Trava Trava

TRAVA TRAVA
Greek

PRONUNCIATION: TRAH-vah TRAH-vah

TRANSLATION: Go on, move on

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Vilma Matchette who learned it in the San Francisco Greek community. John Filcich taught it at the 1962 Stockton Folk Dance Camp and Dick Crum taught it in 1962 in Texas.

BACKGROUND: The name for this dance was taken from the first words to the song to which it is danced. The dance is a single-figure Hasaposerviko dance. The Hasapikoserviko dances form a branch of the Hasapiko family of dances, so popular in the Greek tavernas. The Hasapiko, originally a fast, light dance done by the guild of butchers (hasapi) at their feasts in the city of Konstantinoupolis (now İstanbul), was spread to the ports of Greece by Greek sailors. As the dances dispersed inland, they took on varying characteristics so that the Hasapika of Thraki (Thrace) differed from those of Makedonia, which differed further from those of the Egeon (Agean). In the seaports around Athine (Athens), a slower, heavier dance, called Argo Hasapiko or Vari Hasapiko, evolved and since the 1940s, has become very popular. More recently, a blending of these two elements has resulted in a mezzo-tempo dance called Hasaposerviko (referring to Serbian). Combinations of the Hasapiko tempos have resulted in the Syrtaki dances, which have two, three, and even in one recorded instance, four separate tempos.

MUSIC: Festival (45rpm) F-3510
Sheet Music: Vancouver International Folk Dancers Music Book, Vol. 2., Deborah Jones, 1982.

FORMATION: Short lines of 6 to 8 mixed M and W with hands grasping near shldrs of neighbors in "T" pos. The leader and the end dancer hold their free hands out to the side at roughly shldr level.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4

STEPS/STYLE: Ft are kept close to the floor and directly under the body. Steps are small and are not performed vigorously, but are smooth and flowing. The body is held erect. Dick Crum adds, after the group learns the steps, have them condense and tighten up and add tension to the body and feet, so that the feet almost "wipe themselves off" on each step. Make sure the foot is not kicked high at the end.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

1-4 No action.

THE DANCE

1 Facing ctr, step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (ct 2);

2 Step R swd (ct 1); step L across in front of R (ct 2);

3 Step R back into place (ct 1); rock L fwd (ct 2); rock R bwd (ct &);

4 Rock L fwd (ct 1); lifting slightly on L, raise R fwd with slightly bent knee (ct 2).

Repeat entire dance from beg.

TRAVA, TRAVA
Greece
Pronounce th as in that.

Trava, trava, trava, karotseri trava,
/ Ke sto kalamaki, kpose yia ouzaki.
E, vre thounia. /

Trava, trava, trava, sti glyfatha trava,
/ Yia kalo krasaki, ke yia barbounaki.
E, vre thounia. /

Yirna piso trava, stin athina trava,
/ Y'akou bouzoukaki, apo to yianaki.
E, vre thounia. /

Pull, pull, little carriage, pull,
And at Kalamaki, cut off for a little ouzo.
What a world!

Pull, pull, pull to Glyfada,
For good wine and barbounaki.
What a world!

Go back, towards Athens, go,
And listen to Yiannaki play bouzouki.
What a world!

Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes

TRAVA TRAVA Greek

PRONUNCIATION:	TRAH-vah TRAH-vah

TRANSLATION:	Go on, move on

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Vilma Matchette who learned it in the San Francisco Greek community. John Filcich taught it at the 1962 Stockton Folk Dance Camp and Dick Crum taught it in 1962 in Texas.

BACKGROUND:	The name for this dance was taken from the first words to the song to which it is danced. The dance is a single-figure Hasaposerviko dance. The Hasapikoserviko dances form a branch of the Hasapiko family of dances, so popular in the Greek tavernas. The Hasapiko, originally a fast, light dance done by the guild of butchers (hasapi) at their feasts in the city of Konstantinoupolis (now İstanbul), was spread to the ports of Greece by Greek sailors. As the dances dispersed inland, they took on varying characteristics so that the Hasapika of Thraki (Thrace) differed from those of Makedonia, which differed further from those of the Egeon (Agean). In the seaports around Athine (Athens), a slower, heavier dance, called Argo Hasapiko or Vari Hasapiko, evolved and since the 1940s, has become very popular. More recently, a blending of these two elements has resulted in a mezzo-tempo dance called Hasaposerviko (referring to Serbian). Combinations of the Hasapiko tempos have resulted in the Syrtaki dances, which have two, three, and even in one recorded instance, four separate tempos.

MUSIC:	Festival (45rpm) F-3510 Sheet Music: Vancouver International Folk Dancers Music Book, Vol. 2., Deborah Jones, 1982.
FORMATION:	Short lines of 6 to 8 mixed M and W with hands grasping near shldrs of neighbors in "T" pos. The leader and the end dancer hold their free hands out to the side at roughly shldr level.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4

STEPS/STYLE:	Ft are kept close to the floor and directly under the body. Steps are small and are not performed vigorously, but are smooth and flowing. The body is held erect. Dick Crum adds, after the group learns the steps, have them condense and tighten up and add tension to the body and feet, so that the feet almost "wipe themselves off" on each step. Make sure the foot is not kicked high at the end.


MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

1-4	No action.

	THE DANCE

1	Facing ctr, step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (ct 2);
2	Step R swd (ct 1); step L across in front of R (ct 2);

3	Step R back into place (ct 1); rock L fwd (ct 2); rock R bwd (ct &);
4	Rock L fwd (ct 1); lifting slightly on L, raise R fwd with slightly bent knee (ct 2).

	Repeat entire dance from beg.