Olahos

OLÁHOS
Hungarian

PRONUNCIATION: OH-lah-hohsh

TRANSLATION: Jumping dance

SOURCE: Andor Czompo learned this dance from its arranger, Agoston Lanyi of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and introduced it to folk dancers in the Unites States.

BACKGROUND: Oláhos is an "ugrós" dance from the Lower Tisza region of southern Hungary. According to Mr. Czompo, it is an "old layer" Hungarian dance of the shepherds and "ex-agricultural" laborers of some of the large estates. "Oláhos," meaning "jumping dance," refers to those nomadic peoples called "Vlachs," who spread out over southeastern Europe from "Wallachia," in what is now the southern Romanian ethnographic regions of Muntenia and Oltenia.

MUSIC: Express (45rpm) E-409;
Qualiton (LP) LPX-18007, side A, band 3 (which should be played slightly faster).

FORMATION: Individual dancers, arranged in a loose cir for convenience.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4

STEPS/STYLE: At times, the body may be bent fwd slightly at the hips. M dance with arms free, elbows bent and moving close to the body. W dance with hands on hips, fingers fwd and thumbs bwd, with wrists somewhat bent.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

None. Dancers may prefer to wait 4 meas and beg dancing with meas 5, thus doing the action as described in meas 1-2 only once.

I. FIGURE ONE

1 Step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (ct &); small leap R swd, bending knees slightly and bringing L close to R ankle (ct 2);

2 Jump slightly to L on balls of ft with L in front, knees straight and toes turned slightly outward (ct 1); jump in place on balls of ft with R in front, knees somewhat bent and toes turned slightly outward (ct 2);

3-6 Repeat action of meas 1-2 two more times;

7 Step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (ct &); small leap R swd, bending knees slightly and raising L ft slightly to L (ct 2);

8 Leading with L, jump slightly to L with ft together (ct 1); leading with R, jump slightly to R with a heel-click upon landing (ct 2).

II. FIGURE TWO

1 Step R in place (ct 1); step L on heel slightly diag fwd to L with toe raised (ct &); stamp R in place, slightly bending knee and taking wt (ct 2);

2 Hop R in place, slightly bending knee (ct 1); step L on heel slightly diag fwd to L with toe raised (ct &); stamp R in place, slightly bending knee and taking wt (ct 2);

3 Hop R in place, slightly bending knee (ct 1); step L on heel slightly diag fwd to L with toe raised and clapping hands at about face height (ct &); step R in place, slightly bending knee (ct 2); step L on heel slightly diag fwd to L with toe raised and clapping hands at about face height (ct &);

4 Step R in place, slightly bending knee (ct 1); step L on heel diag fwd to L with toe raised and clapping hands at about face height (ct &); stamp R in place, slightly bending knee, taking wt, and clapping hands at about face height (ct 2);

5-7 Repeat action of meas 1-3 but without the clapping;

8 Step R in place, raising L slightly to L (ct 1); leading with L, jump slightly to L with a heel-click upon landing (ct 2).

III. FIGURE THREE

1 Step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (ct &); small leap R swd (ct 2);

2 Repeat action of Fig III, meas 1, with opp ftwk;

3 Step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (&); step R swd (ct 2); step L across in back of R (ct &);

4 Step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (ct &); step R swd, slightly bending knee (ct 2);

5-7 Repeat action of Fig III, meas 1-3 to L with opp ftwk;

8 Step L swd (ct 1); leading with R, jump R swd with a heel-click upon landing.

Repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2007 by Dick Oakes

OLÁHOS Hungarian

PRONUNCIATION:	OH-lah-hohsh

TRANSLATION:	Jumping dance

SOURCE:	Andor Czompo learned this dance from its arranger, Agoston Lanyi of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and introduced it to folk dancers in the Unites States.

BACKGROUND:	Oláhos is an "ugrós" dance from the Lower Tisza region of southern Hungary. According to Mr. Czompo, it is an "old layer" Hungarian dance of the shepherds and "ex-agricultural" laborers of some of the large estates. "Oláhos," meaning "jumping dance," refers to those nomadic peoples called "Vlachs," who spread out over southeastern Europe from "Wallachia," in what is now the southern Romanian ethnographic regions of Muntenia and Oltenia.

MUSIC:	Express (45rpm) E-409; Qualiton (LP) LPX-18007, side A, band 3 (which should be played slightly faster).

FORMATION:	Individual dancers, arranged in a loose cir for convenience.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4

STEPS/STYLE:	At times, the body may be bent fwd slightly at the hips. M dance with arms free, elbows bent and moving close to the body. W dance with hands on hips, fingers fwd and thumbs bwd, with wrists somewhat bent.


MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

	None. Dancers may prefer to wait 4 meas and beg dancing with meas 5, thus doing the action as described in meas 1-2 only once.

I.	FIGURE ONE

1	Step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (ct &); small leap R swd, bending knees slightly and bringing L close to R ankle (ct 2);
2	Jump slightly to L on balls of ft with L in front, knees straight and toes turned slightly outward (ct 1); jump in place on balls of ft with R in front, knees somewhat bent and toes turned slightly outward (ct 2);
3-6	Repeat action of meas 1-2 two more times;
7	Step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (ct &); small leap R swd, bending knees slightly and raising L ft slightly to L (ct 2);
8	Leading with L, jump slightly to L with ft together (ct 1); leading with R, jump slightly to R with a heel-click upon landing (ct 2).

II.	FIGURE TWO

1	Step R in place (ct 1); step L on heel slightly diag fwd to L with toe raised (ct &); stamp R in place, slightly bending knee and taking wt (ct 2);
2	Hop R in place, slightly bending knee (ct 1); step L on heel slightly diag fwd to L with toe raised (ct &); stamp R in place, slightly bending knee and taking wt (ct 2);
3	Hop R in place, slightly bending knee (ct 1); step L on heel slightly diag fwd to L with toe raised and clapping hands at about face height (ct &); step R in place, slightly bending knee (ct 2); step L on heel slightly diag fwd to L with toe raised and clapping hands at about face height (ct &);
4	Step R in place, slightly bending knee (ct 1); step L on heel diag fwd to L with toe raised and clapping hands at about face height (ct &); stamp R in place, slightly bending knee, taking wt, and clapping hands at about face height (ct 2);

5-7	Repeat action of meas 1-3 but without the clapping;
8	Step R in place, raising L slightly to L (ct 1); leading with L, jump slightly to L with a heel-click upon landing (ct 2).

III.	FIGURE THREE

1	Step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (ct &); small leap R swd (ct 2);
2	Repeat action of Fig III, meas 1, with opp ftwk;
3	Step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (&); step R swd (ct 2); step L across in back of R (ct &);
4	Step R swd (ct 1); step L across in back of R (ct &); step R swd, slightly bending knee (ct 2);

5-7	Repeat action of Fig III, meas 1-3 to L with opp ftwk;
8	Step L swd (ct 1); leading with R, jump R swd with a heel-click upon landing.

	Repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2007 by Dick Oakes