Dobrudjanska Pandela

DOBRUDJANSKA PANDELA
Bulgarian

PRONUNCIATION: doh-brood-ZHAHN-skah PAHN-deh-lah

TRANSLATION: Flag of Dobrudja

SOURCE: Jaap Leegwater introduced this dance to folk dancers in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Dobrudjanska Pandela comes from the cultural area of Dobrudja (Dobrudža) in northeastern Bulgaria. Dobrudja is justly renowned as "Bulgaria's granary." Few people, however, know the region's natural wealth. Astonishing plants and rare animals still exist in the last remnants of steppe vegetation, which covered a large part of Dobrudja until the beginning of the century. At many places the Dobrudja Plateau is cut by canyon-like river gorges. Like oases of wild nature, they have preserved a considerable part of Dobrudja's species diversity. When many of them are dry today, the natural processes have left the Suha River flowing, turning it into one of southern Dobrudja's symbols. Sheer cliffs and stony steppes characterise the sea coast around Cape Kaliakra. The coastal lakes of Shabla and Durankulak change the steppe landscape north of Kaliakra. Located far from developed sea ports, these lakes are still well preserved and lie on a major bird migratory route.

MUSIC: Folk Dances from Bulgaria, Vol. 3 (LP) JL 1985.01 produced by Jaap Leegwater
Bulgarian Folk Dances (Cassette) JL 1984, produced by Jaap Leegwater

FORMATION: Lines or open cir of mixed M and W facing ctr with hands joined at shoulder level with elbows bent and held in "W" pos, hands slightly fwd.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4

STEPS/STYLE: BOUNCE: Pressure up onto ball of ft and drop weight onto heel. Knees are slightly bent and body is held erect.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

1-10 INTRODUCTION - No action.

I. PART ONE

1 Turning to face slightly R, step R (ct 1); stamp L next to R, bending both knees slightly (ct &); turning to face slightly L, step L (ct 2); stamp R next to L, bending both knees slightly (ct &);

2 Turning to face slightly R, step R (ct 1); stamp L next to R, bending both knees slightly (ct &); facing ctr, jump onto both with ft slightly apart and knees slightly bent (ct 2); pause (ct &);

3 Bending fwd slightly at hips and beg R, move bwd with 4 small walking steps (cts 1&2&);

4 Straightening body while facing L and moving in RLOD, step R slightly diag R (ct 1); stamp L next to R, bending both knees slightly (ct &); step L slightly diag L (ct 2); stamp R next to L, bending both knees slightly (ct &);

5 Repeat action of meas 4;

6 Turning to face ctr, repeat action of meas 1;

7 Moving slightly diag R twd ctr, large step R (ct 1); step L just behind R with bent L knee, raising R heel (ct &); large step R (ct 2); step L just behind R with bent L knee, raising R heel (ct &);

8 Step fwd R (ct 1); stamp L next to R, bending both knees slightly (ct &); facing ctr, step L in place with bent L knee, bringing R next to L calf (ct 2); pause (ct &).

II. PART TWO

1 Facing ctr and moving R swd, small step R (ct 1); step L next to R (ct &); small step R swd (ct 2); step L next to R (ct &);

2 Small step R swd (ct 1); step L next to R (ct &); small step R swd (ct 2); bounce on R, lifting L to side with knees close together and heel out (ct &);

3 Step L twd ctr in front of R (ct 1); bounce on L (ct &); step bwd R (ct 2); bounce on R (ct &);

4 Turning to face slightly diag L, step L (ct 1); bending both knees slightly, stamp R twice next to L (cts &2); pause (ct &).

5-16 Repeat action of meas 1-4 three more times.

NOTE: Elbows move down and up in a natural movement with the steps in the first two meas. On the third and fourth times through the step motif, W call out with a ululating cry of "JU" (pronounced "yoo") on cts 1&2& of the first meas, 1& of the second meas with a higher pitched, drawn out "JUUUuuuu" starting on ct 2 of the second meas (such as "JU-JU-JU-JU-JU-JU-JUUUuuuu").

III. PART THREE

1 Facing and moving to R in LOD, high leap R (ct 1); low leap L (ct &); high leap R (ct 2); low leap L (ct &);

2 Turning to face ctr and dancing in place, hop L, raising R thigh parallel to floor with bent knee while thrusting hands high with extended arms (ct 1); stamp R heel next to L, bending L knee slightly while bringing hands down and back by hips (ct &); leap in place R, raising L knee while extending hands bwd (ct 2); stamp L heel next to R, bending R knee slightly, while bringing hands fwd by hips (ct &);

3 Facing L and moving in RLOD, step L, bringing hands fwd and up (ct 1); step R next to L, bringing hands into "W" pos (ct &); step L, completing a "two-step" (ct 2); hold ct &);

4 Step R (ct 1); step L next to R (ct &); step R, completing a second "two-step" (ct 2); pause (ct &);

5 Turning to face R but moving bwd in RLOD, step bwd L (ct 1); step R next to L (ct &); step bwd L, completing a third "two-step" (ct 2); pause (ct &).

6-10 Repeat action of meas 1-5.

Repeat entire dance from beg.

On meas 10 of the last repeat, turn to face ctr and leap L swd (ct 1); stamp R next to L, taking wt and bending knees.

Copyright © 2003 by Dick Oakes

DOBRUDJANSKA PANDELA Bulgarian

PRONUNCIATION:	doh-brood-ZHAHN-skah PAHN-deh-lah

TRANSLATION:	Flag of Dobrudja

SOURCE:	Jaap Leegwater introduced this dance to folk dancers in the United States.

BACKGROUND:	Dobrudjanska Pandela comes from the cultural area of Dobrudja (Dobrudža) in northeastern Bulgaria. Dobrudja is justly renowned as "Bulgaria's granary." Few people, however, know the region's natural wealth. Astonishing plants and rare animals still exist in the last remnants of steppe vegetation, which covered a large part of Dobrudja until the beginning of the century. At many places the Dobrudja Plateau is cut by canyon-like river gorges. Like oases of wild nature, they have preserved a considerable part of Dobrudja's species diversity. When many of them are dry today, the natural processes have left the Suha River flowing, turning it into one of southern Dobrudja's symbols. Sheer cliffs and stony steppes characterise the sea coast around Cape Kaliakra. The coastal lakes of Shabla and Durankulak change the steppe landscape north of Kaliakra. Located far from developed sea ports, these lakes are still well preserved and lie on a major bird migratory route.

MUSIC:	Folk Dances from Bulgaria, Vol. 3 (LP) JL 1985.01 produced by Jaap Leegwater Bulgarian Folk Dances (Cassette) JL 1984, produced by Jaap Leegwater

FORMATION:	Lines or open cir of mixed M and W facing ctr with hands joined at shoulder level with elbows bent and held in "W" pos, hands slightly fwd.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4

STEPS/STYLE:	BOUNCE: Pressure up onto ball of ft and drop weight onto heel. Knees are slightly bent and body is held erect.


MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


1-10	INTRODUCTION - No action.

I.	PART ONE

1	Turning to face slightly R, step R (ct 1); stamp L next to R, bending both knees slightly (ct &); turning to face slightly L, step L (ct 2); stamp R next to L, bending both knees slightly (ct &);
2	Turning to face slightly R, step R (ct 1); stamp L next to R, bending both knees slightly (ct &); facing ctr, jump onto both with ft slightly apart and knees slightly bent (ct 2); pause (ct &);
3	Bending fwd slightly at hips and beg R, move bwd with 4 small walking steps (cts 1&2&);
4	Straightening body while facing L and moving in RLOD, step R slightly diag R (ct 1); stamp L next to R, bending both knees slightly (ct &); step L slightly diag L (ct 2); stamp R next to L, bending both knees slightly (ct &);
5	Repeat action of meas 4;
6	Turning to face ctr, repeat action of meas 1;
7	Moving slightly diag R twd ctr, large step R (ct 1); step L just behind R with bent L knee, raising R heel (ct &); large step R (ct 2); step L just behind R with bent L knee, raising R heel (ct &);
8	Step fwd R (ct 1); stamp L next to R, bending both knees slightly (ct &); facing ctr, step L in place with bent L knee, bringing R next to L calf (ct 2); pause (ct &).

II.	PART TWO

1	Facing ctr and moving R swd, small step R (ct 1); step L next to R (ct &); small step R swd (ct 2); step L next to R (ct &);
2	Small step R swd (ct 1); step L next to R (ct &); small step R swd (ct 2); bounce on R, lifting L to side with knees close together and heel out (ct &);
3	Step L twd ctr in front of R (ct 1); bounce on L (ct &); step bwd R (ct 2); bounce on R (ct &);
4	Turning to face slightly diag L, step L (ct 1); bending both knees slightly, stamp R twice next to L (cts &2); pause (ct &).

5-16	Repeat action of meas 1-4 three more times.

	NOTE: Elbows move down and up in a natural movement with the steps in the first two meas. On the third and fourth times through the step motif, W call out with a ululating cry of "JU" (pronounced "yoo") on cts 1&2& of the first meas, 1& of the second meas with a higher pitched, drawn out "JUUUuuuu" starting on ct 2 of the second meas (such as "JU-JU-JU-JU-JU-JU-JUUUuuuu").

III.	PART THREE

1	Facing and moving to R in LOD, high leap R (ct 1); low leap L (ct &); high leap R (ct 2); low leap L (ct &);
2	Turning to face ctr and dancing in place, hop L, raising R thigh parallel to floor with bent knee while thrusting hands high with extended arms (ct 1); stamp R heel next to L, bending L knee slightly while bringing hands down and back by hips (ct &); leap in place R, raising L knee while extending hands bwd (ct 2); stamp L heel next to R, bending R knee slightly, while bringing hands fwd by hips (ct &);
3	Facing L and moving in RLOD, step L, bringing hands fwd and up (ct 1); step R next to L, bringing hands into "W" pos (ct &); step L, completing a "two-step" (ct 2); hold ct &);
4	Step R (ct 1); step L next to R (ct &); step R, completing a second "two-step" (ct 2); pause (ct &);
5	Turning to face R but moving bwd in RLOD, step bwd L (ct 1); step R next to L (ct &); step bwd L, completing a third "two-step" (ct 2); pause (ct &).

6-10	Repeat action of meas 1-5.

	Repeat entire dance from beg.

	On meas 10 of the last repeat, turn to face ctr and leap L swd (ct 1); stamp R next to L, taking wt and bending knees.

Copyright © 2003 by Dick Oakes