Zajko Kokorajko

ZAJKO KOKORAJKO
Macedonian

PRONUNCIATION: ZAI-koh koh-koh-RAI-koh

TRANSLATION: Zajko Kokorajko is a humorous song about a young rabbit who dresses up in the finery of a young bachelor and goes off to Thessalonika to find a bride.

SOURCE: Elsie Ivancich Dunin learned the dance Berovka from the eastern Macedonian town of Berovo, in 1957 from Dragan Petruševaki, a member of the Tanec Ensemble, in Skopje, Yugoslavia, and taught step motifs to the music of the tune Zajko Kokorajko. Subsequently, the folk process holding sway, other step variations were added.

BACKGROUND: In Macedonia, a dance game is performed to Zajko Kokorajko in which a bumbling "hunter" with a toy gun tries with comic antics to bag a couple of "rabbits."

MUSIC: Festival (45rpm) F-4001
Jugoton (10" LP) EPY 3009
Jugoton (LP) LPY-64
Mediterranean (45rpm) M-4001

FORMATION: Lines of mixed M and W either with joined hands held down at sides ("V" pos), or grasping neighbors' belts in "X" pos with R arm under and end dancers' thumbs tucked into own belts.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4. The rhythm is in 3 accented dancer's beats of SLOW (cts 1&), quick (ct 2), quick (ct &).

STEPS/STYLE: LIFT: A low hop in which the heel does not leave the floor.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

1-16 INTRODUCTION - (Instrumental) - No action. Begin dance with vocal.

BEROVKA

1 Facing ctr, step R swd (ct 1); rise on R (ct 2); step L across in front of R (ct &);

2 Step R slightly swd (ct 1); step L next to R (ct 2); step R next to L (ct &);

3 Step L slightly swd, bending L knee slightly and quickly bringing R heel to L ankle (ct 1); rise on L, bringing R in back of L ankle (ct 2); step R across in back of L (ct &);

4 Step L swd (ct 1); low leap R across in front of L, bending slightly at hips (ct 2); pause (ct &).

Repeat action of Berovka basic step (except that dancers hold pos on ct 1 of meas 1 that was assumed at end of meas 4) until leader signals for a change.

Variation I -- (SIDE-SIDE)

1-3 Repeat action of meas 1-3 of Berovka basic motif (with the slightly bent pos hold only on the first time through);

4 Low leap L swd, bringing R twd L (ct 1); low leap R swd, bringing L twd R (ct 2);

5 Countering the basic rhythm, step L swd (ct 1); step R across in back of L (ct &); step L swd (ct 2).

Repeat action of Var I until leader signals for a change.

NOTE: Some dancers like to add a quick low pickup hop on L after ct & of the previous meas and before ct 1 of meas 1 on repetitions of this var.

Variation II: -- (SIDE-SIDE/HEEL-TOE)

1-5 Repeat action of Var I, meas 1-5;

6 Rise on L, touching R heel fwd in front of L (ct 1); rise on L, touching R toe next to outside of L instep (ct 2).

Repeat action of Var II until leader signals for a change.

NOTE: Other variations are probable.

Copyright © 2003 by Dick Oakes

ZAJKO KOKORAJKO Macedonian

PRONUNCIATION:	ZAI-koh koh-koh-RAI-koh

TRANSLATION:	Zajko Kokorajko is a humorous song about a young rabbit who dresses up in the finery of a young bachelor and goes off to Thessalonika to find a bride.

SOURCE:	Elsie Ivancich Dunin learned the dance Berovka from the eastern Macedonian town of Berovo, in 1957 from Dragan Petruševaki, a member of the Tanec Ensemble, in Skopje, Yugoslavia, and taught step motifs to the music of the tune Zajko Kokorajko. Subsequently, the folk process holding sway, other step variations were added.

BACKGROUND:	In Macedonia, a dance game is performed to Zajko Kokorajko in which a bumbling "hunter" with a toy gun tries with comic antics to bag a couple of "rabbits."

MUSIC:	Festival (45rpm) F-4001 Jugoton (10" LP) EPY 3009 Jugoton (LP) LPY-64 Mediterranean (45rpm) M-4001

FORMATION:	Lines of mixed M and W either with joined hands held down at sides ("V" pos), or grasping neighbors' belts in "X" pos with R arm under and end dancers' thumbs tucked into own belts.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4. The rhythm is in 3 accented dancer's beats of SLOW (cts 1&), quick (ct 2), quick (ct &).

STEPS/STYLE:	LIFT: A low hop in which the heel does not leave the floor.


MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


1-16	INTRODUCTION - (Instrumental) - No action. Begin dance with vocal.

	BEROVKA

1	Facing ctr, step R swd (ct 1); rise on R (ct 2); step L across in front of R (ct &);
2	Step R slightly swd (ct 1); step L next to R (ct 2); step R next to L (ct &);
3	Step L slightly swd, bending L knee slightly and quickly bringing R heel to L ankle (ct 1); rise on L, bringing R in back of L ankle (ct 2); step R across in back of L (ct &);
4	Step L swd (ct 1); low leap R across in front of L, bending slightly at hips (ct 2); pause (ct &).

	Repeat action of Berovka basic step (except that dancers hold pos on ct 1 of meas 1 that was assumed at end of meas 4) until leader signals for a change.

	Variation I -- (SIDE-SIDE)
1-3	Repeat action of meas 1-3 of Berovka basic motif (with the slightly bent pos hold only on the first time through);
4	Low leap L swd, bringing R twd L (ct 1); low leap R swd, bringing L twd R (ct 2);

5	Countering the basic rhythm, step L swd (ct 1); step R across in back of L (ct &); step L swd (ct 2).

	Repeat action of Var I until leader signals for a change.

	NOTE: Some dancers like to add a quick low pickup hop on L after ct & of the previous meas and before ct 1 of meas 1 on repetitions of this var.

	Variation II: -- (SIDE-SIDE/HEEL-TOE)
1-5	Repeat action of Var I, meas 1-5;
6	Rise on L, touching R heel fwd in front of L (ct 1); rise on L, touching R toe next to outside of L instep (ct 2).

	Repeat action of Var II until leader signals for a change.

	NOTE: Other variations are probable.

Copyright © 2003 by Dick Oakes