Ciocârlanul

CIOCÂRLANUL
Romanian

PRONUNCIATION: chyo-kur-LAH-noo
The -ul ending, pronounced "-oo" (colloquial) or "-ool" (more formal usage) is a form of the Romanian definite article, the equivalent of English "the;" hence ciocârlanu = "lark," ciocârlanul = "the lark."

TRANSLATION: The lark

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Larisa Lucaci who presented it in the mid-1950s and taught it at the 1966 Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference. Dick Crum and John Filcich have also taught the dance.

BACKGROUND: Romanian dances cover a wide range of genres, both musical and choreographic. They are combined with music, poetry (chanted verse), costumes, gestures, and ornaments and can be classified into two large categories: entertaining and ritual. The most widely spread are: Alunelul, Ardeleana, Areanul, Ariciul, Bărbuncul, Chindia, Fecioreasca, Ghimpul, Haţegana, Hora, Învârtita (Învîrtita), Oltenaşul, Purtata, Rustemul, Sârba (Sîrba), Sâlcioara, and Ursŭreasca

MUSIC: Folk Dancer (78) MH 1122 B, Ciocârlanul

FORMATION: Dancers facing ctr of a closed cir with joined hands held at shldr height and quite close to shldrs in "W" pos.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4

STEPS/STYLE: CIOCÂLANUL STEP: Step fwd R (ct 1); step L in place (ct &); step bwd R (ct 2); step L in place (ct &). Hands are extended quickly fwd on ct 1 and returned to shldrs on ct 2. In actual practice, the steps are so fast that very little wt is taken on the R ft making the step resemble two balance steps.
THREES: Step R in place (ct 1); step L in place (ct uh); step R in place (ct &); pause (ct uh). Second three is with opp ftwk (cts 2,uh,&). Hands remain at shldr height in "W" pos.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

2 No action.

I. CIOCÂRLANUL AND THREES

1-3 Facing ctr, dance three Ciocârlanul steps in place.

4 Dance two threes in place, hands remaining in "W" pos.

5-8 Repeat action of Fig I, meas 1-4.

II. SWD RUN & STAMPS

1 Facing ctr and running swd to R in LOD, step R swd, swinging hands sharply down and back, arms straight (ct 1); step L across in back of R, beginning to swing hands low fwd (ct &); step R swd, completing low fwd hand swing, arms straight (ct 2); step L across in back of R, beginning to swing hands bwd (ct &);

2 Step R swd, completing low bwd hand swing, arms straight (ct 1); stamp L lightly next to R, leaving hands back (ct &); stamp L lightly next to R, leaving hands back (ct 2); pause, leaving hands back (ct &);

3 Continuing to face ctr and running swd to L in RLOD, step L swd, swinging hands sharply low fwd, arms straight (ct 1); step R across in back of L, beginning to swing hands low bwd (ct &); step L swd, completing low bwd hand swing, arms straight (ct 2); step R across in back of L, beginning to swing hands fwd (ct &);

4 Step L swd, completing low fwd hand swing, arms straight (ct 1); stamp R lightly next to L, leaving hands fwd (ct &); stamp R lightly next to L, leaving hands fwd (ct 2); pause, leaving hands fwd (ct &);

5-8 Swinging hands from low in front, arms straight, to arms in back, repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-2, except that on the first step in meas 8, bring hands sharply up to shldr height in "W" pos and leave them in that pos through the two stamps.

Repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes

CIOCÂRLANUL Romanian

PRONUNCIATION:	chyo-kur-LAH-noo The -ul ending, pronounced "-oo" (colloquial) or "-ool" (more formal usage) is a form of the Romanian definite article, the equivalent of English "the;" hence ciocârlanu = "lark," ciocârlanul = "the lark."

TRANSLATION:	The lark

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Larisa Lucaci who presented it in the mid-1950s and taught it at the 1966 Santa Barbara Folk Dance Conference. Dick Crum and John Filcich have also taught the dance.

BACKGROUND:	Romanian dances cover a wide range of genres, both musical and choreographic. They are combined with music, poetry (chanted verse), costumes, gestures, and ornaments and can be classified into two large categories: entertaining and ritual. The most widely spread are: Alunelul, Ardeleana, Areanul, Ariciul, Bărbuncul, Chindia, Fecioreasca, Ghimpul, Haţegana, Hora, Învârtita (Învîrtita), Oltenaşul, Purtata, Rustemul, Sârba (Sîrba), Sâlcioara, and Ursŭreasca

MUSIC:	Folk Dancer (78) MH 1122 B, Ciocârlanul

FORMATION:	Dancers facing ctr of a closed cir with joined hands held at shldr height and quite close to shldrs in "W" pos.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4

STEPS/STYLE:	CIOCÂLANUL STEP: Step fwd R (ct 1); step L in place (ct &); step bwd R (ct 2); step L in place (ct &). Hands are extended quickly fwd on ct 1 and returned to shldrs on ct 2. In actual practice, the steps are so fast that very little wt is taken on the R ft making the step resemble two balance steps. THREES: Step R in place (ct 1); step L in place (ct uh); step R in place (ct &); pause (ct uh). Second three is with opp ftwk (cts 2,uh,&). Hands remain at shldr height in "W" pos.

MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

2	No action.

I.	CIOCÂRLANUL AND THREES

1-3	Facing ctr, dance three Ciocârlanul steps in place.
4	Dance two threes in place, hands remaining in "W" pos.

5-8	Repeat action of Fig I, meas 1-4.

II.	SWD RUN & STAMPS

1	Facing ctr and running swd to R in LOD, step R swd, swinging hands sharply down and back, arms straight (ct 1); step L across in back of R, beginning to swing hands low fwd (ct &); step R swd, completing low fwd hand swing, arms straight (ct 2); step L across in back of R, beginning to swing hands bwd (ct &);
2	Step R swd, completing low bwd hand swing, arms straight (ct 1); stamp L lightly next to R, leaving hands back (ct &); stamp L lightly next to R, leaving hands back (ct 2); pause, leaving hands back (ct &);

3	Continuing to face ctr and running swd to L in RLOD, step L swd, swinging hands sharply low fwd, arms straight (ct 1); step R across in back of L, beginning to swing hands low bwd (ct &); step L swd, completing low bwd hand swing, arms straight (ct 2); step R across in back of L, beginning to swing hands fwd (ct &);
4	Step L swd, completing low fwd hand swing, arms straight (ct 1); stamp R lightly next to L, leaving hands fwd (ct &); stamp R lightly next to L, leaving hands fwd (ct 2); pause, leaving hands fwd (ct &);

5-8	Swinging hands from low in front, arms straight, to arms in back, repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-2, except that on the first step in meas 8, bring hands sharply up to shldr height in "W" pos and leave them in that pos through the two stamps.

	Repeat entire dance from beg.
Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes