Bulgarian Regional Dance Styles

ETHNOGRAPHIC MAP OF BULGARIA

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES AND CHARACTERIST|CS

What follows is not a complete list but more a quick reference guide to help you to determine 1) - from what area a certai'n dance or dance tune originates and 2) - what the most strfking characteristics are.

w SEVERNJASK0 (NORTHERN BULGARiA) Musi c

- wt mainly on the fore ft fast, vivid tempo - small and energetic steps with 'floch or Romanian influences high knee'lift'ings - the movements are Iight and upward principaf instrunents: - jumpy and bouncy all kinds of fl utes (occuino- s-tsin\a, dltdrtk, kataL) and ui'oLin ana Duhoo ensembLes TRAKTJA (THMCE)

wt mostly on the whole flat ft starts often sl ow, "so'lemny" then slight knee bend position gradually builds to moderate - fast all accents and stamps are directed composed-i rregu:lar-meters in Western Thrace tw the ground, downward ri ch nel ody 1 i nes "earthy" quality p rf n c'ipa1 i ns truments smooth and round movements gdduLT

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES AND CHARACTERISTICS IN DANCESTYLE AND MUSIC (Page 2 of 2)

Dance Musi c 5opLurc (wrsrEnN sulennrn)

- wt on the fore ft fast vivid tempo - body I eans s'li ghtly fwd G?aouo-syncopated beat in man.y slower - small light and energet'ic steps and fast 2/4'dantces tJDJ) with sharp' knee liftings - the upper part of the body moves fwd the music consists of many LlB or l/16 and back in coordination with the notes, which has the effect of the knee liftings nelody supporting and carrying the rhythnr - Eopsl

DOB RUDZA (NORTHEASTERN BULGARIA)

Men: - heavy, wt on the whole ft s'low - moderate tempo, "str€ched" - knee bend position both cts (main and secondairy) are often - hips are slf ghtly turned tud. str,essed in the DobrwdEjst z/4 beatfi g - upper body erect and proud - - every stamp is accompanied by slow 7/8 RLienik stressed are two-out of - slight knee bending oi dipping the three main cts ) ) ). o, ) )). - "down-to-earth" quality principal instrunerit iopottn (iraTf Women: z gAdrflka,) combi 1ight, and feminine typi cal nation : - .bouncy phgsVtenonica; kaparfta and ga:jda - rocking body and arm movements (OofrudEotsksba lro i ka )

PI RIN (BULGARIAN MACEDONIA) - high and on the ball of .the ft from s'low - fast - liftings on the ball of the ft very melodic, songs on cts & (upbeat) rich in many different rhythms and - vertical bouncy chanacter irregular neters - "bal ancedrr movements "streched" and playful'l interpretation - many rhytmic and syncopated of the beat nuances principal instruments: zuTrLcL, funbuta, fuo4 deahtl

R0p0PA (RFropoPE M0UNTATN RANGE) - wt on the who'le fl at ft s1ow, usually to a song 'h&de ('low hops) Eorotsodna pesen (Dancesong) or accompanied - Women: gracious almost solemnly by a ttaba Gajda (1ow-pitched gaida) "deliberate" steps relancholic, gliding melodies and singing - Men: and strong .expressive Here too Ponok and Turkish influence

BULGARIAN DANCE RHYTHMS

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Combinations of one or two of the previous mentioned irregular rBters are also to be found in Bulgarian Folk Music and Dance. They are reffered to as Smesen ("mixed',) beats or if it is a dance Smeseno Horo. Another term frequently used is Krioo ("crooked") or Krioo Eoro Some examples of these so called "composed irregu'lar reters't are:

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