Slavjanka

SLAVJANKA
Serbian

PRONUNCIATION: slav-YAHN-kah

TRANSLATION: Woman who celebrates her name day (or any religious or secular holiday)

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Dick Crum who learned it from folkdancers in Belgrade (Beograd), the capital of Serbia, in 1954. Al Bahr taught it at the 1958 California Kolo Festival.

BACKGROUND: Kolos (circle dances), such as Slavjanka, may still be seen in the villages on Sundays, Saint's Days, and National Days, while in the larger cities, such as Beograd, they are still danced at events celebrating a birth, a courtship or betrothal, a wedding, or a Slava (family Saint's Day feast). Belgrade, the "white city," is the largest city of Serbia and lies at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. Belgrade is home to many ethnicities from all over the former Yugoslavia. Many people came to the city as economic migrants from smaller towns and the countryside, while thousands arrived as refugees from Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Kosovo as a result of the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s.

MUSIC: National (45rpm) 454-B

FORMATION: Open or closed circle of dancers, hands joined and held at shoulder height in "W" pos.

METER/RHYTHM: 2/4

STEPS/STYLE: Steps are small but lively.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

None.

I. PART ONE

1 With ft together, rise on balls of both ft (ct & of previous meas), come down onto both heels with gentle flex of knees (ct 1), rise onto balls of ft (ct &), bounce heels (ct 2), bounce heels (ct &),

2 Step R swd, flexing knees (ct 1), closing L to R, rise onto balls of both ft (ct &), bounce heels (ct 2); bounce heels (ct &),

3-8 Repeat action of meas 2 six times,

9 Repeat action of meas 1,

10-16 Reverse action of meas 2-8, beginning L and moving L (CW).

II. PART TWO

17 Lower joined hands to sides and step R in front of L (ct 1), step L in place (ct 2),

18 Step R next to L (ct 1), hop R (ct 2),

19-20 Reverse action of meas 17-18, beginning L and moving L (CW),

21-32 Repeat action of meas 17-20 three times.

NOTE: With no introduction it is difficult to start on the first beat of the music. Therefore, follow the leader.

Repeat entire dance from beg.

SLAVJANKA
(Malo Ja, Malo Ti)
Serbia

Malo Ja, Malo Ti has many verses that
are "off color," not something you'd want
your grandmother hear you sing.

/ Haj, malo ja, malo ti, malo ja
pa ćemo se frajlice, opet voleti. /
/ Haj, uba, uba, uba, uba, ubava, uba, uba,
ubava, curo garava. /

/ Haj, grli me, ljubi me, grli me,
i u baštu vodi me gde miriše creće. /
/ Haj, neka, neka, neka, neka, nek se zna,
neka, neka, nek se zna, da te ljubim ja. /

/ Haj, grli me, ljubi me, grli me, i u krevet baci me,
pa radi šta znaš. /
/ Haj, uba, uba, uba, uba, ubava, uba, uba,
ubava, curo garava. /

Haj, little me, little you,
and we will get to love again.

Haj, beautiful smutty girl.

Haj, hug me, kiss me, keep me in the garden
where the scent lingers.

Haj, let it be known that I love you.

Haj, hug me, kiss me, throw me in bed,
and do what you know.

Haj, beautiful smutty girl.

Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes

SLAVJANKA Serbian

PRONUNCIATION:	slav-YAHN-kah

TRANSLATION:	Woman who celebrates her name day (or any religious or secular holiday)

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Dick Crum who learned it from folkdancers in Belgrade (Beograd), the capital of Serbia, in 1954. Al Bahr taught it at the 1958 California Kolo Festival.

BACKGROUND:	Kolos (circle dances), such as Slavjanka, may still be seen in the villages on Sundays, Saint's Days, and National Days, while in the larger cities, such as Beograd, they are still danced at events celebrating a birth, a courtship or betrothal, a wedding, or a Slava (family Saint's Day feast). Belgrade, the "white city," is the largest city of Serbia and lies at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. Belgrade is home to many ethnicities from all over the former Yugoslavia. Many people came to the city as economic migrants from smaller towns and the countryside, while thousands arrived as refugees from Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Kosovo as a result of the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s.

MUSIC:	National (45rpm) 454-B

FORMATION:	Open or closed circle of dancers, hands joined and held at shoulder height in "W" pos.

METER/RHYTHM:	2/4

STEPS/STYLE:	Steps are small but lively.


MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION

	None.

I.	PART ONE

1	With ft together, rise on balls of both ft (ct & of previous meas), come down onto both heels with gentle flex of knees (ct 1), rise onto balls of ft (ct &), bounce heels (ct 2), bounce heels (ct &),
2	Step R swd, flexing knees (ct 1), closing L to R, rise onto balls of both ft (ct &), bounce heels (ct 2); bounce heels (ct &),

3-8	Repeat action of meas 2 six times,

9	Repeat action of meas 1,

10-16	Reverse action of meas 2-8, beginning L and moving L (CW).

II.	PART TWO

17	Lower joined hands to sides and step R in front of L (ct 1), step L in place (ct 2),
18	Step R next to L (ct 1), hop R (ct 2),
19-20	Reverse action of meas 17-18, beginning L and moving L (CW),

21-32	Repeat action of meas 17-20 three times.

	NOTE: With no introduction it is difficult to start on the first beat of the music. Therefore, follow the leader.

	Repeat entire dance from beg.