month. I couldn't find a video of the dance on line, but Yves Moreau has it in his collection. Here is the song being performed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhGCT0GTzbs

Do mar ciften is the "mystery dance"! On line I can find some songs-- not the one to which we dance. http://www.tubehome.com/watch/do-mar-çiften-do-dal-për-gjah
http://www.tubehome.com/watch/laver-bariu-do-marr-çiften As you notice marr has 2 "r's" in this name.

Here are the lyrics in Albanian!

Do mar çiften do dal për gjah.
Kjo është kënga origjinale e kënduar nga Grupi i Përmetit.
Me gjithë riprodhimet dhe modernizimit që i është bërë kësaj kënge, kjo përsëri mbetet kënga Flamur!

All I know is that some part of the above means "Take the gun". This is one of my favorite dances.

Have a great time dancing!

Remember to forward this site to those you think might be interested and become a follower!

Another Day, Another Dance!

Ciuleandra, Itele

2010-10-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

At our last session Itele was taught. This video is cute with kids doing the Dance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr5KdAvQU00
The Romanian Dance Ciuleandra was also done. This group doesn't do it exactly the way we do it .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QX59qxTQ7c
This one is about the way we do it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-uuEbsgh_A&feature=related

The website is working!

2010-09-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

It is great to know that all of the work that was put into the website was worth it! We recieved a request to teach in a school!

Starting a 4-H Folk Dance Club for 4th - 12 grades

2010-09-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had our first meeting of "Global Explorers". It is a club designed to teach culture, language, and dances of different cultures. We select a country to study and learn a little of the language, history, customs and dances of that country. Germany was an easy first selection due to the time of year(Octoberfest) and my neighbor is German so she is teaching the culture and language.

Previously I had club with the age group K-6th grade and did something similar. This time I decide to team with 4-H because of the resources and insurance that they can offer. I am designing the program as 4-H does not have a set curriculum for an International club.

I must say I had misgivings at first. I just didn't know if I would have the energy after teaching all day. My worries went away quickly as their enthusiasm and energy spread to me! My batteries were recharged after teaching the class. Yes, it will be possible to meet every week and not get depleted, but energized!

If you love folk dancing, please share your love and enthusiasm with the next generation. It is easiest to do it with an already established club such as 4-H, boys and girls clubs, scouts. The more they are exposed, the more they are likely they are to continue. It is great fun and they really like it!

Please pass this post on to whomever you think might be interested!

Another Day, Another Dance

Dancing at Mary Baldwin

2010-09-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I asked " Where have all the young dancers gone? Well, I found some at Mary Baldwin College!

Irene Sarnelle from Mary Baldwin invited us to come and folk dance with them. So,last night a few of us went and had a great time! We had a group of about 20 dancers from various backgrounds. The energy and enthusiasm of the students were refreshing and inspiring. Susan O. taught dances such as Chilili from Bolivia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cPeof5a5qg&feature=related , Ve David http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPKfUAvNW8w and Shibolet Basadeh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQSvl0uvs1U&feature=related, Lerikos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq4TvhMf1Yg a Greek dance, Adjon Az Isten a Hungarian dance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruk3ODa8-gQ and many more. The song to Adjon Az Isten is different from the one we dance to, but it is a very upbeat version!

I just wish we could have as varied a group more often - just like in a village!

Another Day, Another Dance

Charlottesville Intenational Folk Dancers

2010-09-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

The dances taught last night were Mechol Halahat http://www.channels.com/episodes/show/5036924/Mechol-Halahat#/episodes/show/5036924/Mechol-Halahat If you watch this video, you can see the dance is done as a line dance. Susan O. taught the dance as a couple dance, with 2 oposing lines - similar to Chilili.
Susan O also taught Pinosavka http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmJLig9uh54 Ouvre Moi, and Standyanski Buenek, again which I couldn't find. Also taught was, Jacob's Ladder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czubXkaEyOU&feature=related .

Another Day, Another Dance!

Happy Latin American Independence Month!

2010-09-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

In celebration of Latin American Independence, I told my students that they could bring in food for extra credit. In the classes that remembered to bring food, we also danced. What's a celebration without dancing????!!!!! Well, in one of my more challenging classes we only got through half of La Raspa!-with a vow never to try to dance with this class again. Yes, that's how challenging they are! But, what do you know, they came into class telling me how they had been "practicing" the dance during volley ball practice and singing the Spanish song that they have been learning!!!!! You just have to love them! Once I've recovered, maybe around Christmas we'll try another dance!????????????

At our regular meeting this week there was a lot of review of previous dances taught. The only Ouvre Moi that I could find was a modern version that didn't sound anything like the music to which we dance.
Susan O. taught Stranzanski Burenek from Bulgaria but I couldn't find any on the internet. Dick Oates has a dance description of Strandzansko Horo.
http://www.phantomranch.net/folkdanc/dances/strandza.htm

Have a great week dancing!
Another Day, Another Dance

Happy Rosh Hashanah and Macedonian Independence Day

2010-09-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

We had two new visitors and dancers tonight.
Welcome Pam and John!
The dances that were taught Tonight were :
The Macedonian version of Neda Voda Nalivala of which I couldn't find any matches to on the web. It is a women's circle dance.
Kortanc(Vorba Harrangaznak) a Hungarian dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heOMSdU5zTE
Jacob's Ladder an Israeli dance. The dance below is choreographed to the music that we dance to and has elements of the dance we do, but for beginners it may be confusing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czubXkaEyOU&feature=related
Zemer Atik an Israeli dance which is derived from Ningun Atik. The pdf file explains it and gives history and the dancers in the video do it the same way we do except they don't snap fingers.
http://dingo.sbs.arizona.edu/~carnie/folkdance/PDFs/Zemer.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLH4QW9lMqU

"Brigadoon Revisited!"

2010-09-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

First day back to work after a great weekend at folk dance camp. Buffalo on the Danube to be exact in West Virginia. Dance 'til you Drop! That's my motto. It's pretty bad when the teacher falls asleep in her own class! In my own defense, today was a day I had to sit and listen to 85 students say the same stanza of a song through out the day! Usually, I'm circulating and pacing the room all day. About 1:30 after lunch, in a hot room, sitting, listening to the same thing I've heard over and over all day -- I challenge anyone who has been dancing from 9 AM to 1:30 AM the next day, for the 3 days, to do better! I'm surprised that I made it that long, because I was fighting it all day! What makes it even funnier is that it happened to a student who always asks me how my day is going! He didn't have to ask-he found out as he was reciting. So that's the buzz around school now-- how I fell asleep in class!

The " Brigadoon Experience", the "magic" one feels when you can lose one self and find another
for a brief time. This year it even seemed as if I was crossing an unseen line into a different dimension as I entered camp! (I have a pretty good imagination!)

It was great to see Sonia and Christian; as always their sessions were fun and easy to follow. It was really cute how they kissed at the end of each dance session, just like newly weds should!

I had a harder time with the Bulgarian sessions. The beat of the music was harder to find and keep time to. Larry Weiner gave very interesting information about the dances and the areas in Bulgaria where they were from.

And last but not least Roo and Larry teaching Scandinavian Dancing. They are always so patient! Partner dances are always a challenge. Being short, it is hard for me to get the feeling of being "grounded". Obviously I'm not doing something right. Try, try, again!

It was great having live music to dance to. Kabile was fantastic as usual as were all of the other musicians.

And now all that is left are the memories of the people, the singing, the music, and last but not least the dancing! It was great to see a few more young people there this time. Everything comes to an end. At least we don't have to wait for 100 years for another camp: just follow the link below to find out more information.

Thank you again to Betsy and Jamie Platt for organizing and running the camp. Try it out next year: contact http://www.dancingplanetproductions.com/ . If you can' make it to this camp there are others like Maine Woods http://www.mainewoodsdancecamp.org/ , Stockton http://www.folkdancecamp.org/ , Mendicino http://www.mendocinofolklorecamp.com/ , New Mexico www.swifdi.org , or others closer to you.

Another Day, Another Dance!

Where have all young dancers gone?

2010-09-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

I received the following email from Dick Oates in July. The last two months have bee very busy with a serious illness and death in the family, so I haven't had time to post. I have been thinking about loss. With the loss of a life we lose more than can be expressed. Upon my recent visit to Santa Fe, there were dances that they had done in the past but we could not do because the people that led them were no longer dancing or had passed away. In essence the dances have died too.

Hi Folk Dancer!
I now have Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference and San Diego State University Folk Dance Conference photos up on our website ( www.phantomranch.net ).
Please take a look at the photos and tell me the names of folks I've forgotten in the staff and committee photos.There are new Gandy Dancer photos, flyers, more names for the roster, performances, and a reunion article.Also, if you have other photos that I don't have, would you send them to me? I'll scan them and mail them back right away.
On another note, as many of you know, Bob Moriarty passed away. Isabelle Persh sent me several of the photos as she was cleaning out Bob Moriarty's files. She kept the photos of Bob. Unfortunately, she probably threw out those photos of Bob thinking they were trash, so she now has precious few photos of him.If you would send me any photos you have of Bob, I'll scan them, send them back, and send the scans to Isabelle. If you would like to send any photos of Bob directly to Isabelle (not wanting them back, of course), her address is: Isabelle Persh 3400 Ben Lomond Pl., Apt. 230 Los Angeles, CA 90027-2954 (323) 664-5500 perisha@aol.com

Thanks for listening!Cheers,
Dick Oakes13661 E. Marina Dr., Unit 109

Karamfil, Ya Abud, Ivanice

2010-07-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday Susan O. taught Karamfil from Bulgaria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4YRkcuABX4 and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwZ1vPN1Q5U&NR=1

Here is Ya Abud close to the way we do it. Bill is having fun with his drum playing along.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jZCLo78SnQ&feature=related

Sue C. also reviewed Ivanice(a?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0TOn9WcHPA

Susan O also taught Ouvre Moi and Neda Voda Nalirala, but I can't find them on the web.

We had a great time at the party. Even in 101 degree weather there was a great turn out of 16 people! We ate great food, listened to the Unforgettables that aren't so unforgettable! Some of us even got a dip or two in the pool, and of course we can't forget the dancing on the lawn after it "cooled" a little.

This gave us some time to get to talk, since we go from dance to dance talking gives way to dancing!

Another Day, Another Dance

Dancing in Santa Fe

2010-07-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

We had a great time dancing in Santa Fe. Very Friendly people and fantastic dancers. Any one visiting Santa Fe -- Join the Fun on Sunday at 6:30 and Tuesday evenings at 7:00 at the Odd Fellows building. Below is the link to other organizations in the area.
http://www.abqfolkdance.org/Othergroups.html

Another Day, Another Dance

World Cup Dance

2010-07-07T17:51:00.000-07:00

Talk about folk dancing being relevant! Has anyone heard about the Diski?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128260019 It sounds like the South Africans commemorate their momentous occasions with new dances! The Codesa is the dance they use to celebrate the end of Apartheid.

Any one have any ideas for a dance to commemorate an event in the USA?

Another Day, Another Dance

Limited again!

2010-06-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well Vimeo just cut me off! I still have more to add to Vlashko, but all of the basic steps are posted. I will post more transitions tomorrow.

Continue Dancing!
Another Day, Another Dance!

Vlashko long version - teaching of steps

2010-06-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

Vlasko - Long Version - description from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

The uploading is what takes the longest on our connection.

Vlashko Step 2

Vlashko Step 1 explanation from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Vlashko Long Version Step 2 from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Vlashko long version steps 1 & 2 no music from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Now for the music!

Vlashko long version steps 1 & 2 with music from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Onto step 3!

Vlashko long version step 3 from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Get the transition?

Vlashko long version - transition steps 2 & 3 from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Now do it with music!

Vlashko long version steps 1- 3 with music from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Are you ready for step 4?

Vlashko long version steps 4 from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Can you transition from step 3 to step 4?

Vlashko long version steps 3 & 4 with music from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Here we go with step 5!

Vlashko long version step 5 from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Transition steps 4 & 5.

Vlashko long version steps 4 & 5 with music. from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Time for step 6.

Vlashko long version step 6 from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Try step 6 with the music slowed.

Vlashko long version step 6 with slowed music from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Let's see some styling of step 6!

Vlashko long version step 6 styling from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Finally the last step!

Vlashko long version step 7 from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Try it slowed down a bit!

Vlashko long version step 7 with slowed music from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Vlashko long version step 7 with music normal speed from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Next try the styling of step 7!

Vlashko long version - styling of step 7 from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Practice the transition of steps 6 & 7 - it's tricky!

Vlashko long version steps 6 & 7 with slowed music from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Now let' put it all together!

Vlashko long version - The whole Dance! from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Long time no write

2010-06-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I wrote, but now I'm back! Sue Chase taught Opincuta from Romania,
I'm having trouble finding it online. I will post it as soon as I find it. I am also looking for the
DVD I purchased from Christian and Sonia about two years ago. My house is in disarray, that is one reason I haven't blogged recently and why the DVD is hiding!

We've been doing Mori Shej with Jay leading since we learned it at Makemie Woods,but Susan Oberman actually taught it this week. It is a great Hungarian- Rom tune. In fact the tune was in my head for a whole weekend a couple of weeks ago!

I am continuing "cleaning up" the videos that I took of Susan O. and hope to get Vlashko(long version) on before next Wednesday!

Continue the dance!
Another Day, Another Dance

Vlasko - Long Version - Description

2010-06-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have blogged. We've been having a great time dancing and learning new dances!

On May 12, Irene Sarnelle brought some of her students from Mary Baldwin College. It was wonderful to have an infusion of young energy! Who would have thought that we could use a bigger room! There were a grand total of 30 people dancing!

Below begins the teaching videos of the long version of Vlasko that we taped at the home of Susan O.

Vlasko - Long Version - description from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

More to come!

Another Day, Another Dance

Makemie Woods

2010-05-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank the Virginia Beach Folk Dance Group for their continuing efforts in bringing us such a great opportunity to learn new dances and dance the ones we know with friends we don't often see. Mike, Judy and Sam did a great job teaching. It was also a treat having live music. Would some one please email me the names of the muscians so that I can thank them properly! I hope to see more of you there in the fall!

Thank you Susan J. for the link to Sitna Zborenka http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3voynv0ACo

Another Day, Another Dance!

National Dance Week and New Logo

2010-04-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

It's National Dance Week 2010(April 23 - May 2), So kick up your heels and dance! In observance of National Dance Week, I have added the BIRD logo to the site and will start emailing more contacts about the project. Up until now, only a few people from our group have viewed the blog and given me feed back.

I hope to see some old and new friends at our regular dancing time 6:30 Wednesday, April 28 at the Charlottesville Senior Center! Bring some goodies and we'll really celebrate!

Another Day, Another Dance!

Kolo Zita, Sitna Zborenka

2010-04-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's great to have Susan O. back teaching.We hope that Susan J's back will heal rapidly so that she can be back dancing and teaching. Kolo Zita http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD2KsSljWXo This youtube site has a suite of other Croatian dances being performed with Kolo Zita this one is done a little differently. I couldn't find the Bulgarian dance Sitna Zborenka on the internet.

We had an even dozen dancers this week. Great to see and dance with everyone!

Another Day, Another Dance!

Electric Slide

2010-04-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

A small group this week only 8 die hard dancers. The 3 Susans(reminds me of The 3 Doctors-any Doctor Who fans out there?) were not available this week. Dances taught and reviewed this week by yours truly were Ersko Kolo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_wf06vizughttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_wf06vizug ,
Electric Slide http://ric06379.tripod.com/id6.html ,
Hava Nagila http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewFLSBJ8NkA&feature=related and a dance I choreographed to Esteban's Mediterana.

If any dance should be made the "official American Folk Dance", it should be the Electric Slide - in my humble opinion. It is the only dance that I've seen people of all ages get up and dance to on a regular basis.

The Hava Nagila taught in the above video is different than the one that I've done. If I teach again this week, I'll add the steps that are in this version. There is more variety.

Happy Dancing,
Another Day, Another Dance

Sweet Girl

2010-04-05T19:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Season to all.
We have been having wonderful weather in VA this year. Has your "Sweet Tooth" been satisfied with Easter candy? Well, talking about "Sweet", why don't you view Tom Bozigian teaching Sweet Girl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piSysDxXHPU Sue Chase taught this dance last month. Thanks Jay for the link. Tom points out that the dance is done erect, pinky hold, and that it was choreographed in 1953.
Another Day, Another Dance!

Charlottesville International Folk Dancers' review and new dances taught

2010-03-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

The dances reviewed this week were Dhivaratikos which you can see a group doing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcjmwtGTdSM , and which was taught earlier on this blog by Susan O.

Liliano Mome at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T91CYbrmUE8
Hora la Trei- I didn't find any examples on the web.
Vulpiuta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_-yVrNpFPw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx_vZ4yUR6c
Louisiana Saturday Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZpuI2GfudA This version is a little different as it changes direction with each restart of the combinations. This next one does too, but the group doing the dance is dressed in "cowboy garb". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZpuI2GfudA

Another Day, Another Dance

Fatise Kolo

2010-03-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

Wow! Time does fly! I didn't realize that it had been so long since writing. Attendance has been a little sparse. Those of us who have been coming have had a great time. If you want to see Fatisse Kolo done by another group click on this link www.myvideo.de/watch1077168/Fatise_Kolo

If that doesn't work copy it into your browser.

Another Day, Another Dance

Morningside Demonstration - Wheel chair dancing

2010-02-28T09:11:00.000-08:00

The Charlottesville International Folk Dancers were invited to do a demonstration at Morningside Retirement Home on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010. The facility had an International Theme for their monthly family dinner. They were a very receptive and appreciative audience. I only regret that I "asked" them to do a dance with us instead of just telling them that part of the "program" was audience participation. I lost my nerve because I hadn't done it before.

Zemer Atik is a perfect dance that can be adapted to wheelchair dancing. The first time I saw wheel chair dancing was in Ohio performing with Zivili in an outdoor festival. If anyone out there has some other ideas about dances to include in demonstrations with people who cannot fully participate, please reply to this post or email me at birdproject2010@gmail.com .

Of course, had I tried to do it on Thursday, I would have been "Flying by the seat of my pants", because I had only thought of the idea a couple of hours earlier. Now, I have more time to plan the specifics. Once I fully think it through, I will post the plans.

Another Day, Another Dance!

Dancing after the Big Snows

2010-02-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

People must still be digging out because not as many dancers came out to dance. The sun is still shining when we leave our house for folk dancing YEH :)! The dances reviewed last night were Siganos, Lilijano Mome, Dhivaratikos, Hora la Trei, and Vlashko. At this time I am unable to put the appropriate symbols on letters, so some of the dances are spelled phonetically in English.

You Tube has a Siganos @http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2LcBjU_HtU, couldn't find it on dancilla, or in Dick Oakes' dance notes.

I couldn't find any videos of the other dances that we reviewed this week. Another reason to post the videos as a review on this blog.
.

Technical Difficulties and First Video Instruction

2010-02-16T12:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, I've been having technical difficulties in that the email address for this blog always goes to spam and is sent right back to me! Please email me with comments on this blog at BIRDProject2010@gmail.com and please add it to your address book.

Now for the videos. They are password protected so that only the participants from Charlottesville International Folk Dancers and guests are permitted to view them. In the future we may open them up to the public. This week it is instruction for Dhivaratikos.

Dhivaratikos 1 from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Dhivaratikos 2 from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Dhivaratikos 3 from M B Shaw on Vimeo.

Contributors

2010-02-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Just received updated information from the MIT International Folk Dance Group ( http://web.mit.edu/fdc/international.html ). Thank you.

It is exciting to have others support our efforts. In the coming weeks, we will continue to contact other organizations for their input.

The last post was a little serious. I just wonder how we can decrease the frustration of beginners. We naturally want them to come back. Unfortunately, we have many who try it but don't return. The MIT site has a "Catechism for Beginners". Any other suggestions? Please let us know.

Another Day, Another Dance.

Leaders vs. Followers

2010-02-06T11:54:00.000-08:00

A question we should ask ourselves as educators is:"What is our purpose?" Is our purpose to train leaders or followers? The answer should be:"Our Purpose as teachers should be to train All so that they have the Potential to be leaders." The only way that we can be sure that All have the potential to be leaders is to listen and observe the participants and not be in too much of a rush to "get through" a dance.

As teachers, we know the material we are teaching and it may be hard to put ourselves in the place of the beginner. A phrase that is frustrating to a beginner is: "This is an easy step." From the view of the learner, it may not be easy at all. This is very true for those who do not have a large movement vocabulary.

Granted, most people are happy being followers and they don't ask questions or practice the movements between sessions. For those who do want extra instruction, our teaching videos will be available through a link to our group and by special request. The purpose of these videos is to review the dances to solidify in the learner's mind the steps of the dances taught.

I found another group that performs many Recreational Folk Dances. The site is www.dunav.org.il Due to the weather we did not meet this past week.

Another Day, Another Dance!

Videos of Other Dances We Do

2010-02-03T11:32:00.000-08:00

I was just browsing the web and came upon this site that has some videos of some of the dances we dance. Liljano Mome, Pajdusko, Ve David, Kortanc. I haven't taken the time to scrutinize them to see if they are done the same way that we do them. So just click on the link or copy it into your browser if you want to view them.
http://www.ifdvl.org/FolkDanceVideo.htm

Another Day, Another Dance.

The Routine

2010-02-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

This blog will focus on three aspects of Recreational International Dance.

I. The dances that are taught and or danced at our group each week.

Each week I video record the dances that are taught(there are over 500 clips for less than 1 year of videoing). After the teachers review the dances that they teach, I will post some of the instruction on this blog or a link to where it can be viewed for those who want to review the dance during the week. I will also browse the web to see if there is another example at another site. For example, Carnavalito was reviewed last week. A video can be found of it at http://www.dancilla.com/

The other dances that were taught or reviewed were Hora la Trei, Dhivartikos, Techot Rechka, Liljano Mome, and Dirlada. As of this posting, I have not found links to those dances.

II. Observations and suggestions about teaching movement, or just observations in general.

III. Progress updates on the BIRD Project

I encourage everyone to comment, correct, and post links for all of us folk dance lovers to investigate.

Thank you in advance to all who participate.

2010-01-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

The BIRD Project has been in development for two years and I would like to offer my gratitude to the following people.

To begin, I would like to thank my husband Bill for his support and hard work in developing the data base for this project - and changing it every time I think of something new.

Also, a big Thank You to Jay Darmstadter for emailing the play lists every week.

The whole group appreciates the dedication of our teachers Sue Chase, Susan Jones, and Susan Oberman.

Last but not least, the great people who come to dance and make the whole evening enjoyable and an evening to look forward to every week.

The Definition of International Recreational Dance

2009-12-28T15:49:00.000-08:00

The definition of International Recreational Dance as used in the Barboursville International Recreational Dance (BIRD) Project is movement(dance):

for the purpose of enjoyment, exercise, and creating community
from various ethnic origins