Dura

DURA
Romanian

PRONUNCIATION: DOOR-ah

TRANSLATION: Hard

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Dick Crum who taught it at the Dick Crum Balkan Institute in Chicago in 1956 and then spread the dance across the country. Dick also taught it at the 1956 College of the Pacific Folk Dance Camp (now the Stockton Folk Dance Camp). Dick had learned the dance from Larisa Lucaci who presented it in 1955 at Michael and Mary Ann Herman's Folk Dance House in New York City.

BACKGROUND: Dura is in the hora family of Romanian dances. Hora is the name for the large circle dance and is the most widespread dance in Romania, partly because any number of participants of both men and women, of any ability or age, can join in. Hora is frequently performed as a ritual dance at weddings and funerals. In southern Romania and Moldavia, Hora is the introductory dance to the dance cycle, whereas in Transylvania and Maramureş it is rarely performed.

MUSIC: Folk Dancer (45rpm) MH-1121 B

FORMATION: Open cir of mixed M and W with hands joined and held up in "W" pos. The Santa Barabara Folk Dance Conference 1966 syllabi indicates the hands are held down in "V" pos.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4

STEPS/STYLE: RUNNING TWO-STEP: Step fwd R (ct 1); short step fwd L (ct &); step fwd R (ct 2). While this step resembles three simple running steps, the second step is actually shortened to give it the character of a legitimate two-step. The repeat is with opp ftwk.
SCUFF: A light stamp where the ft comes from in back and brushes the floor as it is kicked fwd slightly.
STAMP: The stamp is with the full ft, without wt.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

1-4 No action.

I. RUNNING TWO-STEPS, BALANCE

1-3 Dance three Running Two-Steps to R in LOD, beg R;

4 Leap L diag into ctr (ct 1); leap R back in place, facing ctr (ct 2);

II. THREES WITH STAMP

1 Facing ctr and raising hands high with elbows straight, small step L swd (ct 1); step R in place next to L (ct &); step L in place next to R (ct 2); stamp or Scuff R heel in place (ct &);

2 Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1, to L with opp ftwk;

3-4 Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-2.

III. SWD RUN, SLOW STAMPS, QUICK STAMPS

1 Step L swd (ct 1); step R behind L or close L to R, taking wt (ct &); step swd L (ct 2); step R behind L or close L to R, taking wt (ct &);

2 Step L swd (ct 1); step R behind L or close L to R, taking wt (ct &); step swd L (ct 2); pause (ct &);

3 With wt on L, stamp R next to L without wt (ct 1); stamp R next to L without wt (ct 2);

4 With wt remaining on L, stamp R next to L (ct 1); stamp R next to L without wt (ct &); stamp R next to L without wt (ct 2); pause (ct &).

Repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes

DURA Romanian

PRONUNCIATION:	DOOR-ah

TRANSLATION:	Hard

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Dick Crum who taught it at the Dick Crum Balkan Institute in Chicago in 1956 and then spread the dance across the country. Dick also taught it at the 1956 College of the Pacific Folk Dance Camp (now the Stockton Folk Dance Camp). Dick had learned the dance from Larisa Lucaci who presented it in 1955 at Michael and Mary Ann Herman's Folk Dance House in New York City.

BACKGROUND:	Dura is in the hora family of Romanian dances. Hora is the name for the large circle dance and is the most widespread dance in Romania, partly because any number of participants of both men and women, of any ability or age, can join in. Hora is frequently performed as a ritual dance at weddings and funerals. In southern Romania and Moldavia, Hora is the introductory dance to the dance cycle, whereas in Transylvania and Maramureş it is rarely performed.

MUSIC:	Folk Dancer (45rpm) MH-1121 B

FORMATION:	Open cir of mixed M and W with hands joined and held up in "W" pos. The Santa Barabara Folk Dance Conference 1966 syllabi indicates the hands are held down in "V" pos.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4

STEPS/STYLE:	RUNNING TWO-STEP: Step fwd R (ct 1); short step fwd L (ct &); step fwd R (ct 2). While this step resembles three simple running steps, the second step is actually shortened to give it the character of a legitimate two-step. The repeat is with opp ftwk. SCUFF: A light stamp where the ft comes from in back and brushes the floor as it is kicked fwd slightly. STAMP: The stamp is with the full ft, without wt.

MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

1-4	No action.

I.	RUNNING TWO-STEPS, BALANCE
1-3	Dance three Running Two-Steps to R in LOD, beg R;
4	Leap L diag into ctr (ct 1); leap R back in place, facing ctr (ct 2);

II.	THREES WITH STAMP
1	Facing ctr and raising hands high with elbows straight, small step L swd (ct 1); step R in place next to L (ct &); step L in place next to R (ct 2); stamp or Scuff R heel in place (ct &);

2	Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1, to L with opp ftwk;

3-4	Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-2.

III.	SWD RUN, SLOW STAMPS, QUICK STAMPS
1	Step L swd (ct 1); step R behind L or close L to R, taking wt (ct &); step swd L (ct 2); step R behind L or close L to R, taking wt (ct &);

2	Step L swd (ct 1); step R behind L or close L to R, taking wt (ct &); step swd L (ct 2); pause (ct &);

3	With wt on L, stamp R next to L without wt (ct 1); stamp R next to L without wt (ct 2);
4	With wt remaining on L, stamp R next to L (ct 1); stamp R next to L without wt (ct &); stamp R next to L without wt (ct 2); pause (ct &).

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