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!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Sighanon
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.
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.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Boris Karlov
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!
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!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Mary Baldwin Visit
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!
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!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Opsa "tidbit"
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!
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
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!
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!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Opinca
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.
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