STRUMIČKA PETORKA

Macedonian

 
PRONUNCIATION: stroo-MEECH-kah peh-TOR-kah
 
TRANSLATION: Dance in fives from Strumica
 
SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Bora Gajicki, former lead dancer with Ensemble "Kolo," who arranged traditional steps for this dance. Bora taught it at the 1976 San Diego State University Folk Dance Conference, the 1976 Stockton Folk Dance Camp, and at the 1979 Laguna Festival.
 
BACKGROUND: This dance is an arrangement of steps from the area around the town of Strumica at the foot of the Gradeska Mountains in southeast Macedonia. The word "petorka," meaning "in fives," refers to both the 5/8 meter as well as the five times that the pattern is danced. Strumica is the largest city in eastern Macedonia, near the Novo Selo-Petrič border crossing with Bulgaria. Macedonia remained in Yugoslavia until 1991, when it declared its independence as the Republic of Macedonia.
 
MUSIC:Borino Kolo (LP) BK-576
Jugoton (LP) LPYV-S-60941
 
FORMATION:Segregated lines of M and W (although mixed lines are permissable) with joined hands held at shldr height in "W" pos.
 
METER/RHYTHM: 5/8. The rhythm is quick-slow (2+3 = 5) and is counted in two dancers beats with the second being the longer.
 
STEPS/STYLE: When the leg is lifted fwd, the knee is extended but slightly bent, and the toe is somewhat pointed.
 

MEASMOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

 
 INTRODUCTION - None.
 
 DANCE PATTERN (D)
 
1Facing diag R and moving to R in LOD, bounce on L raising extended R to R in LOD (ct 1); step R (ct 2);
2Repeat action of meas 1 to R with opp ftwk.
3Step R on ball of ft (ct 1); step L, bending R knee with R ft up in back (ct 2);
4Still facing diag R, but moving bwd in RLOD, bounce on L, leaving R in the pos in which it was held at the end of meas 3 (ct 1); step R bwd (ct 2).
5Bounce on R, raising extended L to R in LOD (ct 1); step bwd L (ct 2);
6Step R bwd on ball of ft (ct 1); step L bwd, turning to face ctr (ct 2);
7Rise on ball of L, raising extended R fwd (ct 1); pause (ct 2).
8Releasing neighbors' hands, and beg a complete CW turn to the R, step R (ct 1); continuing CW turn, step L as body faces out away from ctr (ct 2); continue the CW turn as the body pivots on the L to face twd ctr in preparation for the first ct of the next meas.
9-15Repeat action of meas 1-7;
16Still facing ctr, step R next to L, bringing joined hands down to sides (ct 1); step L next to R, bringing hands up to "W" pos.
 
 INTERLUDE
 
1Lowering joined hands to "V" pos and moving to R, step R (ct 1); step L next to R, bending knees slightly (ct 2);
2-3Repeat action of meas 1 three more times.
 

 
 DANCE SEQUENCE TO THE ABOVE RECORDINGS
 
1Lowering joined hands to "V" pos and moving to R, step R (ct 1); step L next to R, bending knees slightly (ct 2).
2-3Repeat action of meas 1 three more times.
 
  D-D (2)
I (1)
D-D-D-D-D (5)
I (1)
D-D-D-D-D (5)

Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes