Group dance form
The European men’s dances derived from a ritual past have a number of common features that separate them from the social dance repertoire and other types of men’s dances, these being:
- performed by the dancers in unison
- the dancers are not linked by hand or arm holds
- sometimes dancers hold a stick or swords, but do not perform fighting movements
- danced by a group with a leader
- often there are a fixed number of dancers (usually an odd number)
- mostly still be linked to rituals, customs and other traditions
These are sometimes called "corps dances" or in Romanian Ceată de feciori. Note that this category does not include fighting imitation dances solo or improvised stick dances which are found elsewhere in Europe.
Men's group dances with the key features of ritual dances are found along the Carpathians and in Transylvania. The Carpathian variants such as Trilişeşti and Ţânţăroiul from Moldavia and Bărbătescul and De sărit from Maramureş include only the most basic features whereas the De bâtă, Haidău, and Fecioreasca of Transylvania are very close to the Căluşeri with the later addition of more complex motifs.
Romanian group dance types
The "classic" Romanian ethnologist classification of group dances is into basic types;
- Ritual stick dances categorised by a retained ritual function (Căluş, Căluşeri, Irozi)
- Fecioreşte lad's dances of Transylvania, including stick dances without a retained ritual function (De bâtă, Haidău, Fecioreasca)
- Carpathian springing dances encompassing all remaining group dances, plus other shepherd's dances (Trilişeşti, Ţânţăroiul, Bărbătescul, De sărit)
- Sometimes the girl's ritual Drăgaica is put into the group dance category more because of the ritual basis that dance choreography
An alternative classification would be;
- Ritual stick dances categorised by a retained ritual function (Căluş, Căluşeri, Irozi) and stick dances without a retained ritual function (De bâtă, Haidău)
- Carpathian group dances (Trilişeşti, Ţânţăroiul, Bărbătescul, De sărit) including the Transylvanian Fecioreşte.
- "Leaping over sticks" which are common throughout Europe and are probably separate in development to the other Romanian group dances.
group dances
lad's dances
girl's ritual
stick dances
Choreographic form, motifs, & music
The features characteristic to Romanian type ritual dances are:
- starting figure of walking (plimbări), or a basic step, in a circle moving anticlockwise
- more complex figures (mişcare) performed in place between walking steps
- figures formed from combinations of elements, often with a beginning-middle-end structure
type | names | form | structure | motifs | music |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ritual stick dances | Căluş, Căluşeri, Irozi | group | walking (plimbări) and figures | syncopation, stamps, leaps, hops, heel clicks | 2/4 |
Carpathian group | Trilişeşti, Ţânţăroiul, Bărbătescul, De sărit, Ceanunul, Brânza, Siminicul | group | walking (plimbări) and figures | syncopation, stamps, leaps, hops, heel clicks | 2/4 |
Lad's dances | Fecioreşte, De bâtă, Haidău, Barbunc | group | walking (plimbări) and figures | syncopation, stamps, leaps, hops, heel clicks | 2/4 and asymmetric |
Leaping over sticks | Ciobăneasca peste Băţ, Pre bât | solo, dual | dance around an object: crossed sticks or bottle | leaps, hops | 2/4 |
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Additional information:
More than 20 visits to Romania: ethnographic tours, museums, festivals etc. between 1988-present
Record, tape & CD collection (~3000 titles)