CoVid strategy

Since we cannot meet to dance on Wednesday evenings, we have instigated a mitigation strategy, which comes in two parts:

  • Co-operativeVirtualDancing

    We have a Zoom session at 7.30pm every Wednesday lasting approximately our hour. Please email for details.

    On joining Zoom, you will probably be muted. Feel free to unmute yourself (bottom left on PC's) to have chat or if you need to ask questions, but please ensure that you are muted during the dances.

    Although we try to start with gentle dances, we cannot be held responsible for any damage you may cause to yourself or to your surroundings during the dancing. It it up to you to ensure that you are warm enough and physically capable of taking part in any dance that we suggest.

  • ContinuaitionVideos

    We are suggesting that people join in with a "virtual" dance with us. Each week we will suggest a dance to learn or recall and give links to videos that we think are worthwhile watching. The dance will be listed here afterwards.
    For some dances there is more information than would comfortably sit here. For those, the name of the dance links to a subpage (also in the index to the left).

    Dances so far:

    • Alunelul (Romania)
      1. Clear teaching also explains the lyrics at the end (actually on a different occasion and the dance comes again afterwards with better lighting). They hold their hands low (V) whereas we have ours in "W" hold.
      2. Lively dancing. They use the same recording that we do. They use shoulder hold, which I have never encountered in England.
      3. Children's stage performance
    • Nigun Atik (Israel)
      1. Teaching steps
      2. Full circle.
    • Poseyala Baba (Ukraine)
      • There is a rather poor video here
      • The recording and words can be found here
    • Dramskoto (Bulgaria)
      1. Yves Moreau teaching in minute detail
      2. Kolo Dragan is a clear performance.
      There are different ways to determine when the long sequence is coming. Yves says listen to the first bar of the phrase, Roger listened for the high notes when going in the first time and I listen for the singing (vocals are LSLS; instrumental SS). Eventually it becomes habitual.
    • Michanicos (Greece)
      1. Our video shows the dance as we know it.
      2. This video probably has the best acting.
    • Joiku (Finland/Sami)
      Taught to us by Corry Herheijen at Hursley in September 2018
      There is nothing on the web, so we have created our own videos
      1. Teaching
      2. Dancing
      3. In the park. In the twilight seems appropriate.
    • Mavilim (Turkey)
      Taught to us by Karin Bellaart at Eastbourne in May 2019
      1. Ahmet Luleci teaches this thoroughly.
    • Belasičko (Macedonia)
      1. This Chinese teacher is clear although rather flat-footed and puts an extra hop at the beginning of the third figure.
      2. This group is more our style but the photography is poorer.
      3. This comprehensive analysis contains written instructions and other information. Beware the second video link (Paul Mulders) and avoid the Israeli teaching one
    • Lalica (Bulgaria)
      Not a lot on the web for this one
      1. This video shows it as we know it
      2. Instructions to match
    • Raca Plava (Croatia)
      We learnt this from Jan Knoppers in Eastbourne 2007. As it was part of a suite of three dances, he only taught the basic dance.
      1. This video shows it as we know it
      2. Whereas this shows two figures and how the sideways step is supposed to be very bouncy, although we seem incapable of doing it.
    • Sulam Ya'akov - Jacob's ladder (Israel)
      1. This teacher shows the dance in great detail
      2. This demonstration shows the common variant for the second figure (grapevine rather than Yemenite)
    • Melniško (Bulgaria)
      Another one from Karin Bellaart at Eastbourne 2019. There are a number of different versions, notably the one that Yves Moreau teaches, but little on our version.
      1. Andrew Carnie provides written instructions and a (rather uninspiring) video of the dance once through
      2. We made a complete version although there are mistakes near the end
    • Makazice (Serbia)
      1. The original dance has just one A and one B music
      2. The SIFD recording doubles both parts, so we often put in extra speed scissor movements to make things more interesting (even if is sometimes just silly)
    • Žensko za Râka (Macedonia)
      There are two reasonable vidoes of our version of this (others put in step-touch, rather than step-lift/bounce):
      1. A high-resolution video with the teacher and leader mainly from behind, with poor audio
      2. A low-resolution video with poor lighting but decent audio. Live as well as recorded music and the teacher from the front.
    • Rumunjsko Kolo (Serbia)
      The SIFD calls this Romansko Kolo and says it is a Romanian dance (which just the meaning of the name).
      1. There was nothing on the web, so we created one ourselves
      2. Recently, however, there is another version also made in isolation. The first figure differs from our version.
    • Esmer (Turkey)
      We appear to do this in a different phase to the music than others. We travel in the instrumental and stay on the spot during the vocals
      1. The Israeli Dunav group does not lean back when the foot extends forwards, and some shake their shoulders which no-one else does.
      2. This social dance you can see from the rear, but others come in front of the camera, which could be confusing.
      Both videos end prematurely
    • Hora Veche (Romania)
      There is another (less common) dance of the same name. This one is sometimes known as "Hora Veche 2" as a consequence.
      1. Ira Wiesburd teaches this, but is not particularly visible. The arms do not go high - possibly a limitation of the pupils
      2. Chinese dancers clearly visible and the arms are good
    • Dancing on Water (Israel)
      1. American group is the complete dance but they put in extra hops that we were not taught
      2. Italian dancers is our version but stops after two turns - the third time has the first phrase repeated. They are a little stiff in their sways
      3. Ice-breaking version is a different choerography, so just watch the scenery!
    • Tsadik Katamar [yifrach] (Israel)
      "The righteous [shall flourish] like a palm tree" Psalm 92
      1. Good Teaching
      2. Dancing separated
    • Kirčo na Čardak Sedeše (Bulgaria)
      1. Original notes from Jaap Leegwater, including music notation, words and translation
      2. Once through (starting at 40secs)
      3. This video has better lighting, but the 94-year-old leader is not as bouncy as a younger person would be and the followers are not particularly good.
    • Dobrudjanska Pandala (Bulgaria)
      1. Written instructions
      2. Clear video although our version only goes through twice!
    • Staro Poloskho Oro (Macedonia)
      Another one introduced to us by Corry Verheijen. There is nothing on the web, so here are two of ours
      1. Sally teaching
      2. Us dancing
    • Kruchmarsko (Bulgaria)
      This is the pub dance - the name means "pub"!
      1. Teaching in a garden
      2. Dancing in a hall
    • La mușată armânâ (Romania)
      "The beautiful Aromanian girl". A song in Aromanian
      1. A rather dull but accurate performance
      2. a more livey but less easy to follow class
    • Corlu Aromân (Romania)
      Another song that is probably in Aromanian.
      1. Teaching
      2. Dancing but we do not have the pipe introduction
    • To Milo (Greece)
      (The apple) We learnt this dance from Cristina in Eastbourne 2009.
      1. Good lighting and some calls, but the teacher is hidden by the other dancers quite frequently
      2. Poor lighting but the leader's feet are followed (possibly a little dizzy-making)
    • Lǎmîiţǎ (Romania)
      Taught by Silviu. Name means both the Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius) or Lemon Verbena.
      There is nothing on the internet, so we have created our own
      1. Teaching
      2. Dancing
    • Hora Chassidit (Israel)
      There is only one video of this on the internet, but it is well taught (in Hebrew) and danced
      1. Video
        The book he refers to is "Israeli Dances for Beginners part 2" which has a footnote to the dance:
        "Rivka Sturman [the choreographer] once taught this dance moving to CW [i.e. left]. As a result, endless confusion has resulted."
        Some people start left foot, others right independent of the direction they set off in! We will stick with the original as taught here.
    • Karamfil (Bulgaria)
      Created by Japp Leegwater. The name means Carnation
      1. Chinese class is clear but the turns move a long way
      2. Staid demonatration although the followers are livelier than the leader
      3. History, instructions, lyrics etc.
    • Orijent (Serbia)
      One of the earliest dances to be introduced to the west. The style has changed over the years
      1. Sedate style is probably closest to the original
      2. More lively with the second figure better, especially the first time through
      3. 95-year-old still showing excessive energy
    • Geamparele (Bulgaria)
      This is type of dance rather than one specific, but nothing on the web anything close to our version (from David Mowat)
    • Cobancat (Albania)
      Choerographed by Lee Otterholt this century to a lovely Albanian song "The shepherdesses". The original has hands V all the way through and ends feet together. No-one appears to do this elsewhere!
      1. Spaniard's excellent teaching and dancing
      2. More usual circle
    • Hora Miresii (Romania)
      Choreographed around 1990, with a mutation appearing fairly soon afterwards
      1. Current version
      2. 1990 version
    • Kuma Eche (Israel)
      1. Boisterous version
      2. Sedate version
    • Promoroaca (Romania)
      There are a remarkably large number of variations of this.
      1. Children enjoy it, but don't put in the arms
      2. Dull version is fairly close
    • Hora de la Risipiţi (Romania)
      There are many minor variations of this and nothing on the internet is the same as our version. These are the closest
      1. Dancers but the leader (who knows it best) is on the far side of the room
      2. Instructions and other information
    • Ksipna Perdikomata (Greece)
      We learnt this dance from Joe Graziosi at the 2020 Texa-Kolo festival. It is the (more sedate and less improvised) women's version of the dance. The Greek spelling of this song's name is Ξύπνα περδικομάτα μου
      1. Dancers from above although they sway in twice rather than once
      2. Display group eventually gives a decent view of the women's version.
    • Drjanovska Racenica (Romania)
      A dance from Yves Moreau in 1998 to the song "Izgrjala e mesečinka" (the moon has risen) sung by Trio Bulgarka.
      There is another (later) dance of the same name.
      There are only two videos showing our version:
      1. View from rear is clear once people have stopped wandering around (about 30s)
      2. Live band dancers from side which show arms well
    • Ahi Vahi (Greece)
      Although we had a dance to this tune a long time ago, we have little memory, so are doing the one that Joe Graziosi taught at the Texa-Kolo festival in November
      The dance can travel to the left, right or alternately (which makes a slightly more interesting dance)
      1. Alternate directions although audience members obsure the view at times
      2. Two teams one going left, the other right
    • Ayumar Behar Hamor (Israel)
      Taught by Anne Leach in 2007
      There is little on the internet, so we created our own, and then we discovered a good one as well.
      1. Sally teaching
      2. Sally dancing
      3. Hebrew teaching and dancing
    • Garoon Garoon (Armenia)
      1. Teaching in Hebrew
      2. Dancing quite athetic and too close to the camera at times
    • Tsarina de la Abrud (Romania)
      Taught by Anne Leach in 2009. There is another completely different dance of the same name
      1. Staid performance with claps
      2. Slightly more lively partially from rear but turning direction is inconsistant
    • Assoulis (Armenia)
      Dance from Tineke van Geel, retaught by her in Stockton 2021
      1. Exactly as taught front and rear views
      2. Teaching hands. Should turn when moving forward (beats 5&6) and does not include "hold"
    • Malisorka (Macedonia)
      Taught by Anne Leach in 2012. She taught some variations, not all of which others do.
      1. In a confined space with vague instructions
      2. Mostly our version. Woman in centre of line is probably the easiest to follow
    • Joc de bâtă (Romania)
      Taught by Cristian & Sonia in Kolo festival 2020. "Dance with stick - originally an acrobatic solo man's dance
      1. Good footwork Arms are incorrectly static except for woman on far side
      2. Domonstration shows the arms and stick work well.
    • Dojdi Lenke Pod Ladna Senka (Macedonia)
      Introduced by Vlasto Petovski in February 2021. Being a new dance, there is nothing on the web
      1. Sally teaching
      2. Dancing
    • Romanian Clublife (Romania)
      Another one from Cristina in 2009. There are two dances on the web to this music, one is very boring and the other incomplete, so we made our own:
      1. Taching
      2. Dancing
    • Svekrvino (Macedonia)
      "Mother-in-law's dance". It is only recently that a video has appeared, so we had created our own:
      1. Teaching
      2. Dancing
      3. Slightly simplified version
    • Joc din Rebrisoara (Romania)
      Sonia & Cristian taught this at recently. It can be done in a circle or as a couple
      1. Outside (with blackbird accompaniment)
      2. Inside. Starts a little wobbly, but settles down and around 2 minutes shows the couple version
    • Hora Lui Dobrica (Romania)
      We learnt this fone Frank Dowling in 2004
      1. Teaching (in Hebrew)
      2. Live music. Goes to the right rather than left as we were taught
    • Hora Femeilor (Romania)
      A long dance with many short sequences. Not done very often. The final figure has two taps in our version, rather than tap-brush
      1. Dull performance but clear
      2. Livilier. Sometimes the teacher is obscured
    • Oj Vardare Makedonski (Macedonia)
      From Paul Mulders, Eastbourne 2014.
      Just one video on the web for this