Iţele

IŢELE
Romanian

PRONUNCIATION: EE-tseh-leh

TRANSLATION: Twisted woolen threads

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Mihai David who learned it when he was a performer with his brother, Alexandru, in the Romanian State Dance Folk Ensemble during the years 1963 to 1965. Eugenia Popescu-Judetz taught a variant.

BACKGROUND: Iţele was originally a women's dance but it is no longer restricted to women. The dance comes from Otenia. Oltenia, also called Lesser Wallachia, with the alternate Latin names Wallachia Minor, Wallachia Alutana, Wallachia Caesarea in use between 1718 and 1739, is a historical province and geographical region of Romania, in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Danube, the Southern Carpathians and the Olt river (although counties in the east extend beyond the river in Muntenia in some areas).

MUSIC: Gypsy Camp Vol. II (LP) GC 5201-II.

FORMATION: Lines of mixed M and W with hands grasping the second neighbor's hands to either side, R arm under, in a front basket ("F") hold.

METER/RHYTHM: 4/4

STEPS/STYLE: The actions of the dance are lively, as if twisting woolen threads.
Fig I: Dancers keep low to the floor, twisting hips with each leap and bending supporting knee on the first leap of each four.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

None.

I. TWISTING GRAPEVINE

1 Leap R across in front of L (ct 1); leap L swd (ct 2); leap R across in back of L (ct 3); leap L swd (ct 4);

2-7 Repeat action of meas 1 six more times;

8 Leap R across in front of L (ct 1); leap L swd (ct 2); step R next to L (ct 3); pause (ct 4).

9-16 Repeat action of meas 1-8 to R with opp ftwk.

II. IN PLACE

1 Facing ctr, step R fwd so that R heel is next to L toe (ct 1); step L in place (ct 2); step R bwd so that R toe is next to L heel (ct 3); step L in place (ct 4);

2-3 Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1, two more times;

4 Leaning fwd slightly, step R,L,R in place (cts 1,2,3); pause (ct 4).

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

9-16 Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-8.

Repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes

IŢELE Romanian

PRONUNCIATION:	EE-tseh-leh

TRANSLATION:	Twisted woolen threads

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Mihai David who learned it when he was a performer with his brother, Alexandru, in the Romanian State Dance Folk Ensemble during the years 1963 to 1965. Eugenia Popescu-Judetz taught a variant.

BACKGROUND:	Iţele was originally a women's dance but it is no longer restricted to women. The dance comes from Otenia. Oltenia, also called Lesser Wallachia, with the alternate Latin names Wallachia Minor, Wallachia Alutana, Wallachia Caesarea in use between 1718 and 1739, is a historical province and geographical region of Romania, in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Danube, the Southern Carpathians and the Olt river (although counties in the east extend beyond the river in Muntenia in some areas).

MUSIC:	Gypsy Camp Vol. II (LP) GC 5201-II.

FORMATION:	Lines of mixed M and W with hands grasping the second neighbor's hands to either side, R arm under, in a front basket ("F") hold.

METER/RHYTHM:	4/4

STEPS/STYLE:	The actions of the dance are lively, as if twisting woolen threads. Fig I: Dancers keep low to the floor, twisting hips with each leap and bending supporting knee on the first leap of each four.

MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

	None.

I.	TWISTING GRAPEVINE

1	Leap R across in front of L (ct 1); leap L swd (ct 2); leap R across in back of L (ct 3); leap L swd (ct 4);
2-7	Repeat action of meas 1 six more times;
8	Leap R across in front of L (ct 1); leap L swd (ct 2); step R next to L (ct 3); pause (ct 4).

9-16	Repeat action of meas 1-8 to R with opp ftwk.

II.	IN PLACE

1	Facing ctr, step R fwd so that R heel is next to L toe (ct 1); step L in place (ct 2); step R bwd so that R toe is next to L heel (ct 3); step L in place (ct 4);
2-3	Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1, two more times;
4	Leaning fwd slightly, step R,L,R in place (cts 1,2,3); pause (ct 4).

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

9-16	Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-8.

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