SOJANCA Serbian
PRONUNCIATION:	soh-YAHN-tsah
TRANSLATION:	The derivation of its name is a mystery. It has no other meaning in Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, or Hungarian than a dance called Sojanca.
SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Steve Kotansky who learned it in the small village of Osnić in East Serbia. Steve presented it at the 1981 San Diego State University Folk Dance Conference.
BACKGROUND:	Osnić is near the town of Boljevac and is close to the Bulgarian border. The Vlach people of this mountainous area refer to themselves as "Ungurijani," meaning related to the "Hungarians," and call the neighboring Vlasi lowlanders "Carani," meaning "peasants," or people who work the earth. Boljevac is a town and municipality located in the Zaječar District of Serbia.
MUSIC:	Festival (7"EP) FEP-110, side B
FORMATION:	Short lines alternating M and W in "X" pos holding neighbors' belts, R arm under.
METER/RHYTHM:	2/4
STEPS/STYLE:	The dance is done on the whole ft. When the W are twisted, the movement is instigated by the M who yank on the belts of the W.
MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION
	INTRODUCTION
1-4	No action.
5	Facing ctr, step L fwd (ct 1); pause (ct 2);
6	Step R bwd (ct 1); pause (ct 2);
7	Step L swd (ct 1); step R next to L (ct 2);
8	Step L swd (ct 1); pause (ct 2).
	THE DANCE
1	Step R swd as M twist W to R (ct 1); step L next to R as M twist W to L (ct 2);
2	Repeat action of meas 1;
3	Step R swd as M twist W to R (ct 1); pause (ct 2);
4	Step L fwd (ct 1); scuff R next to L (ct &), stamp R next to L taking wt (ct 2);
5	With ft slightly apart and parallel, bounce heels 3 times (cts 1,&,2);
6	Repeat bounces of meas 5;
7	Step L bwd (ct 1); step R bwd (ct 2);
8	Repeat bounces of meas 5.
	Repeat the Dance from beg.
Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes