Hora Spoitorilor

HORA SPOITORILOR
Romanian

PRONUNCIATION: HAW-rah spoy-ee-toh-ree-LOHR

TRANSLATION: Dance of the Gypsy silver workers

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Mihai David who learned it while he was still in Romania in 1966 and while dancing with the Romanian state ensemble Periniţa. He taught it at the 1973 University of the Pacific Folk Dance Camp (now the Stockton Folk Dance Camp).

BACKGROUND: In the 1500s, Saxon silver workers enjoyed a certain celebrity, working in filagree and enamel. It is thought that this procedure was taken by Romanian Gypsy artisans to Transylvania, where it became a proper style, known as "modo transylvano."

MUSIC: Gypsy Camp Vol. I (LP) GC 5201-II;
Lark (45rpm) MD 3705.

FORMATION: Lines of mixed M and W with hands joined and held at shldr height, elbows bent, in "W" pos.

METER/RHYTHM: 4/4

STEPS/STYLE: The dance has a bouncy character.
Fig I: Throughout Fig I, the bouncy feeling is maintained by the dancers by slightly raising and lowering the hands with each ct.
Fig II: A slight chug may be added on meas 3, cts 2 and 4.
The dance is done entirely with the shldrs facing ctr, but with the hips turning for various steps as described.
See the dance sequence at the bottom of these notes.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

None.

I. WALK IN SQUARE

1 Turning hips to R and moving in LOD, walk R,L,R,L to R (cts 1,2,3,4);

2 Turning hips to ctr and moving twd ctr, walk R,L,R,L fwd (cts 1,2,3,4);

3 Turning hips to L and moving in RLOD, walkd R,L,R,L to L (cts 1,2,3,4);

4 Turning hips to ctr and moving bwd out of ctr, walk R,L,R,L bwd (cts 1,2,3,4);

5-7 Repeat action of meas 1-3;

8 Turning hips to ctr, walk R,L,R bwd (cts 1,2,3); step L next to R (ct 4).

II. GRAPEVINE AND HEEL-PIVOTS

1 Step R swd (ct 1); step L in front of R (ct 2); step R swd (ct 3); step L in back of R (ct &); step R swd (ct 4);

2 Step L in front of R (ct 1); step R swd (ct 2); step L in back of R (ct 3); step swd R (ct &); step L in front of R (ct 4);

3 Step R swd (ct 1); raise L in front with bent knee (ct 2); step L swd (ct 3); raise R in front with bent knee (ct 4);

4 On balls of ft and pivoting heels to R, close L to R, lowering heels to floor and bending knees (ct 1); pivot heels to L with heels off of floor with knees straight (ct 2); pivot heels to R, lowering heels to floor and bending knees (ct &); pause (ct 3); pivot heels to L with heels off of floor with knees straight (ct &); pivot heels to R, lowering heels to floor and bending knees (ct 4);

5-8 Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-4, to L with opp ftwk.

III. TO CTR AND BACK

1 Walk fwd twd ctr R,L (cts 1,2); step RLR (cts 3,&,4);

2 Small leap L next to R (ct 1); brush R toe diag fwd to L, raising L heel (ct &); lower L heel, bringing R heel across in front of L shin with bent R knee (ct 2); brush R toe diag fwd to R, raising L heel (ct &); lower L heel (ct 3); stamp R slightly fwd without wt (ct &); stamp R again, taking wt (ct 4);

3 Step L bwd (ct 1); brush R fwd, bending L knee (ct &); low hop L (ct 2); step bwd R (ct &); step L bwd (ct 3); brush R fwd, bending L knee (ct &); low hop L (ct 4); step R bwd (ct &);

4 Step L bwd (ct 1); brush R fwd, bending L knee (ct &); low hop L (ct 2); step R bwd (ct &); step L bwd (ct 3); stamp R slightly fwd without wt (ct &); stamp R again, without wt (ct 4).

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

Repeat entire dance from beg (see sequence below).

DANCE SEQUENCE (Figures)

I, II, III;
I, II, III;
I

Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes

HORA SPOITORILOR Romanian

PRONUNCIATION:	HAW-rah spoy-ee-toh-ree-LOHR

TRANSLATION:	Dance of the Gypsy silver workers

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Mihai David who learned it while he was still in Romania in 1966 and while dancing with the Romanian state ensemble Periniţa. He taught it at the 1973 University of the Pacific Folk Dance Camp (now the Stockton Folk Dance Camp).

BACKGROUND:	In the 1500s, Saxon silver workers enjoyed a certain celebrity, working in filagree and enamel. It is thought that this procedure was taken by Romanian Gypsy artisans to Transylvania, where it became a proper style, known as "modo transylvano."

MUSIC:	Gypsy Camp Vol. I (LP) GC 5201-II; Lark (45rpm) MD 3705.

FORMATION:	Lines of mixed M and W with hands joined and held at shldr height, elbows bent, in "W" pos.

METER/RHYTHM:	4/4

STEPS/STYLE:	The dance has a bouncy character. Fig I: Throughout Fig I, the bouncy feeling is maintained by the dancers by slightly raising and lowering the hands with each ct. Fig II: A slight chug may be added on meas 3, cts 2 and 4. The dance is done entirely with the shldrs facing ctr, but with the hips turning for various steps as described. See the dance sequence at the bottom of these notes.

MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

	None.

I.	WALK IN SQUARE

1	Turning hips to R and moving in LOD, walk R,L,R,L to R (cts 1,2,3,4);
2	Turning hips to ctr and moving twd ctr, walk R,L,R,L fwd (cts 1,2,3,4);
3	Turning hips to L and moving in RLOD, walkd R,L,R,L to L (cts 1,2,3,4);
4	Turning hips to ctr and moving bwd out of ctr, walk R,L,R,L bwd (cts 1,2,3,4);

5-7	Repeat action of meas 1-3;
8	Turning hips to ctr, walk R,L,R bwd (cts 1,2,3); step L next to R (ct 4).

II.	GRAPEVINE AND HEEL-PIVOTS

1	Step R swd (ct 1); step L in front of R (ct 2); step R swd (ct 3); step L in back of R (ct &); step R swd (ct 4);
2	Step L in front of R (ct 1); step R swd (ct 2); step L in back of R (ct 3); step swd R (ct &); step L in front of R (ct 4);
3	Step R swd (ct 1); raise L in front with bent knee (ct 2); step L swd (ct 3); raise R in front with bent knee (ct 4);
4	On balls of ft and pivoting heels to R, close L to R, lowering heels to floor and bending knees (ct 1); pivot heels to L with heels off of floor with knees straight (ct 2); pivot heels to R, lowering heels to floor and bending knees (ct &); pause (ct 3); pivot heels to L with heels off of floor with knees straight (ct &); pivot heels to R, lowering heels to floor and bending knees (ct 4);

5-8	Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-4, to L with opp ftwk.

III.	TO CTR AND BACK

1	Walk fwd twd ctr R,L (cts 1,2); step RLR (cts 3,&,4);

2	Small leap L next to R (ct 1); brush R toe diag fwd to L, raising L heel (ct &); lower L heel, bringing R heel across in front of L shin with bent R knee (ct 2); brush R toe diag fwd to R, raising L heel (ct &); lower L heel (ct 3); stamp R slightly fwd without wt (ct &); stamp R again, taking wt (ct 4);

3	Step L bwd (ct 1); brush R fwd, bending L knee (ct &); low hop L (ct 2); step bwd R (ct &); step L bwd (ct 3); brush R fwd, bending L knee (ct &); low hop L (ct 4); step R bwd (ct &);
4	Step L bwd (ct 1); brush R fwd, bending L knee (ct &); low hop L (ct 2); step R bwd (ct &); step L bwd (ct 3); stamp R slightly fwd without wt (ct &); stamp R again, without wt (ct 4).

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

	Repeat entire dance from beg (see sequence below).



	DANCE SEQUENCE (Figures)

	I, II, III; I, II, III; I
Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes