Soroca, a town of some 40,000 inhabitants on the banks of the Nistru River, is the administrative seat of the district of the same name. The town’s coat of arms displays the fortress of Soroca against a purple background. There are references as far back as the 15th century to Soroca as an important fortress in Moldavia’s fortification system. The origin of the town’s name is the subject of a dozen theories. One version claims it is taken from the Romanian word soroci, referring to sorcery and incantations. Less romantic versions would have it that soroca comes from the name of a landowner or, more likely, from the word saraci, meaning poverty. We learned this dance with friends at a typical Moldavian party, where the atmosphere is bound to be warm, animated, festive and very joyous. A Moldavian evening is graced by music, dance, laughter, excellent food and lots of wine! The song that goes with this dance is sung here by Maria Iliut. — Sonia Dion & Cristian Florescu
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