Joc de Leagane

JOC DE LEAGĂNE
Romanian

PRONUNCIATION: zhok deh LEH-guh-neh

TRANSLATION: Dance of the cradle

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Nicolaas Hilferink who learned it from Theodor Vasilescu.

BACKGROUND: This dance is a ceremonial dance from Maramureş. Maramureş is a valley totally enclosed by mountains. Oaş, Gutâi, Ţibleş and Rodnei to the west and south, Maramureş Mountains and Ukrainian Carpathians (Wooded Carpathians) to the east and north, with a thin opening at Khust, a city located on the Khustets River. It is forested and not easily accessible. The dance honors the midwife on her birthday. It is believed that when a child reaches 1 to 1-1/2 years of age, the village women would gather, put their children in front of their chests, and do this ceremonial dance to show that their children were strong and in good health.

MUSIC: Electrocord (LP) ST-CS 0185, side A, band 9. (NOTE: The label on the first pressing of this record was incorrect, however, the album cover is correct.)

FORMATION: Cir of W facing diag to R, L hand on own L shldr, R arm extended neighbor to the R with R hand grasping neighbor's L hand.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4

STEPS/STYLE: Mr. Hilferink writes, "If men insist on dancing [Joc de Leagane], they should dance on the outside of the women's circle."

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

1-16 No action.

I. FIGURE ONE

1 Facing to R and moving in LOD, touch R next to L (ct 1); step R fwd (ct 2);

2 Touch L next to R (ct 1); step L fwd (ct 2);

3 Step R fwd (ct 1); step L fwd (ct 2);

4 Step R fwd (ct 1); step L next to R (ct &); step R fwd (ct 2).

5-8 Continuing in LOD, repeat action of meas 1-4 with opp ftwk.

II. FIGURE TWO

1 Turning to face ctr and raising hands above head height, step R swd, leaving L in place (ct 1); lean over R (ct 2);

2 Transfer wt to L (ct 1); lean over L (ct 2);

3 Transfer wt to R with slight lean to R (ct 1); step L next to R, straightening body (ct 2);

4 Step R swd (ct 1); lean over R (ct 2);

5-7 Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-3, with opp ftwk;

8 Step L swd (ct 1); close R to L without wt (ct 2).

III. FIGURE THREE

1 Facing ctr, step R bwd, beginning to slowly lower hands twd "W" pos (ct 1); step L bwd, continuing to slowly lower hands (ct 2);

2 Small step R bwd, leaving L in place and continuing to slowly lower hands (ct 1); transfer wt fwd onto L (ct &); transfer wt bwd to R, ending with hands in "W" pos (ct 2);

3-4 Repeat action of Fig III, meas 1-2, fwd with opp ftwk, raising hands high;

5 Turning to face R and moving to R in LOD, step R fwd (ct 1); step L fwd (ct 2) step R next to L (ct &)

6 Continuing in LOD, step L fwd (ct 1); step R fwd (ct 2);

7 Continuing in LOD, step L fwd (ct 1); step R fwd (ct 2); step L next to R (ct &);

8 Continuing in LOD, step R fwd (ct 1); step L fwd (ct 2).

IV. FIGURE FOUR

1 Continuing in LOD, step R(ct 1); step L (ct &); step R (ct 2); lightly stamp L next to R without wt (ct &);

2 Turning to face L in RLOD, step L (ct 1); step R fwd (ct 2);

3-4 Turning to face L and moving in RLOD, repeat action of Fig IV, meas 1-2, with opp ftwk;

5 Turning to face R and moving in LOD, step R fwd, swaying arms slightly away from ctr (ct 1); step L fwd, swaying arms slightly twd ctr (ct 2);

6-8 Repeat action of Fig IV, meas 5, three more times, slowly lowering arms to "W" pos on final meas.

Turning to face R in LOD and placing hands in Formation pos, repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2011 by Dick Oakes

JOC DE LEAGĂNE Romanian

PRONUNCIATION:	zhok deh LEH-guh-neh

TRANSLATION:	Dance of the cradle

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Nicolaas Hilferink who learned it from Theodor Vasilescu.

BACKGROUND:	This dance is a ceremonial dance from Maramureş. Maramureş is a valley totally enclosed by mountains. Oaş, Gutâi, Ţibleş and Rodnei to the west and south, Maramureş Mountains and Ukrainian Carpathians (Wooded Carpathians) to the east and north, with a thin opening at Khust, a city located on the Khustets River. It is forested and not easily accessible. The dance honors the midwife on her birthday. It is believed that when a child reaches 1 to 1-1/2 years of age, the village women would gather, put their children in front of their chests, and do this ceremonial dance to show that their children were strong and in good health.

MUSIC:	Electrocord (LP) ST-CS 0185, side A, band 9. (NOTE: The label on the first pressing of this record was incorrect, however, the album cover is correct.)

FORMATION:	Cir of W facing diag to R, L hand on own L shldr, R arm extended neighbor to the R with R hand grasping neighbor's L hand.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4

STEPS/STYLE:	Mr. Hilferink writes, "If men insist on dancing [Joc de Leagane], they should dance on the outside of the women's circle."


MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

1-16	No action.

I.	FIGURE ONE

1	Facing to R and moving in LOD, touch R next to L (ct 1); step R fwd (ct 2);
2	Touch L next to R (ct 1); step L fwd (ct 2);
3	Step R fwd (ct 1); step L fwd (ct 2);
4	Step R fwd (ct 1); step L next to R (ct &); step R fwd (ct 2).

5-8	Continuing in LOD, repeat action of meas 1-4 with opp ftwk.

II.	FIGURE TWO

1	Turning to face ctr and raising hands above head height, step R swd, leaving L in place (ct 1); lean over R (ct 2);
2	Transfer wt to L (ct 1); lean over L (ct 2);
3	Transfer wt to R with slight lean to R (ct 1); step L next to R, straightening body (ct 2);
4	Step R swd (ct 1); lean over R (ct 2);

5-7	Repeat action of Fig II, meas 1-3, with opp ftwk;
8	Step L swd (ct 1); close R to L without wt (ct 2).

III.	FIGURE THREE

1	Facing ctr, step R bwd, beginning to slowly lower hands twd "W" pos (ct 1); step L bwd, continuing to slowly lower hands (ct 2);
2	Small step R bwd, leaving L in place and continuing to slowly lower hands (ct 1); transfer wt fwd onto L (ct &); transfer wt bwd to R, ending with hands in "W" pos (ct 2);

3-4	Repeat action of Fig III, meas 1-2, fwd with opp ftwk, raising hands high;

5	Turning to face R and moving to R in LOD, step R fwd (ct 1); step L fwd (ct 2) step R next to L (ct &)
6	Continuing in LOD, step L fwd (ct 1); step R fwd (ct 2);
7	Continuing in LOD, step L fwd (ct 1); step R fwd (ct 2); step L next to R (ct &);
8	Continuing in LOD, step R fwd (ct 1); step L fwd (ct 2).

IV.	FIGURE FOUR

1	Continuing in LOD, step R(ct 1); step L (ct &); step R (ct 2); lightly stamp L next to R without wt (ct &);
2	Turning to face L in RLOD, step L (ct 1); step R fwd (ct 2);

3-4	Turning to face L and moving in RLOD, repeat action of Fig IV, meas 1-2, with opp ftwk;

5	Turning to face R and moving in LOD, step R fwd, swaying arms slightly away from ctr (ct 1); step L fwd, swaying arms slightly twd ctr (ct 2);

6-8	Repeat action of Fig IV, meas 5, three more times, slowly lowering arms to "W" pos on final meas.

	Turning to face R in LOD and placing hands in Formation pos, repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2011 by Dick Oakes