Author Archives: Nick

Paydushka – motif structure and dance phrase length

The name “paydushka” (пайдушка) is both a generic term which is applied to various different dance types in the “short-long” rhythm, and a name given to a popular dance in this rhythm, which is widespread in Bulgarian and adjacent countries. These related dances are generically termed Paydushka in Bulgaria and Rustem in Romania.

The figure below shows diagrammatically the dances that are typically included in the Paydushka type. I propose that the ‘classic’ types of Paydushka (paydushka troika and paydushka chetvorka) within the red box in Figure 1 are loosely related to:

  1. dances that move predominantly to the left,
  2. bidirectional dances that repeat equally to left and right, and
  3. dances that are predominantly combinations of crossing steps and travel forward and backwards in a line.

There is an interesting variation of these ‘classic’ forms that has only three hop-steps to the right and an ending motif. This is predominantly found in the eastern regions but is clearly related to similar dances in 2/4 meter in other areas of Bulgaria and Romania.

Motif structure

The Paydushka has a structure that can be represented by:

These dances and their variations are built from a limited number of patterns of very few motifs. Culturally concordance with the music is not required which leads to the dance phrase length in musical measures being dependent on the sequence of patterns, although it appears in some examples that there is a cultural desire to have 10-measures and thus a reduction in the number of “limping” motifs.

The dance phrase length is generated by the selection of motifs in the dance, for example if a 10-measure ‘type 1’ has a repeat of the ‘interface motif’ it becomes 13-measures. If the 5-measure pattern is applied to the ‘type 1’ Paydushka it becomes an 11-measure phrase. If this is applied to ‘type 2’ Paydushka it becomes a 13-measure phrase. However, the number of limping steps to the left can be reduced to change an 11-measure pattern to the favoured 10-measures.

title Limping steps Interface Hop-steps Interface Dance phrase
Paydushka troika 3 3 4 10 measures
Surnato from Hlevene 2 3 6 11 measures
Baiduska from Kítros 3 3 x2 4 13 measures
Song-dance from
Veliko Tarnavo region		 3 3 4 3 13 measures
Paydushka chetvorka 4 4 4 12 measures
From Polski Senovets 3 3 3 2 11 measures
Zalivil Dyado from Hotnitsa,
also generally in Ruse region		 2 3 3 2 10 measures
Hartsoysko Trite pati 3 4 3 2 12 measures
Dobrich region 2+4 3 2 11 measures
Baiduska from Thrace 3 x2 3 2 11 measures
Green, Nick (2025). “Paydushka: structure, variation and dance phrases.” Eliznik articles, March 2025. Online: https://eliznik.me.uk/research/publications/eliznik-articles/paydushka-motif-structure-and-dance-phrase-length/

 

Footnotes

  1. In this text I have transliterated the Cyrillic to Latin alphabets using the official Bulgarian national system, whereas in the information tables I have left all titles in the script of the original document.
  2. Although “conventionally notated in 5/16 meter it should be observed, however, that “many good native folk musicians clearly play it in what could be written as 3/8” [Crum 1975], so we should only consider the ‘short-long’ rhythm and not be concerned about the musical meter.
  3. Generally it is thought that the name Paydushka comes from Turkish “paytak” meaning knock-knees or ‘to waddle’. The Greeks of Kavakli (now Topolovgrad, Bulgaria) had two names for the dance, the transliterated "Μπαϊντούσκα" and potentially translated "Κουτσός" [Kokkinos 1987, 241]. However, there are very many other theories.

Stories of the 17th century Ilmington morris

Chandler tells us, without giving a source, of an oral story that during the 17th century there was a Morris dance team from the village of Ilmington which performed at the famous Dover’s Games,

“To the accompaniment of the old tabor and pipe they danced for a week to the delight of all, their favourite pieces being ‘Shepherd’s Hey, and Heigh-ho to the Cotswolds.” [1]

In 1636 we read that the old tabor and pipe were used for Morris dancing at Dover’s Hill games and sports and Ilmington.

Bennett, 1909 [2]

Sir,—ln the sixteenth century we read of Morris Dancing at Dover’s Hill sports, where was erected a flag on a pole and upon it the words “Heigh for the Cotswold.” The Morris Dancers performed round the flag, while men played the tabor and pipe, and it says that these dancers hailed from Ilmington, and from that time dancing has been carried on here

Bennett, 1912 [3]

In two of Sam Bennett’s letters to the local newspaper it is possible to gain an idea of the source of this oral story. This gives two bits of information that relate to printed sources;

Firstly the year 1636 is when “Annalia Dubrensia”, a set of poems about the Dover’s Hill games, was published by Michael Drayton.[4]

Secondly the phrase “flag on a pole and upon if the words ‘Heigh for the Cotswold’” which comes from the book “Poly-Olbion” published in 1612 by Michael Drayton.[5]

It seems unlikely that Sam Bennett has access to both these publications, more probable that Sam Bennett, or another contact, read the article “The Cotswold Games” which was published in many local newspaper during 1882 as part of a series under the title “Glimpses of Olden England” by Broadbent Trowsdale,

In 1636, a volume, now very rare, was published, composed of commendatory verses on the exploits of Cotswold. Some of the most eminent poets of the early part of the seventeenth century contributed to the work, which was entitled Annatiu Dubrensia.

Drayton in his vast topographical poem ‘Poly Olbion,’ […] The fancy of the poet pictures the rustics dancing hand in hand to this music of the pipe and tabor about a flag staff erected on the highest hill—the flag inscribed Heigh for Costwold.

Trowsdale, 1882 [6]

No connection is made to morris in either Trowsdale’s article or the original publications, so this connection might have been made by Sam Bennett from the “pipe and tabor” reference.

Footnotes

  1. Chandler, Keith (1985). The Archival Morris Photographs, 3: The Original Ilmington Morris Dancers’, Ilmington, Warwickshire, circa 1908. English Dance and Song XLVII, 1 pages 8-10.
  2. Bennett, Samual (1909). The old folk song and dancing competitions at Straford. Stratford-upon-Avon Herald; 14 May 1909, page 8.
  3. Bennett, Samual (1912). The original Ilmington Morris dancers. Stratford-upon-Avon Herald; 23 August 1912, page 2.
  4. Drayton, Michael (1636). Annalia Dubrensia. Upon the yeerely celebration of Mr. Robert Dovers Olimpick Games upon Cotswold-Hills. London.
  5. Drayton, Michael (1612). Poly-Olbion. London, Humphrey Lownes.
  6. Trowsdale, T. Broadbent (1882). The Cotswold games. North Devon Journal, p.6. Glimpses of Olden England. Sketches of Phases in the lives of our forefathers.

Ilmington morris dancers

Ilmington is a village in the South Midlands of England, on the border between the counties of Warwickshire and Gloucestershire. The local town is Shipston-on-Stour and further north is the town of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Many villages in the South Midlands – Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, and Buckinghamshire – had morris teams between the 17th to 19th centuries which are generally referred to as “Cotswold Morris” by the 20th century revival teams. The popularity as entertainment in the villages seems to have declined after the 1860s in many locations, leading to various revivals during the following century.

In Ilmington it is documented that there was an active morris team in 1805, 1860s, revived in 1886, 1887, 1897, from 1907 to 1919, and again from 1974. However it seems likely that there was a team with continuity in tradition from at least from the late 18th century until the late 19th century. Arguably the 1907 team had continuity in one member from the previous team and several sons of previous dancers.

My interest in the Morris team dates from the early 1970s when our family moved to Shipston and made contact with the old fiddler ‘Harry’ Sturch plus some interested local people, which resulted in Paul Bryan, Stan Jones and Chris Green (my father) restarting Morris dancing in Ilmington in 1974. I joined the team in 1976.

See my article PDF: Ilmington Morris Part 1: 17th to 19th century

Ilmington morris – Part 1: 17th to 19th century

In 2024 the current Ilmington Morris celebrates 50 years since its revival. In 1974 Paul Bryan, Stan Jones and Chris Green (my father) met to discuss restarting Morris dancing in Ilmington. However, the history of Morris dancing in Ilmington can be traced back some two centuries before this revival. Although many authors of articles and books about Morris dancing have touched on the Morris dancing in Ilmington there is no one collated history and there are many ‘myths’ propagated. I have revisited the ‘history’, with the aid of the easier access to historic information through the internet, to mark the 50th anniversary of the current Ilmington Morris revival.

Green, Nick (2024). “Ilmington Morris Part 1: 17th to 19th century.” Eliznik articles, September 2024. Online: https://eliznik.me.uk/research/publications/eliznik-articles/ilmington-morris-history-part-1/

Dance practices in the Danube Gorge region

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The Danube Gorge in Romania connects the Banat plain region to the Oltenian region through the Banat mountains at the southern end of the Carpathians. The villages at the western end of the Gorge are predominantly Serbian where those at the eastern end are predominantly Romanian. The dance practices of the Serbians and the Romanians living in the Danube Gorge were researched in the 1970s before the flooding of many of the villages to build the hydro-electric plant at Kladovo, and more recently by our late research colleague Selena Rakočević. In this paper I reference the documented collections and research and contextualise this to the dance practices in the surrounding regions. I conclude that this region does not constitute an ethnographic zone, but might be considered as a two overlapping micro-zones, in which we find complex patterns of cultural sharing with connections to the neighbouring areas. This article is an extended version of the section on dance practices within our paper in a publication dedicated to our late research colleague Selena Rakočević.

Green, Nick (2023). “Dance practices in the Danube Gorge region.” Eliznik articles, August 2023. Online: https://eliznik.me.uk/research/publications/eliznik-articles/dance-practices-in-the-danube-gorge-region/.

Bob Leibman’s notation of weight-shift patterns in Balkan dances

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“Structures analysis” (see Kaeppler and Dunin, 2007)[1] is one perspective of dance research which helps understand ideas of dance “families” or types, and ideas of variations, based on the notion that dance movements have to have some form that is recognisable and repeatable for both the dancers and spectators to attribute cultural value and meaning to the movements.

In community dances the ideas of structure tend to be far more organised as it is an activity involving a number of people doing something together in a structured way. This structure involves the arrangement of, and relations between, the movement elements through which dance is created.

As dance researchers, we look for the “stable” features or in scientific speak, the “invariant”. Within all the details of the movements of a given dance genre there will be a simplified stable concept, but this aspect is very dependent on the culture of the dance genre.

Bob Leibman (a mathematician by profession) formulated a system based on his research of southern and western Balkan dances.[2] Using Bob Leibman’s system to notate step “weight changes” we end up with a simple concept that generally remains invariant between different variants with a family of dances – for example Serbian Kolo 0111, Romanian Hora 1101, the ubiquitous Balkan dance 011 etc.

Variations in Balkan dances in terms of weight changes

The following explanation uses quotes from Bob Leibman’s PhD dissertation.[2] Dance takes very many forms, however, in the Balkans the old form is generally a chain dance. The “primary focus of most dancing In the Balkans is the footwork, the patterned movement of the feet and legs” (Leibman, 1992:237). The arms and body are of secondary focus as the connection in the chain by means of their hands or arms “minimizes the possibilities of doing much with the body and arms” (Leibman, 1992:238).

Considering weight changes as a Structures analysis, “for the purposes of getting at an invariant structure which underlies the surface level performances that we see, we need to consider each action taken by the dancer as an action which either does or does not involve the shifting of the body’s weight from one leg to the other” (Leibman, 1992:259).

Considering the most common form of Balkan dances, “most dances in the Balkans are made up of a single dance phrase which, with variations, is repeated over and over. The phrase generally begins with movement onto the preferred foot in the preferred direction of motion” (Leibman, 1992:280).

For example, “two steps (two weight shifts) taken […] was an acceptable alternative to remaining in place (zero weight shifts) while performing some motion with his free left leg […] because both sequences involve a net even number of weight shifts. Likewise, any sequence which leaves the dancer on the opposite foot from that on which he/she began must involve a total odd number of weight shifts. One dancer might take a single slow step while another takes three quick steps in the same time”.

(Leibman, 1992:258)

There are variations between dancers in the chain, and variation between interpretations of the same dance in different communities or contexts, considering the foot with weight support, “in general, a variation on any part of the dance phrase must leave the dancer in position, at the end of that variation, to be able to continue from that point on with the regular pattern. In other words, at the end of the variation, he/she should have his weight on the same foot as all of the other dancers. This is true whether the variation lasts for one count, one measure or the entire dance phrase” (Leibman, 1992:258).

Thus forming a rule for variations, “a sequence of actions which is a variant of another should leave the dancer with his/her weight on the same foot as does that other sequence” (Leibman, 1992:258).

Therefore, “it is the parity (evenness or oddness) of the number of weight shifts rather than the actual number of such weight shifts which is critical and must be the same for all dancers” (Leibman, 1992:259).

It should be noted that “heightened forms of action such as leaps and hops are certainly noted and noteworthy […] their use in place of lower energy equivalents such as steps and lifts does not affect the pattern of the footwork or the structure which underlies that surface pattern”.

(Leibman, 1992:247)

To capture this, Bob uses “the notation of modulus 2 arithmetic (the remainder when dividing by 2) in which all odd numbers are ultimately represented by 1 and all evens by 0” (Leibman, 1992:260).

This methodology works very well for the chain dances of Macedonia, Serbia, western Bulgaria etc. where the pattern of even and odd weight changes is generally invariant between variations within the chain and other versions of the dance from the same family of dances.

Extensions to the theory of weight change parity

Direction of movement

The direction of movement relative to the chain of dancers can be notated under the notation, and the whole dance sequence can be formed by a number of sub-phrases (with repetitions), for example the dance Seljancica (Leibman, 1992:281):

Multi-measure subsequence

There are cases where the underlying structures defined by the sequences of 0 and 1 is not invariant. This case can be seen in the connection between hora in 1101/1101 and hora în patru (Cetvorka) in 0001/1101.[3] “The parity of the two-measure subsequence which they form is preserved — i.e., 00 -> 11 ->, 10 -> 01 or 11 -> 00” (Leibman, 1992:268).

Changes of direction

Leibman comments that changes of direction, “will generally be effected on measures of odd parity. This is a natural consequence of the preference, described above, for beginning lateral movement with the same foot as the direction of motion” (Leibman, 1992:282). Although this is generally the case, there are occasions that this is not the case, such as in Banat brâul.[3]

When considering dances that continue in one direction, which can include a period of dancing in place, compared to bi-direction dances where phrases are repeated in opposite directions, Bob Leibman comments: “If the dance is not entirely unidirectional, then the beginning of each repetition of the dance phrase will almost always be the point at which there is a return to the preferred direction of motion. “Moreover, if the dance involves movement back in the opposite (non-preferred) direction, this movement, likewise, is normally begun with a weight shift onto the corresponding (non-preferred) foot” (Leibman, 1992:280), he gives an example of Srbijanka, “where an extra odd measure of dance is added whenever there is a need to change direction” (Leibman, 1992:283).

Application to Romanian dances

In Romanian dances the change of weight and direction is more often achieved by a conversion of the motif from 0 to 1 rather than insertion of an extra measure. The application of Bob Leibman’s method to Romanian dances is far more complex as the construction of most dance, types apart from the basic hora, does not feature a dance phrase with an invariant weight change structure. More often the dance variation is created by repeats, inserted motifs, and division of rhythmic passages. However, changes of weight have to be conserved during the rhythmic step variations.

Footnotes

  1. Kaeppler, Adrienne Lois & Dunin, Elsie Ivancich (editors) (2007). Dance structures: perspectives on the analysis of human movement. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. ISBN 9789630585422 9630585421
  2. Leibman, Robert Henry (1992). Dancing bears and purple transformations: the structure of dance in the Balkans. Doctor of Philosophy doctoral dissertation, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania.
  3. Green, Nick (2015). Placing of Svinița’s (Serbian: Svinica) identity as seen from the perspective of community dance culture. Selena Rakočević, & Liz Mellish, (editors), Dance, field research and intercultural perspectives: the Easter customs in the village of Sviniița: pages 115-134. Pančevo, Serbia: Selena Rakočević, Kulturni centar Pančevo. ISBN 978–86–918261–1–6

Dance transmission in contemporary Romania: Continuity, motivation and mentors

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This paper explores the transmission of local dance knowledge in contemporary Romania by focussing on ‘motivation’ and ‘continuity’ as key parameters. We examine the methods currently used by dancers to acquire their local dance knowledge; the dance experience of the teachers and mentors who transmit this knowledge; and the situations during which Romanian dancing takes place. We question whether skills acquired during formal training and informal participation work in parallel to produce the required competencies needed for local participatory and presentational dancing. Theoretically, we will draw on the works of Lave and Wenger on ‘legitimate peripheral participation’ and ‘communities of practice’, and Ingold who saw apprenticeship as a learning process through ‘guided rediscovery’. Following Giurchescu, we conclude that Romanian local dance knowledge continues to be acquired through “a combined process of observation, imitation, deliberate learning and training” which enables novice dancers to participate in dancing during both social and performative contexts.

Mellish, Liz, and Nick Green (2022). “Dance transmission in contemporary Romania: Continuity, motivation and mentors.” Anne von Bibra Wharton and Dalia Urbanavičienė (editors), Dance and economy, dance transmission : Proceedings of the 31st Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Ethnochoreology 12-18 July, 2021, Klaipėda, Lithuania, 216–224. Vilnius, Lithuania: ICTM Study Group on Ethnochoreology, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.

Saints’ days, and village days: creating the space for community events in Romanian Banat

Keywords: , ,

The annual celebration of designated days in villages is a widespread custom in southeastern Europe and beyond. In Christian locations these are often linked to the day of the patron saint of the village church. In Romanian Banat these are usually called ruga, plural ruge (literally prayer). Alternately the day of the village known in Romanian Banat as ziua, plural zilele (meaning day(s)) can be chosen for secular or practical reasons. This paper draws on a five-year case study in Romanian Banat that covers around eighty Saints’ days (Ruge) or village days (Zilele). It presents a comparative analysis of the ‘framing’ of the event space that covers both the functional preparation of the event space and the socially constructed space during the event. This includes an examination of the interrelationship between the physical design of the event space, the actions within the social space during these events, and the community’s knowledge or desire for participation.

Mellish, Liz & Green, Nick (2022). “Saints’ days, and village days: creating the space for community events in Romanian Banat”. Belma Oğul, Liz Mellish, & Nick Green (editors), Music and dance in southeastern Europe: place, space and resistance – Seventh Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe, 169–177. Istanbul, Turkey: Trabzon University State Conservatory & ICTM Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe.

Călușul at Rusalii and its overlapping contexts

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The căluș ritual of southern Romania (also found in certain villages in northern Bulgaria) takes place every year at the time of Rusalii (Pentecost, 50 days after Orthodox Easter).  The căluș has drawn the attention of many researchers, from a range of backgrounds and disciplines including folklorists, religious historians (spiritual and ritual), ethnochoreologists, and anthropologists. The elements of this ritual have been described in many publications. In 2005 the căluș ritual was listed in the UNESCO list of intangible heritage list.

However căluș is more than just the healing ritual, it is a multi-facet custom that retains a strong place within the collective memory of Romanians. Although the ritual healing is rare nowadays, the căluș customs and dancing continue to take place and are still important in community life in southern Romania.

Our Căluș research

For the last two decades we have followed southern căluș in several overlapping contexts through our personal fieldwork in southern Romania and northern Bulgaria, in written literature and archival sources, and virtually using online resources.

These contexts include:

  • The căluș custom during Rusalii in southern Romanian villages (house-to-house and dancing in the street)
  • Căluș groups dancing in towns and cities in the period of Rusalii
  • Annual Căluș festivals organised at local and county levels during and after Rusalii
  • Căluș as a choreography performed by dance ensembles

Călușari going house to house in the village of Brancoveni

Our ethnographic web site has three pages about Căluș

The Căluș ritual

Lower Danubian Călușari

Калушари, Kalushari, Călușari in Bulgaria

Kalush (in Bulgarian script Калуш) is the official transliteration of căluș. Over time, especially since 1990, the number of villages in northern Bulgaria along the Danube that have Kalush groups has steadily declined (parallel to the reduction in the rural population in Bulgaria). Today only the Kalush groups in the villages of Harlets and Zlatiya continue perform at festivals in Bulgaria.

Our themes of interest

  • Căluș in its many overlapping contexts
  • Căluș as part of Romanian men’s group dances
  • Căluș and Romanian identity
  • Căluș presentational performance and choreography
  • Călușari and 1935 international folk festival in London
  • Kalush in Bulgaria – links to Romanian căluș and comparative histories

Footnotes

  1. Foley, Catherine E., et al. (2022). "Maud Karpeles: Her Contribution to Dance Research and to the Council." In: Svanibor Pettan, Naila Ceribašić & Niles, and Don (eds.) Celebrating the International Council for Traditional Music: Reflections on the First Seven Decades, pages 18-30. Ljubljana: University of Ljubljana Press and International Council for Traditional Music.
  2. Mellish, Liz. (2006). "The Romanian Căluș tradition and its changing symbolism as it travels from the village to the global platform."
  3. Mellish, Liz & Green, Nick (2013). "Traditional folk dance performance in the 21st Century: Romanian Căluș versus English Morris: Revivalist versus ex-communist?" In: Kunej, Drago & Šivic, Urša (eds.) Trapped in folklore? : studies in music and dance tradition and their contemporary transformations, pages 81-99. Zurich: Lit Verlag.

Publications by Vera Proca Ciortea

Head of dance research at the Institute of Folklore (Bucharest).

Vera Proca-Ciortea (1915-2002) from Sibiu studied at the National Academy of Physical Education in Bucharest (1932-1936), then further in Berlin (1937-1938) and again in Germany (1962-1981). She was a lecturer at the Institute of Physical Education, a university professor at the Institute of theatrical and cinematographic art until 1973.

She was ballet master of the National Theatre (1944-1947), head of the choreographic section at the Institute of Folklore (1949-1961) and ballet master of the C.F.R.-Giulești Ensemble (1951-1953). She is credited with the rapid dance notation scheme used within the Institute of Folklore. From 1962 she led the Ethnochoreology study group within the International Council of Traditional Music, and was on the Executive Committee of the UNESCO-Paris International Dance Council (1977).

Author(s)YearTitleJournalPublisher
Proca-Ciortea, Vera1954Jocuri Populare RomâneștiBucuresti, Editura de Stat
Proca, Vera1956Despre notarea dansului popular românescRevista de Folclor Anul 1 Nr 1-2, pp.135-172București: Institutul de Folclor
Proca, Vera1957Despre notarea dansului popular românesc IIRevista de Folclor Anul 2 Nr 1-2, pp.65-91București: Institutul de Folclor
Proca-Ciortea, Vera 1962Câteva documente grafice privind jocul popular românescRevista de Folclor Anul 7 Nr 3-4, pp.79-88București: Institutul de Folclor
Proca-Ciortea, Vera & Giurchescu, Anca1966Conferințele internaţionale de terminologie a dansului popularRevista de Etnografie și Folclor Tomul 11 Nr 111(1), pp.86-88București: Institutul de Etnografie și Folclor
Proca-Ciortea, Vera & Giurchescu, Anca1968Quelques aspects théoriques de l'analyse de la danse populaireLangages 3(10), pp.87-93Paris: Éditions Didier/Larousse
Proca-Ciortea, Vera 1969On Rhythm in Rumanian Folk DanceYearbook of the International Folk Music Council 1, pp.176 -199
Proca-Ciortea, Vera1970Kinetic Language and VocabularyYearbook of the International Folk Music Council 2, pp.133-141International Council for Traditional Music
Proca-Ciortea, Vera1978The ‘Căluș’ Custom in Rumania – Tradition – Change – CreativityDance Studies 3, pp.1-43