Pravo horo () is a very popular, simple
folk dance
A folk dance is a dance that reflects the life of the people of a certain country or region. Not all ethnic dances are folk dances. For example, Ritual, ritual dances or dances of ritual origin are not considered to be folk dances. Ritual dances ...
from
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
that is done throughout the
Balkan countries
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
.
In Greece, it is called
Zonaradiko
Zonaradiko () is a traditional Greek folk dance from Thrace (Greece) that is named after the dance's handhold. Dancers hold the adjacent dancer's ''zonaria'' ( belt) during the dance. Zonaradiko is a village line dance done in one form or another ...
.
It is considered the "national dance" of Bulgaria,
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
, and
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
.
It is a rustic village
line dance
A line dance is a choreographed dance in which a group of people dance along to a repeating sequence of dance step, steps while arranged in one or more lines or rows. These lines usually face all in the same direction, or less commonly face each ot ...
with a three-measure pattern, done to or music, and is a staple of weddings, feast days, and other celebrations.
As with other Balkan dances, each country and even local region has its own variation of the dance,
often interspersing other steps with the basic ''pravo'' step, to the extent that these different versions amount to distinct dances.
Description
Pravo is a
line dance
A line dance is a choreographed dance in which a group of people dance along to a repeating sequence of dance step, steps while arranged in one or more lines or rows. These lines usually face all in the same direction, or less commonly face each ot ...
, with men and women dancers in one or more concentric curving lines, facing in toward the center, holding hands. One of two handholds is used, either simply holding hands down at the sides with right palm facing forward, left facing back, or the "belt hold" (''na lesa''), with each dancer holding the front of his two neighboring dancers' belt or sash, left arm over right.
In most forms, the line moves slowly toward the right, so the rightmost dancer is the leader.
The curving line of dancers moves in toward the center then out again, in the basic step, as the line moves to the right. This pattern is repeated throughout the dance. There are several variations of the basic step, all have the form ''step, step, step, pause, step, pause'', where the ''pause'' may be replaced with variations detailed below. One common step is
:Measure 1: ''(beat 1)'' Facing forward, step R foot forward and slightly diagonally R, ''(beat 2)'' step L foot next to R;
:Measure 2: ''(beat 1)'' Step R foot forward and slightly diagonally R, ''(beat 2)'' pause;
:Measure 3: ''(beat 1)'' Step L foot forward and slightly diagonally to R, ''(beat 2)'' turn slightly L to face center;
:Measure 4: ''(beat 1)'' step R foot straight back, ''(beat 2)'' step L foot next to R;
:Measure 5: ''(beat 1)'' step R foot straight back, ''(beat 2)'' pause;
:Measure 6: ''(beat 1)'' step L foot back and slightly to L, ''(beat 2)'' pause;
The styling is rather heavy and earthy, with the knees always slightly bent and flexing slightly with each step.
The first two steps forward with the R foot are done with a peculiar sliding motion. The leader and tail dancer may hold up handkerchiefs with their free hands and twirl them.
The dance lasts as long as the musicians wish to keep playing, and in villages may go on for hours. The in and out motion becomes hypnotic after 20 to 30 minutes.
Variations
Each dancer may individually add certain variations or ornamentations to the basic step at will:
#''Stamp'': A small stamp may be added by the same foot just before the steps taken forward in beats 1 and 2 of measure 1
#''Chug'': As the step forward is made in measure three, share the weight on both feet and scoot both heels forward, keeping feet apart.
#''Triplets'': The steps forward may be replaced by three light steps, the last two in place, in measure 2 (R-L-R), and measure 3 (L-R-L). Similarly, the steps back may be replaced by three light steps in measure 5 (R-L-R) and measure 6 (L-R-L).
#''Tropoli'': In place of the triplets, the dancer may step on full foot ''(count 1)'', tap other toe, raising supporting heel off floor ''(count &)'', sharply bring supporting heel down to floor ''(count 2)'', and tap other heel next to supporting foot ''(count &)''.
Rhythm
The time signature is or – counted as 2 triplets 3+3. Often in music for the pravo, both and time signatures will be used where is used for the singing and is used for the slightly faster instrumental portions. In Bulgaria, the portion is also transcribed in using triplets. Each dance phrase corresponds to 3 musical measures counted as ''quick'', ''quick'', ''slow'', ''slow'', (corresponding to 2+2+4+4 in time or 1+1+2+2 in time).
See also
*
Bulgarian dances
Bulgarian folk dances are intimately related to the music of Bulgaria. This distinctive feature of Balkan folk music is the asymmetrical meter, built up around various combinations of 'quick' and 'slow' beats. The music, in Western musical nota ...
*
List of folk dances sorted by origin
*
Zonaradiko
Zonaradiko () is a traditional Greek folk dance from Thrace (Greece) that is named after the dance's handhold. Dancers hold the adjacent dancer's ''zonaria'' ( belt) during the dance. Zonaradiko is a village line dance done in one form or another ...
References
{{reflist
Bulgarian dances