BISERKA-BOJERKA Serbian
PRONUNCIATION:	BEE-sehr-kah BOH-yehr-kah
TRANSLATION:	Biserka is a woman's name meaning Pearl. Bojerka refers to a noble woman (from the Romanian "Boiereasca," meaning "woman of noble birth").
SOURCE:	Elsie Ivancich Dunin learned Biserka from Desa Djordjević at a folk dance seminar in Yugoslavia in 1967 and subsequently taught it to folk dancers in the United States.
BACKGROUND:	According to Mrs. Djordjević, Biserka was danced at elegant balls at the turn of the century in towns and cities in Serbia.
MUSIC:	Folkraft (45rpm) 1567x45 Geisler, Richard. "Biserka - Bojarka" (sheet music), The Yugoslav Collection, The Village & Early Music Society, 15181 Ballantree Lane, Grass Valley, CA 95949-7633.
FORMATION:	Open cir of mixed M and W with joined hands held at shldr level in "W" pos.
METER/RHYTHM:	3/8
STEPS/STYLE:	The dance style reflects the influence if fashionable dress of turn-of-the-century Serbia and incorporates a "swooping" feeling in the walking steps.
MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION
	INTRODUCTION - None.
	THE DANCE
1	Facing diag R, step R (ct 1);
2	Step L (ct 1);
3	Step R (ct 1); step L (ct 3);
4	Step R (ct 1);
5	Facing ctr, step fwd L bringing R to L (ct 1);
6	Step bwd R bring L to R (ct 1);
7	Facing diag L, step L (ct 1); step R (ct 3);
8	Step L (ct 1).
	Repeat entire dance from beg.
1	NOTE: On the Folkraft recording, dancers hold position for 4 full meas when the music for Biserka ends, then begin the dance again as described above when the music for Bojerka starts. (The dance has also been titled Biserka-Bojarka.)
Copyright © 2003 by Dick Oakes