Dansul Fetelor de la Crihalma (Romania)

Dansul Fetelor de la Crihalma

Romania

These notes ©2018, Andrew Carnie. Taught in the USA by Sunni Bloland.  Sunni learned it from  Theodor Vasilescu. The dance name translates as "Girls' Dance from Crihalma", and it's from  Crihalma, Judeţ Braşov (Brasov county), South Transylvania

Music:

• Noroc NA1074
• Nevofoon 12153
• https://www.allmusic.com/song/dansul-fetelor-de-la-crihalma-mt0010591005

Meter: 4/4 (Sunni has it as 2/4, but it's much easier to notate as 4/4)
Formation: Individuals (originally just women) in a circle, facing LOD, hands on hips. Not holding hands with Neighbors
Introduction: 8 counts, no action start with main melody.

Part 1: Heel Step Clicks

Bar 1:  Leaning forward, Touch L heel forward in LOD, arms extend to L side (1), fall onto L foot (2), Click R heel next to L (you're up slightly on your toes when you do this), no weight, arms extend to R side (3), stomp on R next to L with weight (4)
Bar 2: repeat bar 1
Bar 3: Click L foot next to R, no weight, arms extend to L (1), stomp on L next to R (2), Click R next to L, arms extend to the R(3), Stomp on R next to L (4)
Bar 4: repeat bar 1
Bars 5-8: repeat bars 1-4

Part 2: Heel Clicks and a Two STep

Bars 1-2: repeat bars 1-2 of part 1
Bar 3: Step L (1), R (&), L (2), R (3), L (&), R (4), arms sway to the L on count 1 and to the R on count 2
Bar 4: repeat bar 1[Sunni's 1971 Laguna notes have this as repeat bar 1, but her 1977 WSU and 1970 Kolo notes are different. In those she says to click L next to R (1), and hold (2), but she also has the timing on the two-steps in Bar 3 differently notated. Watching the dancers in the videos, we clearly do it the way  it's notated above.]
Bars 5-8: Repeat bars 1-4, but end facing the center.

Part 3: Grapevine

Bar 1: Facing center, Step on L behind R, arms circle gently to the right (1), Stomp on R to R (2), Step on L in front of R, arms gradually circle leftwards (3), stomp on R to R (4).
Bars 2-3: repeat bar 1, two more times
Bar 4: Jump on both feet with L foot crossed in front (1), Jump on both feet at shoulder's width (2), Jump on both feet clicking heels together (3), fall on L foot (4)  [If this was a Hungarian dance, we'd call this a Bokazo]
Bar 5-8: repeat Bars 1-4, with opposite footwork and direction.

Part 4: Short Grapevine

Bar 1: repeat bar 1 of part 3
Bar 2: facing slightly R of center jump onto both feet together and pause (1,2), Jump on both feet again (3), step on L to L (4), throughout, arms gently do independent circles.
Bars 3-4: repeat bars 1-2 with opposite footwork and direction
Bars 5-8: repeat bars 1-4

Part 5: Hops and leg Swings 

Facing center, arms are held high and forward a bit, snap fingers on each count. 

Bar 1:  Leap onto L in place, R foot kicks back, knee bent (1,2), Hop on L, swinging R foot around to side with heel out to side (toe pointed down) (3), Hop on L again, kicking R foot forward leading with R heel in and toe slightly pointed out (4)

Bar 2: repeat bar 1 with opposite footwork

Bars 3-4: repeat bars 1-2

Bars 5-8: repeat bars 1-4

[Note that Sunni's notes have this entire step done on the opposite foot, starting with a hop on the R on count (1) of Bar 1, and then switching to leaps on all subsequent bars 1. But this puts you on the wrong foot to restart the dance]

Repeat parts 1 and 2.

Tucson Videos

Other instructions on the web

• http://www.dunav.org.il/dance_notes/crihalma_dance_notes.pdf
• 1971 Laguna Festival Syllabus
• 1982 Laguna Festival Syllabus (missing middle page of instructions)

Other Sources

• Bloland, Sunni (1971) Kolo Festival Syllabus
• Bloland, Sunni (1977) WSU-Pullman Folk Dance Festival,