Balta

BALTA
Romanian

PRONUNCIATION: BAHL-tah

TRANSLATION: Swamp or marsh

SOURCE: Sunni Bloland learned this dance during her 1967-68 research trip to Romania from Anca Guirchescu, dance ethnographer at the Institute of Ethnography and Folklore in Buccareşti (Bucharest). Ms. Bloland introduced the dance to folk dancers in the United States at the 1969 Balkan/Near-East Festival in Portland, Oregon.

BACKGROUND: Balta comes from the villiage of Traian, Judeţ Teleorman (Judeţ means "county") in the southern Romanian ethnographic region of Muntenia, about five miles west of Turnu Măgurele. It may be danced at any village dance occasion.

MUSIC: Naroc Records (7"EP) NA 1054-EP, side B, band 4.

FORMATION: Closed cir of mixed M and W with hands joined and held down in "V" pos.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4

STEPS/STYLE: Hands remain down at sides. All stamps are without wt. Fig II is more active than Fig I, which has a subdued shuffling feeling.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

Wait 6 meas with no action and then dance only 6 meas (4 stamps) of Fig I before beg Fig II.

I. WALK AND STAMP

1 Facing diag R and moving R in LOD, step R (ct 1); step L across in front of R (ct &); step R (ct 2); step L across in front of R (ct &);

2 Turning to face ctr, stamp R lightly twd ctr (ct 1); pause (ct &);

Facing diag R and moving R in LOD, step R (ct 2); step L across in front of R (ct &);

3 Step R (ct 1); step L across in front of R (ct &); turning to face ctr, stamp R lightly twd ctr (ct 2); pause (ct &);

4-9 Repeat action of meas 1-3 two more times (6 stamps in all).

NOTE: After waiting for 6 meas and dancing 6 meas (4 stamps), and after dancing Fig II, the the next time Fig I is danced, it is for the full 9 meas (6 stamps) as described.

II. STAMPS AND BRUSH

1 Facing ctr and moving R in LOD, step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (ct &); step R swd (ct 2); stamp L next to R (ct &);

2 Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1, to L with opp ftwk;

3-4 Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-2;

5 Brush R fwd, swinging arms slightly fwd (ct 1); brush R bwd, swinging arms slightly bwd (ct 2);

6 Brush R fwd, swinging arms slightly fwd (ct 1); pause (ct 2);

7-12 Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-6.

Repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2003 by Dick Oakes

BALTA Romanian

PRONUNCIATION:	BAHL-tah

TRANSLATION:	Swamp or marsh

SOURCE:	Sunni Bloland learned this dance during her 1967-68 research trip to Romania from Anca Guirchescu, dance ethnographer at the Institute of Ethnography and Folklore in Buccareşti (Bucharest). Ms. Bloland introduced the dance to folk dancers in the United States at the 1969 Balkan/Near-East Festival in Portland, Oregon.

BACKGROUND:	Balta comes from the villiage of Traian, Judeţ Teleorman (Judeţ means "county") in the southern Romanian ethnographic region of Muntenia, about five miles west of Turnu Măgurele. It may be danced at any village dance occasion.

MUSIC:	Naroc Records (7"EP) NA 1054-EP, side B, band 4.

FORMATION:	Closed cir of mixed M and W with hands joined and held down in "V" pos.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4

STEPS/STYLE:	Hands remain down at sides. All stamps are without wt. Fig II is more active than Fig I, which has a subdued shuffling feeling.


MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

	Wait 6 meas with no action and then dance only 6 meas (4 stamps) of Fig I before beg Fig II.

I.	WALK AND STAMP

1	Facing diag R and moving R in LOD, step R (ct 1); step L across in front of R (ct &); step R (ct 2); step L across in front of R (ct &);
2	Turning to face ctr, stamp R lightly twd ctr (ct 1); pause (ct &);

	Facing diag R and moving R in LOD, step R (ct 2); step L across in front of R (ct &);
3	Step R (ct 1); step L across in front of R (ct &); turning to face ctr, stamp R lightly twd ctr (ct 2); pause (ct &);

4-9	Repeat action of meas 1-3 two more times (6 stamps in all).

	NOTE: After waiting for 6 meas and dancing 6 meas (4 stamps), and after dancing Fig II, the the next time Fig I is danced, it is for the full 9 meas (6 stamps) as described.

II.	STAMPS AND BRUSH

1	Facing ctr and moving R in LOD, step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (ct &); step R swd (ct 2); stamp L next to R (ct &);
2	Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1, to L with opp ftwk;

3-4	Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-2;

5	Brush R fwd, swinging arms slightly fwd (ct 1); brush R bwd, swinging arms slightly bwd (ct 2);
6	Brush R fwd, swinging arms slightly fwd (ct 1); pause (ct 2);

7-12	Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-6.

	Repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2003 by Dick Oakes