Sarna from Żywiec (Poland)

Sarna is a dance done by the Żywiec “gorale” (mountaineers) from the Beskid Mountains. As is typical of all the mountain regions of Poland, much of the traditional music has been brought into the 21st century and kept very much alive by a whole new generation of Poles. The accompanying lyrics are also traditional and have been passed down through the generations. “Sarna” translates into “roe-deer” and as the first line indicates “Hej przez żywiecki pola leci sarna” – “Hey through the fields of Zywiec, the deer are running”, the movements of the dance mimic the movements of a deer running across the field.

Presented by Richard Schmidt at the 2008 Stockton Folk Dance Camp. Dance notes…