November 2010–January 2011 Volume 30, Issue 4 News www.tifd.org
Inside this Issue: Getting Ready for Texas Camp 2010
Macedonian Costume book 2 Italian Village Dance Videos We will be doing a carnevale dance as part of our evening Italian party, Virtual Piano 2 and that particular dance uses castanets. Please bring castanets to camp TIFD Board of Directors 2 if possible so you can use them while learning the dance, during the Next Board Meeting 2 evening procession, and of course, in the future. What? No “Castanets R Us” in your neighborhood? Buy them online from Amazon, Lark in the Italian & Bulgarian Fun & Games 3 Morning, or Elderly Instruments. Expect to pay $14-$28 before shipping, Balkan Discography 3 and you will have a quality set to last you a lifetime. Stockton Notes Online 3 Here are some YouTube videos that are representative of the kinds of dances we will be learning. Get in the mood! The first one listed, Calendar 4 Tarantella Montemaranese, is the carnevale dance we will be doing both News from Local Groups 5 as a processional and as a social circle dance, that will be enhanced by In Memoriam - Dennis Boxell 5 your new castanets. You will also get some fantastic ideas for costumes from the first video! Trip to Bulgaria 2010 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOQVEO51igM Bulgaria: Magical Moments 8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGoGduEIHII http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQQMTwRQvYY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXAXG7sBnOU The second video listed is a dance called La Spallata. The third one shows dances from the Resia Valley. The fourth video has been choreographed and costumed for performance; however, the steps and style are the same as danced in the villages.
Your Photos Requested As Texas Camp Historian, it’s my job to come up with the scrapbooks developed for each year’s Camp. I’ll be taking photos, but I can’t be Floor Slaves, Arise! everywhere all the time. It will be much appreciated if you could send me some of your best photos, either prints or digital files, of this year’s It’s that time again. In order to festivities. Remember, they will be seen for decades to come, so it really dance on our world-class wooden helps if you can include notes about names and activities so we can all floor, we need all able-bodied know who’s who in the future. We’ll enjoy trips down Memory Lane year volunteers on deck, literally. Please after year through the scrapbooks at Camp! let John Alexander know if you are Jan Bloom, [email protected] willing to help set up and/or take down our dance floor. neanderthal@ mail.utexas.edu or 512-453-4463. Balkan Bazaar Returns Suze and Richie will return to Camp this year with their van of irresistible folk music CDs, costumes, jewelry, clothing, and assorted goodies from the Balkans and beyond. They’ll be on the road for two weeks before Camp, so if anyone has a special request, or potential ethnic consignment items, please call or email Suze before they leave on November 11th. 919-967- 9514 or [email protected]. Page 2 November 2010–January 2011 TIFD News Macedonian Costume book Deadline for the next issue of TIFD News is Macedonian Village Dress: Going, Going, Gone by Naeda B. Robinson and Maria Canavarro January 18
This wonderful, oversized book, just The TIFD Quarterly Newsletter published, is a new reference from a unique is published on the first of the point of view. Dripping with unbelievably month, in February, May, August, beautiful pictures, this 206-page book is a and November; the eLetter is must-have for any serious collector, or anyone sent on the first of the remaining interested in the costumes and customs months. Send news to editor@ surrounding Macedonian dress. $40 includes tifd.org. Articles received after the postage within the USA. Includes a CD with deadline may be postponed until pictures of the entire collection of costumes the next issue or the next eLetter. from the Bitola Museum (the Institute, Deadline for the December eLetter Museum, and Gallery, Bitola). Research for is November 25. this book was presented in 2007 at the multi- day scholarly conference of the Costume TIFD News is published four times Society of America. For questions or other a year for the members of Texas inquiries, please write to [email protected]. Or contact the EEFC at: (510)547- International Folk Dancers, a non- 1118 . Or buy directly from their website, where pictures are also available. profit educational organization. http://www.eefc.org/site/index.php?book Submissions for publication are welcome, yet subject to editing. All opinions expressed are those Virtual Piano of the author exclusively. Material herein may be reproduced with Ever wonder how a tune goes, but can’t get your hands on a piano? Try the editor’s permission. this virtual piano (it even has settings to sound like a panpipe and other instruments): CALENDAR LISTINGS: Send http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/music/piano/ email to [email protected] and index.htm [email protected].
ADDRESS CHANGES: For TIFD Board of Directors newsletter mailing list or TIFD Member Directory, contact TIFD, PO Box 4516, Austin, TX 78765, Terri Chadwick, President [email protected] Attention: Chuck Roth, 512-453- Susie Thennes, Vice President [email protected] 8936, [email protected]. Misi Tsurikov, Secretary [email protected] Shelley Allison [email protected] SOUTHWEST FOLK DANCE Jan Bloom [email protected] DIRECTORY: Send additions Bruce Bostwick [email protected] and corrections to Leslie Gompf, Sally Jenkins (TIFD News Editor) [email protected] [email protected]. Anne-Louise Schaffer [email protected] Jo Soto [email protected] GENERAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Email [email protected] or mail to TIFD Treasurer: Georgia Horn [email protected] TIFD News, PO Box 4516, Austin, Membership Chair: Chuck Roth [email protected] TX 78765. 2010 Texas Camp Co-chairs: Lissa Bengtson [email protected] Jo Soto [email protected] [email protected]
Next Board Meeting
The next TIFD Board meeting will be at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 25, at Texas Camp. If you have an item you would like the Board to consider or if you would like to attend, please contact [email protected]. Volume 30, Issue 4 Page 3 Italian & Bulgarian Fun & Games Balkan Discography
Непротивоконституционствувателствувайте! Posted on the EEFC listserve, abridged and printed with per- Neprotivokonstitucionstvuvatelstvuvajte! mission of Tom Deering and David Bilides the longest Bulgarian word Tom Deering, dancer and teacher from the Seattle area, (Do not act against the Constitution.) has set up a website whose purpose is to expose as many people as possible to the amazing collection of music Italian Tongue-Twister: available in the world. You can find this Un pezzo di pizza discography at: http://www.folklorediscography.org. che puzza nel pozzo This collection focuses primarily on out-of- del pazzo di pezza. print music from eastern Europe: Hungary, Romania, A piece of pizza is stinking in the well of the madman of Bulgaria, Greece, and the former Yugoslavia and the rags. countries that used to be part of it (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro/Crnogora, Bosnia and Pasta Primer: Hercegovina, and Macedonia). Albums from other Lasagne (Latin lasania, “cooking pot”): Usually used as a regions are included if they were used for international base for layered oven-baked dishes. folk dancing, or if they had other redeeming value. It’s Gemelli (“twins”): Two thick strands rolled together. set up primarily for people to see what’s on older LP’s. Fusilli (from fuso, “spindle”): Traditionally molded by There are also some track samples from selected albums hand around a knitting needle. to listen to. However, since it is a discography, it is not Linguine (“little tongues”): A specialty of southern Italy. set up to download full tracks. Narrow flat pasta. Those of us who have digitized analog Rotini (“spiral”): Twisted shape. recordings, know how much work this takes. Tom has Rigatoni (“large ridged”): Robust shape goes with done an excellent job of service for the community with hearty, rich sauces. both the recordings and the artwork. He deserves a lot Farfalle (“butterfly”): Popular in both hot and cold of credit for this selfless, valuable task. We owe him and dishes. others like him a lot. - David. Macaroni (“dumpling”): Elbow-shaped tubular pasta. I hope many find it useful. Much credit goes to Ziti (“bridegrooms”): Served at Sicilian weddings. Ridged Larry Weiner (who also brought to my attention http:// surface holds thinner sauces. www.bg-popfolk.com/) and Erik Butterworth (who has Cavatappi (“corkscrew”): Curved, ridged tubes. been working on his site for some time: Radiatore (“radiators”): A relatively new pasta shape, http://physiome.org/~butterw/emdb/). Credit also has with delicate ruffled ridges. to be given to those who have lent or donated LPs, Penne (“feather”): Comes in smooth and ridged and of course to Steve Bard who is hosting the Folklore varieties. Discography site. Conchiglie (“shells”): Small version for soups is Suggestions are always appreciated... conchigliette; larger, stuffable shells are conchiglioni. ([email protected]) - Tom Ditalini (“little thimbles”): Often used in Pasta Fagioli, a soup of pasta and beans. Acini di Pepe (“peppercorns”): A tiny bead-shaped pasta Stockton Notes Online popular in soups and cold salads. Spaghetti (“a length of cord”): Very thin spaghetti is Psst - pass the word: called Capelli d’angelo, Italian for “angel hair.” All the syllabi for Stockton Folk Dance Camp - from 1948 to the present - have been scanned and are According to an online Bulgarian Trivia Game at now available in PDF format at www.folkdancecamp.org. www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz15675111f3a10.html There is a link on the left side of the Home page. Bulgarians nod their heads when they mean “no” and This is an absolute gold mine of fascinating shake their heads from side to side when they mean historical information! Along with the syllabi you will “yes.” (Note to self: ask Jaap during the Culture Corner!) also find a history of Stockton Folk Dance, a charming letter sent to campers in 1950 (the third annual!), and an alphabetical master list of dances taught. Looking for a contra to call, a new mixer, dance notations for an old favorite that, 40 years later, you cannot seem to piece together, all the various dance notations for a particular dance, castanet lessons? Now you have a place to go.... Loui Tucker, Stockton Committee Page 4 November 2010–January 2011 TIFD News Calendar
November 5-7, Lake Texoma, OK, Old Country Weekend, March 11-13, 2011, San Antonio. San Antonio College sponsored by OKCIFD. www.okcifd.org or http:// Folk Dance Festival at IFCC. Details as they become members.cox.net/dburnett4/ available.
November 6, Austin, Kabile performance. http://aifd.cc/ March 12-19, 2011, Hawaii, Tropical Dance Vacation, contra dance week. Wild Asparagus, George Marshall. November 11, Houston, Kabile performance. http:// www.tropicaldancevacation.com home.comcast.net/~jnjbloom/events%20page%20Oct10. htm May-October 2011, numerous Armenian tours, some with dancing. www.tinekevangeel.nl November 12, San Antonio, Kabile performance at IFCC. Info [email protected] May 8, 2011 onward, dance tours all over the world. www.jimgold.com (see Anne Schaffer’s article in this November 12-14, Nashville, TN, Autumn Leaves folk issue for a testimonial about Jim’s tours) dance workshop. Šani Rifati, dances of the Roma. www. nifddance.com June 21-July 2, 2011, Folk Dance Cruise to Portugal with Mel Mann. Roberto Bagnoli teaching. www. November 13, Dallas, Kabile performance, no details folkdanceonthewater.org available at press time. June 25, 2011 - July 2, 2011, Balkan Music & Dance November 19-21, Lawrence, KS, Pilgrims Progression. Workshop, Mendocino Woodlands, CA. www.eefc.org Nils Fredland and Great Bear Trio. http://www. lawrencebarndance.org/#wknd August 13-20, 2011, Balkan Music & Dance Workshop, Iroquois Springs, Rock Hill, NY. www.eefc.org November 25-28, Bruceville, TX, Texas Camp! Jaap Leegwater, Celest DiPietropaolo and Marie DiCocco. See For 2012: (some trips take more planning than others!) articles in this issue and updates at www.tifd.org August 5-19, 2012, dance vacation tour to Bali. Teachers Yves Moreau and Tineke van Geel. www.tinekevangeel.nl December 31, 2010 - January 2, 2011 Fiddler’s Dream, Lake Texoma, OK, all-volunteer contra dance weekend, http://nttds.org
January 12-26, 2011, Folk Dance Cruise to Egypt with Mel Mann. Lee Otterholt teaching. www. folkdanceonthewater.org
February 1-8, 2011, St. Croix, USVI, Tropical Dance Vacation, English Country Dance. Bare Necessities & Brad Foster & Bruce Hamilton. www. tropicaldancevacation.com
February 9-16, 2011, St. Croix, USVI, Tropical Dance Vacation. Wild Asparagus & George Marshall. Contra dance by night, be an island tourist by day. www. tropicaldancevacation.com
February 18-21, 2011, Orlando, FL, Presidents’ Folk Dance Weekend. Greek - Kyriakos Moisidis; Hungarian - Rico Balazs. www.folkdance.org
March 11-13, 2011, Oklahoma City, OK. Set for Spring English Country Dance. Sharon Green calling to music by Childgrove. Registration available online using PayPal. http://www.scissortail.org Volume 30, Issue 4 Page 5 News from Local Groups We are looking forward to our nearly-all- volunteer rendition of Old Country Weekend (see calendar) next week. Ah, Lake Texoma in the fall. . . . Oklahoma City IFD News Also in Oklahoma City News, we are very sad to submitted by Beverly Rapp report the death of Bill Walker, a longtime dancer and The Oklahoma City International Folkdancers were friend. treated to Israeli folk dance lessons during August and September, by an expert teacher, Dr. Avraham (Avi) Tulsa News Scherman. Avi discovered his love of dance by the We just keep on dancing every Friday night. We’ve had fourth grade, in Israel. Native talent soon brought visitors frequently lately - that always spices things him the leading role in a school performance. After up. Beth Cooper spent several weeks teaching the old studying modern ballet and advanced folk dancing chestnut Dobrudžanska Reka, for the benefit of the people who started dancing sometime after, oh, maybe 1975. And we celebrated the rescue of the Chilean miners by teaching Chilili.
In Memoriam - Dennis Boxell
Dennis Boxell, a pioneer in the international folk dancing community, died on September 9, 2010, following a bout of pneumonia, one in a long series. Dennis began folk dancing as a teenager in the 1950’s, and followed as a teenager, Dr. Scherman enrolled in a course for his interests into the countries of Israeli folk dance teachers. This was serendipitous. His the dances’ origins. He encouraged future wife, Marian, attended one of his workshops authenticity and tirelessly researched, while visiting Israel with a youth group. The two met taught, and recorded the music and dances of the again at Michigan State University several years later. Balkans. It was he who discovered, moldering in a Scherman’s involvement with folk dancing continued, drawer, a 35mm documentary film called “Yugoslav Folk as he completed post-graduate and doctoral education Dances” that had been made in 1948. At the time of in the United States. In 1974, Scherman joined the his discovery (1963) the region was trying to dissociate University of Oklahoma as an assistant professor, in from its “peasant past” and the owners were happy the College of Education. Four years later, he was to turn the rights over to Dennis. After surmounting tenured. Besides the exciting academic opportunities the financial and technical barriers, the film, now on at OU, Scherman found an enclave of folk dancers on videotape, became available to the American public as campus. When the dancers relocated to Oklahoma City, “Jugoslavenski Narodni Plesovi, The 1948 Classic.” It is in the early 1980’s, as the Oklahoma City International truly a treasure that would have been lost to the world Folkdancers, Scherman went with them. Since that without Dennis’ persistence. time, Dr. Scherman and his wife have been members Dennis, often working with Rickey Holden, of the organization. They are often seen at the First was responsible for producing many of the Folkraft Unitarian Church, on Mondays, where dancers gather records that so many of us used in our early days of folk from 7:00 – 10:00. Dances they taught as part of their dancing. He also introduced us to Atanas Kolarovski recent series include: Eretz Eretz; Niguno Shel Yossi; Od Although he never taught at Texas Camp, Lo Ahavti Dai; and Hora Bialik, among others. Dennis helped launch the folk dance careers of several Professor Scherman has an interesting teachers who have. Among them are Jaap Leegwater background. He was born in Bucharest, Romania, and is (this year’s Bulgarian dance teacher), Joe Graziosi, the child of Holocaust survivors. After WWII, Scherman and Yves Moreau. Testimonials written by these three and his family moved to Israel. He spent much of his and many others appeared online and can be seen by youth there and completed an undergraduate degree reading the eefc archives. from Hebrew University in the 1960’s. One of Dennis’ outstanding traits was that even Scherman claims dancing is exercise for the during longstanding health problems, he continued brain as well as the body. He formally retired from full to do research and to catalog, record, organize, and time classroom responsibilities in 2005, but he never make available to others his vast collections of music expects to retire from dancing. and video recordings. Thanks to his foresight and Look for Avi and Marian at Texas Camp - they planning, even after his passing, you may buy these were the first to register this year. and many other treasures of music and dance at www. festivalrecords.com. Page 6 November 2010–January 2011 TIFD News Trip to Bulgaria 2010 from one ticket window to another, I take a bus to a by Kristin Lucas town in the foothills and then a taxi up the mountains to the Rila Monastery. The monastery is many centuries old and situated half way up a mountain valley. This Most avid folkdancers remember vividly the first time monastery is one of the most visited sites in Bulgaria. that they heard Bulgarian folk music. For me, it was The main structure features the dark wood eaves my freshman year in college. It was Sunday morning and painted stucco that is typical of the Bulgarian and I was passing by the student center patio. There countryside. The church portico features wall and was a group of students and they were dancing to ceiling murals with gilt frescoes of biblical scenes. The that haunting, syncopated music of the mountains of lowest two feet of mural depict the underworld in a Bulgaria. I had done folkdancing in elementary school Bosch manner. and so I jumped right in. The Bulgarian dances and The monastery has posted a very clear pictorial melodies have been favorites of mine ever since. proscription against sleeveless tops and shorts. It is Once every five years, there is a large folkdance hovering around 90 degrees here today, however, and and music festival in Bulgaria, in a valley town called Koprivshtitsa. This festival has been on my bucket list and every time it has rolled around, there has been some reason why I can’t go (money, work obligations). It looked as though I was going to have to pass it up again, as the project that I am working on put forth a schedule of approved vacation times, and the festival did not fall in the “green” zone. But then the “green” zone was expanded, just enough for me to attend the festival, and so I made plans. Several of the Houston folkdancers were joining a folkdance tour that included the festival, however, the tour went beyond the approved vacation zone, so I made plans to go on my own. I booked a hotel in Sofia for a week, with plans to take the train to Koprivshtitsa (about 60 miles from Sofia). Sofia, like most Eastern European cities, lost a great deal of its charm during this proscription is widely and blatantly ignored by both the Soviet years. There are blocks and blocks of stark, the male and female tourists. The vast majority of the crumbling, cement block buildings. The streets are tourists are Bulgarian, but I decide not to follow their hot, noisy, and smoky (from pollution and from the example and instead change into jeans. prevalence of cigarette smoking). My hotel, although There is a monastic lodge behind the monastery generally clean, reeks of cigarette smoke, even the “non- and I secure a room for two nights. Despite the heat smoking” rooms. outside, the room is cool and the balcony has a lovely As I wander the streets near my hotel, I run into view of the trees by the stream. I deposit my belongings two of the folkdancers from Houston. We decide to and head on over to the hiking trail. The area behind go out to dinner together to a restaurant that features the monastery is a national forest and has several Bulgarian food and folk music. The food is good – lots popular hiking trails. My guide book talks about the of salads. The music is likewise charming. It is dark trail to seven lakes and so I head out with the hopes of by the time we get out of the restaurant and we walk figuring out the location of the trail to 7 lakes. briskly back to the main street to catch the trolley. We The national forest is noted for a stand of old are across from a park and it is very dark. There are a beech trees and the trail passes right through the area. few souls out, but mostly the street is deserted. In a One old grande dame beech tree has established herself flash, a young male runs at us out of the shadows, hits on a slight rise between two streams and flourished at my friend’s throat and runs off into the shadows. The there. I am hiking on the hillside trail overlooking the assailant was attempting to grab her necklace, but failed. rise, but even 50 feet above her base line, I am still only We are shaken at this and grateful when the trolley roughly knee high (or lower) on this giant tree. I spend finally shows up. about 3 hours on the trail and do find a sign with a 7 on It is blazing hot in Sofia, and the room air- it. conditioner is not up to it. After scoping out the bus I sleep well that night, with cool air coming and train station, the next day and getting shuttled Volume 30, Issue 4 Page 7 through the balcony door and the sound of the roaring a good collection of Bulgarian folk costume, but it is stream in the background. In the morning when I head a museum and therefore will be fully air conditioned. out, it is blessedly cool. I am able to ascend briskly for Fortunately, my guide book gives a good description the first couple of hours. Then it warms up and the flies of the setting for the museum, because the bus driver come out. The trail goes up and up, finally getting above does not know where it is and no one on the bus speaks the tree line. The flowers and grasses here are hip-high, English. The museum does have a good collection which helps to keep the flies off of my legs. The trail is of costumes, but the A/C is only so-so. All of these well marked and well worn. I encounter many Bulgarian costumes are long-sleeved, wool, and layered. They hikers and backpackers, even one who is a young seem obscene in this heat. Some form of subtle torture. mother carrying a baby in a front-pack. Back at the hotel, I show my Koprivshtitsa train This mountain is endless. I know that 7 lakes tickets to the concierge and ask him what gate and what is too far for a day hike, but I am hoping to get far time. He examines the tickets carefully and can not tell enough to at least see the lakes and then turn around. me. He tries the web site and still can not tell me. I had Every time that I make it to the top of a rise, I look up previously been told 7:30, so I plan on that. hopefully to see if I get a panorama of the lakes, but It is now festival weekend and I get to the train every time I just see the next rise. At the highest saddle, station in plenty of time to get lost. I can not figure out I encounter a shepherd’s hut. The sheep are in a fenced the gate, so I go to the information booth. The woman area, there are horses grazing on the hillside and some there does not speak English, so I wander around some sheep dogs running about. This is a lovely, pastoral more and then return, hoping that gesticulation will scene, but unfortunately, those animals are the source be productive. It is not, but a young woman behind of the flies. This saddle affords me a view of the other me speaks English and says that she also is going to side, but no lakes. I finally climb to the very top of the Koprivshtitsa and we can find the train together. Thank mountain, no other rises are there. I do indeed get a heavens. We get on the correct train just in time. At lovely panorama, but no lakes. At this point, I have nine AM we are at the Koprivshtitsa train station. hiked for over 5 hours, ascended from 4000 to 8700 feet About 200 of us get off the train to find ourselves in and still no 7 lakes. In the interest of preserving my feet an essentially abandoned station surrounded by woods for the festival, I start back down. and pastures, 10 kilometers from the town. We all wait The next morning, I have a leisurely last walk patiently (for a bus, I presume?) and about 10 minutes (hobble) around the monastery and then head back later, a small 24-passenger bus drives up. There is a crush to Sofia on the once-daily bus. When I get back to my of folks to get on the bus and about 40 people cram on hotel, they tell me that the air conditioner is fine, but to it. This scene is replayed several times, and I finally it is not. This time I have the mechanic come up with push my way on to one of the small buses. The bus me. He speaks no English and I speak no Bulgarian, but stops outside of town and everyone gets off and mills I demonstrate the ineffectiveness of the a/c by placing around. I have no clue what is happening, but I start a piece of toilet paper on the “fan” and showing that marching toward town. I eventually get directions from there is so little air flow that it does not flutter. I have no a local person. She points me and a few others straight idea what he thinks of my demonstration, but the hotel up the mountainside. There is a stream of people offers to move me to another room. The other room making their way up the mountainside, so I join them. is a smoking room. Considering how smoky my “non- Indeed, the festival is held mostly along the saddles of smoking” room is, I decline. this mountain. There are cement stages that have been I have found the big produce market and I poured in the meadows and pastures right up against purchase plums, tomatoes, blackberries, bread, and a the mountain. It is now 10:45. It has taken me almost local crumbly cheese. These make a fine dinner. two hours to get from the train station to the festival. My last day before the festival is my museum If I need two hours in the afternoon to do the reverse day. I have compiled a list of museums and churches journey, I will get precious little time at the festival. to visit. The first church that I visit is an archaeological Folkdance family to the rescue! I run in to some site that still functions as a church. There is a singer in former Houston folkdancers, spill my tale of woe, and the church and she and the priest are going through the they offer to let me sleep on the couch in their sitting liturgy. The next church is newer and more ornate and room. Yes! They contact their hotel and I pay the hotel there is a choir here and a few dozen churchgoers. The $40 for which I get some sheets, a towel, a blanket (a last church is only a century old and has a full choir in blanket? What for?), and a huge sense of relief. I have the balcony. The music is wonderful and the acoustics come thousands of miles for this festival and now I will are good. I wonder if the members of the choir get a get to enjoy it. special dispensation on Fridays to not show up at work The festival is primarily a series of non-stop until mid-morning. dance and music performances on these stages in the mountains. There are so many performing groups that The national history museum is a bus ride away each group does only a short show, 10 or 15 minutes. and I am looking forward to it. Not only does it have The groups are all dressed in colorful Bulgarian Page 8 November 2010–January 2011 TIFD News costumes, so the entire festival is alive with color. The Bulgaria: Magical Moments music is all done by live musicians – fast fingering on by Anne-Louise Schaffer the accordion, syncopated drumming, and those two- voice singing melodies. Most of the dancing is very Like many folk-dancers interested in Balkan culture, basic village dancing. Their dance groups, like ours, are I made the pilgrimage to Bulgaria this past summer to roughly two-thirds women and one-third men. attend the famous Koprivshtitsa folk festival. It takes There are quite a few Texans and former Texans place every five years in a string of meadows in the here at the festival and we socialize and wander around. mountains above the town. Not speaking Bulgarian, I have told one of them that I absolutely will not buy a I decided to sign up for Jim Gold’s two-week tour of Bulgarian folk costume because I already have too much Bulgaria that included the festival. Three other current stuff and anyway they are very expensive (over $200 and former Texas folk-dance couples came on the tour for a hand-made chemise). Hah! In my defense, the as well, making it particularly congenial for me. one that I bought was not as expensive because it was During several conversations I had with Jim ahead machine made and it is much more practical because of time, and during the trip proper, he often used the it is a washable light-weight cotton sheeting material. word “magical” and occasionally the term “magical It is very colorful and will make a great performance moments.” I wasn’t sure what he meant until I arrived costume. in Sofia with the rest of the group. By the end of that It is hot here, too, but there are faucets with cold first day I understood: I was already in love with the mountain spring water that can be splashed on my face. country! In the evening, the festival moves down to the As the trip progressed, we stopped at famous village. This is a picturesque village with cobblestone places and obscure ones; some were on our itinerary, streets and restored old homes. Vendors line the some were total surprises. Along the way I did indeed street along the stream, selling food, folk costumes, experience many “magical moments,” none of which instruments and sundries. The evening’s entertainment could have happened on a normal commercial tour. is predominantly foreign groups performing Bulgarian Here are some of them. Ranging from the light-hearted songs and dances. They are really quite good and I to the intensely emotional, they are the ones that join in with some spontaneous dancing on the village remain most vivid in my memory two months after my square. The traditional dancing on coals will take place return. after dusk, so I hustle back to the hotel to take a shower and return to the square. The coal dancing (Nestinari The Koprivshtitsa Festival. The festival took place ritual, dancing on glowing embers - YouTube has several on 7 stages in as many meadows, each of which was representative videos) is apparently going on, but I am devoted to a particular region of Bulgaria. I spent all unable to wiggle my way in to a location where I can of Saturday, the second day of the event, going from see anything. There are probably about ten thousand one stage to another, sampling the different cultural people here at the festival and roughly 200 of us get areas. I began with Stage 6, which featured the groups to see this rite. But never mind, I have found a small from the Pirin and Rhodope mountains, my favorite group of women and we are dancing – Eleno Mome, a musical, dance, and costume regions. During the two Bulgarian syrto, and other basic Bulgarian dances. hours I sat there in the baking sun, I determined that I retire around midnight and catch a quick bite there were categories of entrants: dance groups, ritual the next morning. The festival continues for a few more presenters, and women’s singing groups. When the hours up on the mountain. There are some speeches by latter came on, I was stunned to hear them sing two- various dignitaries and then the performances are done. part dissonant songs similar to those I had learned in Now it is our turn. The crowd surges on to the stage Ethel Raim’s Balkan singing classes in New York City in and dance groups form on the grass. For hours, there is the late 1960s. The verses were sung alternately by two recorded and live music and dancing. I fall in to a group groups, each of which consisted of a few droners and that does somewhat more complicated dances. At three one or more melody singers. I had taught similar songs pm, I go back down to the village and meet two friends to my own beginning Balkan students in the 1970s in at a café. I will be riding back to Sofia with them in a Washington, D.C., but had not thought about them private hired car. since. Hearing these singers brought back wonderful Sunday is my last night in the hotel. I am memories. up very early for my flight back to smoke-free, air- Needing both food and shade, I moved on to Stage conditioned America. I have groused entirely too much 7, which was dramatically situated on the edge of a cliff about the heat in Bulgaria. Houston is suffocatingly overlooking part of the town of Koprivshtitsa. I bought hot, and in a cruel cosmic karma, my air conditioner is some Bulgarian fast food from a stall on the trail and on the fritz. The repairman says something something settled down in the shade beneath the pine trees on 13 amps, something something 15 amps something the slope of the hill to one side of the stage. Women’s something. The gist of this is that my air conditioner is singing groups from Gabrovo were performing on it. executing a death spiral. Then came a surprise: a children’s category! One by one, Volume 30, Issue 4 Page 9 several little girls got up on the stage and belted out a the crescent moon was not visible, due to the tall trees solo full of difficult ornamentation, sounding exactly on each side of the narrow road. The road itself was like the adult singers on so many of my recordings back full of potholes, but no one had a flashlight to spot home. They were amazing! They seemed to range from them. At first there was total silence. Then gradually 4 to7 in age. It made me wonder: what was I doing at our little ragtag band started chatting, joking, laughing, that age? Answer: dancing around my home pretending and singing. At one point I sang out: “We’re off to see to be a ballerina. the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz.” It seemed On Sunday I returned to the meadows to watch appropriate at the time. For me it really WAS a magical the closing ceremonies at Stage 2. I arrived early to moment! … Then it was ruined. We came to the fork get a spot on the grass in the shade with a good view. in the road and continued downhill. Suddenly our bus As I waited, two groups of Bulgarian women sat down came up behind us with lights glaring and picked us up. next to me, one on each side. Some were in colorful Drat! We were clearly back in Kansas. traditional clothing, some not; it was obvious, though, that they were not from the same region. Over time, Banichan. One of Jim’s surprise stops on the tour other family or village members arrived to join them. was at the small village of Banichan, located on the All were in a festive mood. I felt very uneasy, being main road south of Bansko in the Pirin Mountains. alone and so obviously out of place. But then I noticed Our bus stopped in front of a house on the edge of the that some individuals with cameras walking past us village, where a woman greeted us and ushered us into would stop to take a photo and walk on. I wondered the garden behind it. We gathered in and around the if they noticed me in the midst of the sea of color; L-shaped porch to take part in a mock wedding dowry they certainly would once they saw their finished negotiation, with two of our tour members standing in photographs. I tried to will myself into invisibility. for the engaged couple. Assisting the woman were a few Would they curse the interloper and discard or delete teenage girls and boys and a gaggle of little children, all the photos? I hoped not. After all, I too was wearing dressed in traditional clothing. traditional (American) clothing: well-washed blue The humorous ritual was punctuated by singing denim pants, a matching sleeveless over-blouse, tennis from both the older and the younger children. As it shoes, and a large white sunhat. I suddenly felt a lot was concluding, the woman in charge asked US to better. sing something. There was a pregnant pause. Having prepared a few songs—American and Bulgarian—back Chalin’s Farm. One evening while our group was home on the possibility that something like this staying in Bansko, a resort in the Pirin Mountains, we might happen during the trip, I sang one verse of were treated to a picnic dinner in a meadow half way up “Kalimanko.” It is a very difficult Macedonian song that a mountain. The meadow belonged to a farmer named I heard on a record back in the 1970s, fell in love with, Chalin and was a popular spot for hikers and climbers and painstakingly learned. Over the ensuing decades during the summer months. Our bus could only take us I never had the opportunity to sing it for anyone, but part way, though, as it was too large to go beyond the this seemed to be the right moment: it was a love song fork in the road. Horses with large carts were waiting and I was still inspired by all the fantastic women’s there to take us the rest of the distance. singing I had heard at the Koprivshtitsa Festival. So I At one end of the meadow was a covered eating area closed my eyes and began. When I finished there was with tables and benches. As we stuffed ourselves with another pregnant pause. Then finally applause and the delicious kebabs roasting on open pits, washing compliments. I was so relieved! I hadn’t made any them down with kegs of beer, we were serenaded by a mistakes either. group of four gypsy musicians and three female singers. The former played many čočeks—one of my favorite Kovachevtsi. Another special place we visited was Balkan dances—but everyone was too intent on feasting Kovachevtsi, located way off the beaten track northwest to get up and dance. I was very frustrated. However, of Samokov in the Rila Mountains. It used to be a once we finished eating, as the sun was setting, we thriving town, but now many of the people have left for started dancing to the music of Ventsi, the wonderful the cities to find jobs, leaving behind mostly old people gaida player who traveled with us on our tour. The and the gypsies. The current mayor, a tiny frail woman dancing continued till long after darkness had settled who nearly died a few years ago, has dedicated the in. rest of her life to reviving her dying town. The money Sadly, we eventually had to leave. Jim had corralled Jim’s tours have brought in has been used to renovate a small bus from another tour group to take most of the church and community center. The town is also our group back down the road to our own waiting the home of Kremena Stancheva, one of the original bus. Some of us volunteered to walk down. I was in trio of singers whose recording “Le Mystère des Voix a group of 8 to 10 that departed last. Descending the Bulgares” catapulted Bulgarian women’s singing onto mountain proved to be quite an adventure, both creepy the world stage in the 1980s. She runs a singing school and mysterious. It was pitch black; even the sliver of there during the summer months and takes on special Page 10 November 2010–January 2011 TIFD News students during the rest of the year. She is particularly we hugged a tearful good-bye. It was only when I got interested in teaching traditional Bulgarian singing to home and went through my trip photos that I was able the local gypsy children. to identify her as the solo melody singer in the left- As our bus drove into the paved town square, we hand trio. (See photo) were greeted by many of the local people. A young My encounter with her in this town was the most man from Samokov TV videotaped our arrival, as well emotional event of the trip for me. It left me with the as the subsequent greeting ceremony and some of our strongest memories—memories that I can’t get out of dancing. The mayor began by giving a speech, which my head. They continue to haunt me to this day. I will unfortunately was not translated for us. It was followed always wonder: why did she choose me? She wasn’t by a short vocal concert by two trios of women in standing next to me on the plaza originally. Did she traditional clothing. They performed the same two-part see me smiling from ear-to-ear while she was singing? dissonant songs, alternating back and forth, that I had Did she feel a connection across the space? Were others heard at Stage 6 at the Koprivshtitsa Festival. As before, I in our group “adopted” like I was? Who was she? And was ecstatic; I even got goose bumps. most important: WHAT IS HER NAME???? When an accordion player somewhere on the square started playing a pravo tune, we all moved towards him to form a long curving line. I was still standing behind it deciding where to cut in when, out of nowhere, one of the singers grabbed my left hand like a vise and led me into it. She was tiny and elderly, but definitely NOT frail. Her steps were large and forceful. I tried my best to match them, but it was in vain. I kept running into the woman to my right, who was dancing the way we in the U.S. usually do: with a firm-but-gentle handhold and taking easygoing medium-size steps. The music eventually sped up and then switched to a different dance. When the music and dancing ended, the elderly woman turned to me and gave me a sustained hug that nearly crushed my photo by John Clement ribs. I tried to return the same, but I was pitifully weak by comparison. Eventually she released me and I found that both of us had tears in our eyes. I wanted to speak with her, but we had no language in common. She accompanied me on the short walk to Kremena’s house, where we were treated to a huge homemade feast prepared by some of the women in the town. One by one we filed into her tiny kitchen to choose among the bewildering number of dishes set out for us. While we gorged ourselves in her tree-shaded yard, we were serenaded by a group of her young gypsy students, by a visiting friend of hers from Thrace, and by one of her former “Voix Bulgares” mates. When it was time to leave, we returned to the square for a farewell set sung for us by the two trios in the same two-part style with drone. Afterwards, my adoptive baba (grandmother) reappeared suddenly, and