IŢELE Romanian
PRONUNCIATION:	EE-tseh-leh
TRANSLATION:	Twisted woolen threads
SOURCE:	Mihai David learned this dance when he was a performer with the Romanian State Dance Folk Ensemble during the years 1963 to 1965 and subsequently taught it to folk dancers in the United States.
BACKGROUND:	Iţele was originally a women's dance but it is no longer restricted to women.
MUSIC:	Gypsy Camp Vol. II (LP) GC 5201-II.
FORMATION:	Lines of mixed M and W with hands grasping the second neighbor's hands to either side, R arm under, in a front basket ("F") hold.
METER/RHYTHM:	4/4
STEPS/STYLE:	The actions of the dance are lively, as if twisting woolen threads. Fig I: Dancers keep low to the floor, twisting hips with each leap and bending supporting knee on the first leap of each four.
MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION
	INTRODUCTION
	None.
I.	TWISTING GRAPEVINE
1	Leap R across in front of L (ct 1); leap L swd (ct 2); leap R across in back of L (ct 3); leap L swd (ct 4);
2-7	Repeat action of meas 1 six more times;
8	Leap R across in front of L (ct 1); leap L swd (ct 2); step R next to L (ct 3); pause (ct 4).
9-16	Repeat action of meas 1-8 to R with opp ftwk.
II.	IN PLACE
1	Facing ctr, step R fwd so that R heel is next to L toe (ct 1); step L in place (ct 2); step R bwd so that R toe is next to L heel (ct 3); step L in place (ct 4);
2-3	Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1, two more times;
4	Leaning fwd slightly, step R,L,R in place (cts 1,2,3); pause (ct 4).
5-8	Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-4, with opp ftwk.
9-16	Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-8.
	Repeat entire dance from beg.
Copyright © 2004 by Dick Oakes