ÎNVÂRTITA DIN LUNA-TURDA Romanian
PRONUNCIATION: eun-veur-TEE-tah deen LOO-nah-TOOR-dah (eu approximately as in "fleur-de-lis") TRANSLATION: Spinning dance from the village of Luna-Turda. SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Sunni Bloland who learned it from Costea Constantin during Sunni's research trip to Romania in 1967-68 and introduced it to folk dancers in the United States in 1969. Sunni taught the dance at the 1970 California Kolo Festival, at the 1976 Hoolyeh Folk Dance Festival in Corvallis, Oregon, at the 1979 Laguna Folk Dance Festival in Laguna, California, and at the 1982 San Diego State University Folk Dance Conference. BACKGROUND: The word "învârtita" comes from the verb "învârti" meaning to whirl around or to spin. This învârtita was found in the village of Luna-Turda (near Cluj in Transylvania) by Costea Costantin, a dance researcher at the Institute of Ethnography and Folklore in Bucharest (Bucureşti). MUSIC: NOROC (45rpm) N-2708 or any other învârtita in 2/4 time. FORMATION: Scattered cpls of M and W (or cir of cpls facing CCW), M on W R side, inside hands joined and held down, M other hand held free or down to side, W other hand on hip with fingers fwd or held down to side. METER/RHYTHM: 2/4 STEPS/STYLE: Compared to other more fully developed and complex învârtitas, this one is fairly simple with only three figures. In most învârtita dances the woman is forcefully directed by the man who is also the improvisor of the two. Although the woman may appear passive, she is in fact moving in a very controlled way as she is being wound up, thrust, twisted, and turned in pirouettes on her heels and is strong but modest in her demeanor. The peasants, though very active, are not overly flamboyant, and their concentration seems to be more on what each is doing rather than on each other. The dance described here is in a set pattern but the figures may be done in any order and for any length of time at the whim of the man.
MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION
INTRODUCTION - None or begin with any musical phrase. I. PIROUETTES (OPEN POS) MAN WOMAN 1 Hold (ct 1);
moving fwd, step L with joined hands and R shldr fwd (ct &);
hold (ct 2);
step R with joined hands and L shldr back (ct &);Hold (ct 1);
moving fwd, step R with joined hands and L shldr fwd (ct &);
hold (ct 2);
step L with joined hands and R shldr back (ct &);2 Step L in place leading W into 1 1/2 pirouettes on her heels (ct 1);
step R in place (ct 2);
step L in place (ct &).Dance 1 1/2 CW pirouettes on heels beg with step on R (ct 1);
pivot CW on heels (ct 2);
end on R in opp dir (ct &).3 Hold (ct 1);
moving bwd, step bwd R (ct &);
hold (ct 2);
step bwd L (ct &);Hold (ct 1);
moving fwd, step fwd L (ct &);
hold (ct 2);
step fwd R (ct &);4 Step R in place beg to lead W 1/2 CW turn (ct 1);
step L in place (ct 2);
step R in place with W at R side facing fwd (ct &).Step L beg a three step 1/2 CW turn (ct 1);
step R turning CW (ct 2);
step L ending to face fwd at M R side (ct &).5-16 Repeat action of meas 1-4 three more times (4 in all) except that W does not make final 1/2 CW turn on fourth time through but is lead directly in front of M and ends facing M in shldr-waist pos. II. FWD AND BWD (SHDLR-WAIST POS) MAN WOMAN 1 Hold (ct 1);
moving fwd
step L (ct &);
hold (ct 2);
step R (ct &);W move bwd in same dir using opp ftwk except for the last step L in 8 which, unlike the M, remains the same (with wt). 2 Step L bending knee (ct 1);
step bwd R (ct 2);
step bwd L (ct &).3-4 Repeat action of meas 1-2 in opp dir with opp ftwk. 5-8 Repeat action of meas 1-4, except that last step in meas 8 for M is omitted (held without wt) to change ftwk for next Fig. III. CPL TURNS (SHLDR-WAIST POS) M AND W 1 Hold (ct 1); step R across in front of L (ct &); pause (ct 2); step L swd (ct &); 2 Four quick walking steps RLRL with the fourth somewhat longer than the other three (cts 1&2&); 3 Hold (ct 1); step R across in front of L (ct &); pause (ct 2); step L swd (ct &); 4 Step R in place bending knee (ct 1); step L turning to face opp dir (ct 2); step R (ct &). 5-7 Repeat action of meas 1-3 in opp dir with opp ftwk; 8 Step L in place bending knee (ct 1); M remains in place as he leads W to his R side to face same dir stepping R (ct 2); W step L as M holds on R (ct &). Repeat entire dance from beg.
ÎNVÂRTITA DIN LUNA-TURDA
Romania
Că ţi-oi fi, Bădiţa dragă,
Cu păru-n năframă albă,
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Cu flori roşii podobită
Ca să ştii că-ţi sunt iubită.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Că şi io, bade, ţi-oi coase
Tot cu fire de mătase
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Pe cămaşa ta cea albă
Multe flori care-o să-ţi placă.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Chiu, fete, şi-om cînta
Pînă ne-om împreuna
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Şi-om munci, munci cu spor
Împreună pe ogor.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Amîndoi ne vom iubi
Viaţă nouă ne-om glăddi,
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Viaţă în gospodărie,
Tineri-n tovărăşie.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.That is you, dear Badita,
The white kerchief in your hair,
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
The red flowers like jewels
To know that you are loved.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
That and him, bade, you sew sheep
All the silk
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
On thy white shirt
Many a flower to your liking.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Shout, girls, and singing-man
Until we get together
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
And man, work to increase
With the field.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
We both love
We'll get a new life dear one,
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Life in the household,
Youth in companionship.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes