Trakija Dances

The most deceptive Bulgarian dance style is probably Thracian style. At first it appears  relatively easy style to learn, but it takes a great deal of practice to really dance the dances from this region with the smoothly flowing, graceful movements evident when watching both men and women who have been born in this area, and it is a style that is easily lost. Dance with relaxed knees, that’s the most important key to Thracian style. Steps are taken onto the whole foot, with the body weight centered over the feet. Hands are held in "W" hold or low hold or are used for smooth flowing arm movements.

In this region dances are based mainly on a 2/4 rhythm especially in Eastern Thrace. More common in Western Thrace ,especially in the area close to the Shop region ,are irregular rhythms such as 5/8, 7/16 and 9/16. The tropoli (tapping) step is found only in Eastern Thrace (Stara Zagora, Sliven, Yambol Districts) and is danced only by men. Women dance with a less flamboyant style than the men. Pair dances are more common in Trakija than other regions.