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Dar Gorani (Armenia)

Gorani is a style or family of dances, sometimes also called Daronee (or “from Daron”) from the valleys of Moush, Sassoun, and Daron in western Armenia, an area that is now eastern Turkey that was inhabited by Armenians from the 8th century BCE until the Armenian genocide of 1915. As […]


Valse des cerf volants (Quebec/France)

Music composed by Mario Loiselle. Choreographed by France Bourque-Moreau to a unique nine bar waltz. The title translates as “the waltz of the flying kites.” France choreographed the dance in memory of a dancer friend who had passed away. France describes it as symbolizing “the freedom of those who have […]


Jeitili (Lebanon)

Jeitili (also Jeddili) was introduced to the USA by Tom Bozigian at the 1973 Stockton Folk Dance camp. Tom learned the dance from the Lebanese American Community in Los Angeles. Dance notes… Alternate Videos


Yaylalar (Turkey)

Yaylalar (YIGH-lah-lar), meaning “Mountain Meadows”, is from Elâzığ in Central Eastern Anatolia and is danced throughout Turkey. It represents the happy atmosphere of a village wedding. The tune is also well known. Bora Özkök learned it from Hamit Celimli in Istanbul, Turkey, 1977 and presented it at the 1978 University […]


İşte Hendek

Originally introduced by Bora Özkök. Formation: Short lines, shoulders touching, hands joined, arms straight. Sequence is leader called. Dance notes…


Valle Kosovare (Albania)

Valle Kosovare (VAH-leh koh-soh-VAH-reh) means simply a “dance from Kosovo.” This version was researched and presented by Lisette Langeveld in Amsterdam in 1985, long before the version presented by Lee Otterholt. Lisette Langeveld presents the dance in this recording. Dance notes… Valle Kosovare Music…


Laner Velibsamim (Israel)

Choreographed by Amnon Sha’uli, in 1976. The title translates as “To the candle and spices”. Song for Havdala at the end of Shabbat. There is different dance by this name by Maurice Perez. Dance notes…


Godečki Čačak (Serbia/Bulgaria)

Godečki Čačak, a line dance from the Serbian-Bulgarian border area, was presented by Dick Crum in Chicago in April, 1968. The region which straddles the Serbian-Bulgarian border at the point where it is intersected by the Nisava River, is home to many songs and dances which are identical on both […]


Išu Byala Nedo (Bulgaria)

Išu Byala Nedo (EE-shu BYAH-lah NEH-doh) includes the vocal: “Hey, you girl Neda with the beautiful white face.” This women’s dance was learned from Belcho Stanev by Steve Kotansky, who taught it at Stockton Folk Dance Camp 2010. Dance notes…


Sepastia Bar (Armenia)

This line dance (seh-PAHS-tee-ah bahr) from the Lake Van region (far eastern area) of present-day Turkey was learned by Ron Wixman and Steve Glaser from Richard Kassabian, director of the Armenian Folk Dance Society of New York, and was presented by them at the 1976 University of the Pacific Folk […]


Alunelu (Bulgaria)

Alunelu (ah-loo-NEH-loo) was originally introduced by Daniela Ivanova. This is a dance for both men and women from the village of Vrav in Northwest Bulgaria, the Vidin–Danube river area). “Alunelu” is a Vlach word that means “hazelnut.” There is also an explination that the dance is named after a man […]


Hora de Munte (Romania)

Hora de Munte (HOH-rah deh MOON-the) was introduced to North America by Cristian Florescu and Sonia Dion at Stockton Folk Dance Camp 2007. The Hora is danced by both men and women of all ages, at Sunday dances and weddings and is used as an introductory dance: There are various […]


Joc din Rebrișoara (România)

Joc din Rebrișoara (ZHOK deen reh-bree-SHOHAH-rah) from the Bistriţa-Năsăud region, Transylvania, Romania was presented by Sonia Dion and Cristian Florescu at the 2015 Stockton Folk Dance Camp. Dance notes… Rebrişoara is a village in the beautiful mountainous county of Bistriţa-Năsăud, in Transylvania. Its name comes from the Slavic word rebro, […]


Sukačko Kolo (Croatia)

Sukačko Kolo is a dance from Prigorje and was performed by Lado, the Croatian National Ensemble. It was introduced by Gordon Engler and Dick Crum in the US in 1968. There is another dance called Sukačica done to the exact same music. Confusingly that dance is sometimes called Sukačko Kolo. […]


Eten Bamidbar (Israel)

Eten Bamidbar was choreographed by Yankale Levy in 1957. The title translates as “I’ll put in the desert”. A different dance by this name was choreographed by Rivka Sturman. The lyrics are from Isaiah 41:19 in the Bible. Dance notes… Additional Videos


Hanter Dro (Brittany, France)

Hanter-dro is a native Breton dance from pays vannetais. As the gavotte, this is a dance where the dancers stand firmly and it is a “feet dance” (unlike many vannetaises dances like ridées or an-dro that can be considered as arm dances). Literally, the Breton word “hanter-dro” means about-turn in […]


Horă Nuntașilor (Romania)

Hora Nuntașilor (HOH-rah noon-TAH-chee-lohr) was presented by Sonia Dion & Cristian Florescu at the 60th Stockton Folk Dance Camp (2007). Dance notes… The word Nuntașilor¸ 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 […]


Sej Sej Bop (Bulgaria)

Sej Sej Bob (say say bahp), which refers to planting beans, is a type of line-račenica found throughout Dobrudža under various names: Kucata, Brasni Carvul, Pandalas, etc. It was learned from Liliana Zafirova and Stefan Vaglarov, of Sofia, by Yves Moreau, who taught it at the ’81 and ’97 Stockton […]


Dimitrija (Bulgaria)

Dimitrija (dee-mee-TREE-yah), from Sandanski, was learned in Petrich near the Greek-Macedonian border from Kyril Andonov in the summer of 1970 by Yves Moreau, who presented it at SF Kolo’01, Mendocino Folklore’02 and Stockton Folk Dance Camp’04.


Reyhan (Azerbaijan)

Reyhan is a girl’s name meaning “sweet basil.” This Azeri-Turkish dance was introduced by Ercüment Kiliç in May 1979 in New Orleans, Louisiana then taught at Stockton Folk Dance Camp in 1983. Ercüment learned the dance as a child. Dance notes… Additional Videos


Dončevo (Macedonia)

Originally arranged and taught by Atanas Kolarovski. Recently retaught by Fusae Carrol at a virtual dance at the LA L.I.F.E. Balkan dancers. The dance is from the Povadarie (Vardar valley) region of Macedonia. Dance notes…


Jaimalé (France/Israel)

Choreographed by Arian Butel. The song and dance were inspired by the 2020 Covid lockdown. The name is a contraction of “J’aime aller” or “I (would) like to go” and is about all the the places the singer wants to go once lockdown is over. Dance notes… Additional Videos https://youtu.be/FiI8npEmWq4


Ayuma Bechar Hamor (Israel)

Choreographed by Amnon Sha’uli in 1983. Also taught by Ya’akov Eden. The title translates as “the disaster on Mount Hamor.” Moshiko Halevy taught a different dance to this same song. Index 359 at israelidance.com. Dance notes…


Ovčepolsko Oro (Macedonia)

Ovčepolsko (ohv-cheh-POHL-skoh), or Ovčepolsko Oro, is a dance form of the northern Ovčepole(sheep’s field) dance region, centered east of the Vardar River approximately 50 kilometers southeast of Skopje. Coinciding roughly with the Ovčepole plain, this is bounded on the northwest by Sveti Nicole, on the northeast by Kratovo, on the […]


Hora Dupa Anton Pann (Romania)

Theodor Vasilescu reconstructed this dance from the musicologist Anton Pann’s description of a hora from Muntenia. The song was published in the Anton Pann Collecton in 1852. The dance is also called “Hora Anton Pann” and very confusingly Hora Veche (which is also the name of a different dance choreographed […]


Bordeiașul (Romania)

Taught by Theodor and Lia Vasilescu. Also taught by Nico Hilferink and Daniel Sandu. A different version of this dance by this name was taught by Daniel Sandu. The song this dance is set to was notated by Anton Pann in the mid-19th century. This version of the dance comes […]


Ooska Gookas (Armenia)

Introduced to the US by Rickey Holden. The song was sung by Roger Mgrdichian and the Gomides Band and released in 1920. There is another dance done to this music called Hooshig Mooshig. Dance notes… Alternate Videos


Jianul de la Slănic (Romania)

Originally taught by Theodor Vasilescu. Also taught by Bianca de Jong. The dance was originally called Jianul de la Slanic. Vasilescu renamed the dance Hora Libertatea after the December Revolution of the 1990s. Slănic is name of a town in Muntenia. Dance notes…


Joc Bătrânesc din Niculiţel (Romania)

Joc batranesc din Niculitel (ZHOHK buh-trah-NESK deen nee-koo-lee-TSEL) was taught by Theodor Vasilescu at the 1995 University of the Pacific Folk Dance Camp in Stockton, California. Joc means “dance,” bAtr&nesc means “ancient” and Niculitel is a village in Dobrogea near the Black Sea. Dance notes…


Razvivaj Dobro (Bulgaria)

Razvivaj Dobro freely translates into “may life unfold well” and can be considered a wish for fertility, growth and prosperity. It is a dance song associated with local Lent customs from the Rhodope Mountain Region in Southern Bulgaria. Razvivaj Dobro is a Horovodna Pesen (a song accompanying a dance) and […]


Siriul (Romania)

Siriu is the name of a small river crossing the wonderful region of Siriu Mountain. In the local folklore of Buzau region where this river and mountain are to be found, there is also a well-known song and a dance wearing the same name. The dance accompanying the Siriu song […]


Stamena (Bulgaria)

This belongs to the category of modern, choreographed folk dances such as Ciganskoto or Kupondjisko Horo which are quite popular in the Bulgarian dance movement in Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Diaspora. Dance notes…


Hora din Giurgiuleşti (Moldova)

Hora din Giurgiuleşti is from the village of Giurgiuleşti in southern Moldova. Hora is a national dance that requires a relatively large group of people to hold hands and form a circle. There can be several circles one inside of the other, all moving in opposite directions. This dance was […]


Oj Ti Momče Ohrigjanče (Macedonia)

Oj Ti Momče Ohrigjanče (OY tee MOHM-cheh OH-ree-DJAHN-cheh) translates to “Hey, you Ohrid lad.” Stephen Kotansky learned this dance from Filip Arilon, a musician and dance teacher from Macedonia. The song has been recorded by many recording artists. The dance is a choreography. Stephen Kotansky taught this dance at the […]


Joc de Fete (Romania)

Originally taught by Lia and Theodor Vasilescu. From the Banat region, the title translates as “Dance of the Girls”. Vesilescu’s original notes say: “Joc de fete” means dance of girls. Such dances are encountered all over Romania. Originally, they had a ritual meaning as premarital girl dances and they were […]


U Kruševo Ogin Gori (Macedonia)

U Kruševo Ogin Gori (In Krusevo a fire burns) was introduced by Dennis Boxell but also has been taught by Yves Morea, Michael Ginsburg, and others. A different dance was taught to the same music by Atanas Kolarovski. The dance Mečkin Kamen is nearly identical but came much later. Dance […]


Vikivaki (Iceland)

Vikivaki, the national dance of Iceland, is an old ring dance that has been celebrated throughout the Nordic Region from the Middle Ages until today and has been a crucial part of Icelandic society since its earliest times. Dance notes… Alternate Video


Saint John River (Scotland, Canada)

This Scottish dance was composed in Canada by Prudence Edwards of Fredericton, NB. It was the winning dance in the competition to select a Scottish country dance to commemorate Canada’s Centennial in 1967. C. Stewart Smith introduced it at the Folk Dance Federation of California, Inc. Statewide Institute, Oakland, California, […]


Ersko Kolo (Serbia)

Ersko Kolo (AIR-skoh KOH-loh) was introduced at the University of the Pacific Folk Dance Camp in 1955 by Richard Crum, who learned it in (the former) Yugoslavia. Dance notes… Alternate Videos


Ankellini (Finland)

Ankeliini (AHN-keh-lee-nee) is a 19th century couple dance from south Finland. It was taught by Jussi Aronen and Lennu Ylaneva at the 1999 Stockton Folk Dance Camp held at the University of the Pacific. Dance notes… Alternate Videos


W Moim Ogródecku (Poland)

W Moim Ogródecku (VUH MO-yem oh-gruh-DETS-kuh), also spelled W Moim Ogródeczku, means “In My Garden.” The group that sings this song is Rokiczanka, based in Rokitno near Lubartow in Lubelskie county in Poland. This dance was choreographed and first taught by Ira Weisburd at Margate, Florida in 2014. It has […]


Tzadik Katamar (Israel)

Tzadik Katamar (tsah-DEEK kah-tah-MAR) is translated as “Righteousness shall flourish”. The music is by A. Neiman, the choreography by Jonathon Gabait, and the dance was presented by Shlomo Bachar at the 1973 University of the Pacific Folk Dance Camp. Dance notes…


Pravo Čepelarsko Horo (Bulgaria)

A variation on the basic Pravo Rodopsko Horo from the region around the town of Čepelare. Observed by Yves Moreau at the Rožen Pee Festival in July 1972. The dance has a typical 10-meas structure which is typical of many Rhodope folk songs. The song used here is Pena e […]


Körtánc (Hungary)

The music of Körtánc (KOOR-tants) is from Nyitra County, now politically part of western Slovakia. The dance was arranged by Kálmán Magyar. It was presented by Kálmán and Judith Magyar at the 1981 University of the Pacific Folk Dance Camp. Dance notes…


Oj Maju Maju (Ukraine)

Taught in the USA by Ira Weisburd, Paul Collins, and others. Also taught in Australia by Anke Koelman and Andre van de Plas and taught in the Netherlands by Helena Pauli. Dance notes…


Ketri Ketri – Sherianqe (Albania)

Ketri Ketri (KEH-tree KEH-tree) is a contemporary Gypsy song sung in Rom, the Gypsy language, by Kalyi Jag, a popular Gypsy ensemble living in Hungary. The dance was introduced by Steve Kotansky at Mendocino Folklore Camp, ’91, and Stockton Camp, ’94. The steps are based on a slow čoček of […]


Tin Tin Tini Mini Hanım (Kurdish)

Originally introduced to folk dancers by Tom Bozegian, who learned it in Detroit, from Jimmy Haboian. One finds the dance variously listed as Turkish, Armenian and Kurdish depending upon the source. Of course these communities all lived together in Eastern Anatolia, so it’s possible that they all did it.Ron Houston’s […]


Ina Ina (Romania)

Ina Ina(EE-nahEE-nah),meaning”Come Come”, is from the Aroman community of Romanian Dobrogea. It was taught by Sonia Dion and Cristian Florescu at the May 10, 2010 Berkeley Folk Dancers’ workshop and at the 2010 Stockton Folk Dance Camp. Dance notes…


Cine Are Noroc Are (Romania, Roma)

Introduced by Maurits van Geel and also taught by Roberto Bagnol and Ira Weisburd. Choreographed by Maurits van Geel in honor of Cristi Catargiu of the Het International Danstheater, who died in a helicopter crash in Australia in 2008. The tune was one of his favorites. Dance notes…


Taï Taï (Greece)

Taï Taï (TAHY TAHY) of Thessaly, Greece is a specific a cappella song/dance from the village of Aidohonori in the mountains of southern Thessaly. It is performed only once a year, on Easter Monday, and signifies the end of the ritual aspect of the celebration of Easter. Joe Graziosi taught […]


Hopa Hopa (Croatia)

Hopa Hopa (HOH-pah, HOH-pah). Dick Crum first learned this dance in Yugoslavia under the name “Hopa cupa.” It-is a Slavonian (eastern Croatian) variant of a dance known elsewhere in that country as “Zaplet,” “Frugke, jabuke, ” “Vinigko kolo,” etc. Presented by Dick Crum at the 1974 Stockton Folk Dance Camp. […]


Sej Sej Bob (Bulgaria)

Sej Sej Bob (say say bahp), which refers to planting beans, is a type of line-râčenica found throughout Dobrudža under various names: Kucata, Brâsni Cârvul, Pandalaš, etc. It was learned from Liliana Zafirova and Stefan Vaglarov, of Sofia, by Yves Moreau, who taught it at the ’81 and ’97 Stockton […]