Talk:Kopacka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
KOPAČKA Macedonian
PRONUNCIATION: KOH-pahtch-kah
TRANSLATION: Hoe
SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned the dance described below from Mitch Allen, a performer with AMAN Folk Ensemble (aka, AMAN International Music and Dance Company) of Los Angeles, California. It was taught to members of AMAN by Stanimir Visinski of Macedonia. Versions of this dance have been taught to folk dancers in the United States by Atanas Kolarovski, who toured in 1956 with TANEC (the Macedonian State Folk Ensemble); John Filcich, who learned the dance from Atanas and first taught it in 1958; Elsie Ivancich Dunin, who learned the dance from members of TANEC in Skopje, Macedonia; and Dick Crum, one of the foremost Balkan dance researchers in the world, who also learned the dance in Yugoslavia.
BACKGROUND: Kopačka is a farmer's dance from the Delčevo-Berovo district of eastern Macedonia. Originally a dance for men only, the various figures mimic tasks of the farmer, in particular, hoeing. With its village style of steps and technique, it is quite popular in eastern Macedonia and widely used by exhibition groups there. It is actually a suite of two dances that take their names from the first lines of their respective songs, "Dimna juda, mamo," and "Derviško viško, mome." This dance is composed of a slow part that consists of a basic walking figure, with two variations, and a fast part that has six figures. The six figures in the second part may be considered to be three pairs for ease in remembering them because the figures in each pair are very similar.
MUSIC: A. Kolarovski (LP) AK008 (2nd part very fast); AMAN (LP) A-106 (2nd part medium); Festival (45rpm) F-4001 (2nd part very fast); Fiesta (LP) FLP-1362 (2nd part very fast); Jugoton (45EP) EPY-3009 (2nd part very fast); Nevofoon (LP) 15016 (2nd part medium-fast); Radio Televizija Beograd (LP) RTB LP-1394 (2nd part slow to very fast).
FORMATION: Originally lines of eight to ten M, although usually not restricted in the United States. Dancers grasp neighbors' belts in "X" pos, R arm under. End dancers may tuck thumb in belt or hold free hand behind back. Leader often flourishes a handkerchief in R hand.
METER/RHYTHM: 4/4 and 2/4
STEPS/STYLE: All steps are danced with precision. In the slow part, the steps are clear and are not scraped along the floor. In the fast part, the steps are kept tiny and precise. The bearing is proudly erect, yet relaxed.
