Why are the Balkans and Anatolia so similar in culture and so different from Western Europe? What is a “typical” folk dance over there?

There’s one basic dance pattern that is the foundation of the repertoire of every country from Croatia to Israel to Azerbaijan. I call it the Taproot Dance. Learn this one pattern and you’ll be able to dance at parties and weddings in Greece (Sta Tria, Hasapiko), Bulgaria (Pravo), Armenia (Bar), and Romania (Sarba).

Shortly after the death of Jesus, Jews in Judea revolted against Roman rule. The Jews were thoroughly crushed, the Temple destroyed, and survivors were made slaves and/or scattered throughout the Roman Empire.  For 1850 years, Jews were a people without a homeland, living in diaspora from one end of the known world (Spain) to the other (China), and adapting to each location differently.

By the 1880’s, when Jews began moving back to Palestine, there were 3 major traditions of Judaism, each with its own language, customs, and dances.  We’ll explore the challenges and aspirations of the pioneers who blended these traditions into a new dance form we now call Israeli.

Most of the dances in the repertoire of folk dance clubs in North America were arranged to fit a specific recording and were never danced that way in their ‘homeland’.  How can we know if a dance was ever danced ‘back home’, and whether it’s danced there today?  Why does it matter?

Before musical instruments were affordable in ‘the village’ people danced to their own singing.  One part of the Balkans never progressed beyond dancing accompanied by singing – sometimes they didn’t even bother to sing!  Learn the ultimate unplugged dance, LICKO KOLO.

Who are the Assyrians, and what is their relationship to Syria? Why don’t we hear much about them?  Learn about the people and their ancient, still most popular dance, SHEIKHANI.

When people in Serbia and Croatia say they danced THE KOLO, which of the thousands of kolos are they referring to?  It may have many different names, but the basic footwork hasn’t changed in over 100 years. UZICKO KOLO, KUKUNJESCE.

Don is putting out a call for any questions anyone might have about folk dancing, like more information about a specific dance, information about a particular people (who are the Bulgarians?), song lyrics, history, whatever.  Please submit requests no later than the end of August; we’ll meet at the lounge at 1:30 to talk about it – all welcome to sit in.  Requests should be sent to Don Buskirk.