Batuta

BATUTA
Bulgarian

PRONUNCIATION: buh-TOO-tuh

TRANSLATION: Stamping

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Yves Moreau who learned it from the village dance group in Rabrovo in Northwest Bulgaria during the fall of 1971.

BACKGROUND: The dance is done by the Vlach people of Northwest Bulgaria. The Vlachs were, for a long time, nomadic and eventually settled primarily in northern Greece, Macedonia, northeast Serbia, and along the Danube River in Bulgaria. The Vlach language and folklore are a mixture of Romanian and local elements.

MUSIC: Worldtone (45rpm) WT-YM-001

FORMATION: Mixed lines of M and W holding neighbors' belts in "X" pos, R arm under. If desired, lines may be segregated. Often, the two M at the ends of the line hold wooden canes in their free hands.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4

STEPS/STYLE: Steps are small and knees are slightly flexed. There is a rather sharp, bouncy feeling but not airy or light. The dance has a solid, heavy quality about it.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

None. Leader may start at beg of any 8-meas musical phrase. He may call the name of the figure or may simply whistle or shout "hopa" or "hopsha" to change to the other figure.

I. VLAJNA

1 Step R swd (ct 1); step L next to R, almost displacing R and bending knees slightly (ct 2);

2 Repeat action of meas 1;

3 Step R diag fwd to R (ct 1); pause (ct 2);

4 Step L diag fwd to R (ct 1); pause (ct 2);

5 Step R slightly across in front of L (ct 1); pause (ct 2);

6 Moving diag away from ctr to L, step L (ct 1); step R next to L (ct 2);

7 Facing ctr, small step L bwd (ct 1); small step R bwd (ct 2);

8 Small step L bwd (ct 1); pause or small lift of R in front of L (ct 2).

Repeat Fig I until changed by leader's signal.

II. BĂTUTĂ

1-2 Repeat action of Fig I, meas 1-2;

3 Facing slightly to R, step R (ct 1); small hop R as L is raised in backward-bicycle-pedalling action (ct 2); facing ctr, small sharp stamp L next to R without wt (ct &);

4 Small leap onto L (ct 1); small sharp stamp R next to L (ct &); small hop L (ct 2); small sharp stamp R next to L (ct &);

5 Facing slightly to R, step R (ct 1); small hop R as bent L knee is brought next to and slightly fwd of R knee (ct 2); facing ctr, small sharp stamp L next to R without wt (ct &);

6-7 Repeat action of meas 1-2 to L with opp ftwk;

8 Small step L swd as R is raised slightly across in front of L (ct 1); pause (ct 2).

Repeat Fig II until changed by leader's signal.

Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes

BATUTA Bulgarian

PRONUNCIATION:	buh-TOO-tuh

TRANSLATION:	Stamping

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Yves Moreau who learned it from the village dance group in Rabrovo in Northwest Bulgaria during the fall of 1971.

BACKGROUND:	The dance is done by the Vlach people of Northwest Bulgaria. The Vlachs were, for a long time, nomadic and eventually settled primarily in northern Greece, Macedonia, northeast Serbia, and along the Danube River in Bulgaria. The Vlach language and folklore are a mixture of Romanian and local elements.

MUSIC:	Worldtone (45rpm) WT-YM-001

FORMATION:	Mixed lines of M and W holding neighbors' belts in "X" pos, R arm under. If desired, lines may be segregated. Often, the two M at the ends of the line hold wooden canes in their free hands.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4

STEPS/STYLE:	Steps are small and knees are slightly flexed. There is a rather sharp, bouncy feeling but not airy or light. The dance has a solid, heavy quality about it.


MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

	None. Leader may start at beg of any 8-meas musical phrase. He may call the name of the figure or may simply whistle or shout "hopa" or "hopsha" to change to the other figure.

I.	VLAJNA

1	Step R swd (ct 1); step L next to R, almost displacing R and bending knees slightly (ct 2);
2	Repeat action of meas 1;
3	Step R diag fwd to R (ct 1); pause (ct 2);
4	Step L diag fwd to R (ct 1); pause (ct 2);
5	Step R slightly across in front of L (ct 1); pause (ct 2);
6	Moving diag away from ctr to L, step L (ct 1); step R next to L (ct 2);
7	Facing ctr, small step L bwd (ct 1); small step R bwd (ct 2);
8	Small step L bwd (ct 1); pause or small lift of R in front of L (ct 2).

	Repeat Fig I until changed by leader's signal.

II.	BĂTUTĂ

1-2	Repeat action of Fig I, meas 1-2;
3	Facing slightly to R, step R (ct 1); small hop R as L is raised in backward-bicycle-pedalling action (ct 2); facing ctr, small sharp stamp L next to R without wt (ct &);
4	Small leap onto L (ct 1); small sharp stamp R next to L (ct &); small hop L (ct 2); small sharp stamp R next to L (ct &);
5	Facing slightly to R, step R (ct 1); small hop R as bent L knee is brought next to and slightly fwd of R knee (ct 2); facing ctr, small sharp stamp L next to R without wt (ct &);
6-7	Repeat action of meas 1-2 to L with opp ftwk;
8	Small step L swd as R is raised slightly across in front of L (ct 1); pause (ct 2).

	Repeat Fig II until changed by leader's signal.
Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes