петък, 13 ноември 2009 г.

Dobruja Dances

First of all, to get the feeling of Dobrujan dancing ,stand with your feet apart and bend your knees as far as you  comfortably can with your feet flat on the floor, push your ribs forward while keeping your back straight and stay there throughout the dance! Dobrujans dance with their knees always bent and their backs hollow. They all seem to be of short stature and solid.

With the dance a story is told- the life is hard for the Dobrujan farmer as he has to struggle with nature in order to survive, so his dancing, with strong downward movements, expresses his struggle with the land.

When a Dobrujan dances he uses his whole body. Hands are joined crossed in front, in belt hold, in "W" hold or placed with the back of hand on hips,the  palms open and facing outwards. They are also used for strong, firm, positive arm movements. Men and women dance together, though there are some dances for men or women only. Women's movements are simpler and lighter with slight shoulder twists.