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Bulgarian dances

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Bulgarian folk dances are intimately related to the music of Bulgaria.

A distinctive feature of Balkan folk music is the asymmetrical meters, built up around various combinations of 'quick' and 'slow' beats; in Western music notation, this is often described using compound meter notation, where the notational meter accents, i.e., the heard beats, can be of different lengths, usually 1, 2, 3 or 4. One should, however, be aware of that this is just the use of an incomplete musical notation, as frequently in actual play, the proportions of these beats do not follow any exact rational proportions. For example, the well known tune, Eleno Mome, exists written in both 13 = 4+4+2+3, and 12=3+4+2+3 times. It could from the beginning have been a tune in 7 = 2+2+1+2, with a tendency to shorten the last and first beats, after awhile becoming formalized into a new meter. Given this fact, though, some meters are more common or popular; but there is a wide variation of less frequent combinations, as well. There is also a notational flux whether one should use 1/8 or 1/16 as meter denominator, but this is just a notational convenience. In the list below, the denominator follows in part notational practice of the region, and in part the speed of the type of tune, giving the 1/4 note a reasonable number of beats per minute (as on a metronome).

List of Bulgarian folk dances

Following is a list of some Bulgarian folk dances, along with their commonly written rhythms and time signatures.

Details on Bulgarian dances

Jove Male Mome and Sedi Donka can be thought of as a compound of common 7 (chetvorno) and 11 (gankino) meters, but it is more unclear what Sandansko horo should be; thinking of it as a compound 9+9+4, where 9 is the daichovo rhythm, seems natural. A rachenitsa can, in slower tempo, have a distinctive 2+2+3 rhythm, but in a quicker pace, it may only be perceived as a 4+3; this character can also change within the same tune. Thus, even though these are well known rhythmic patterns, one may not arrive at an unambiguous meter interpretation, the way listeners of Western music are used to. Folk dancers often speak in terms of "quick" and "slow" instead of a steady meter "1, 2, 3," etc.

Many of the dances are formed by each person holding the belt or sash of the dancer on either side. These belts are typically fit loosely around the waist so that each person can move easily within the belt, while the overall line can stay together. Although there are basic steps that make up the dance, certain people may improvise variations, often forming a competition between the dancers. These variations must result in the same movement as the rest of the line, but may consist of additional or slightly different steps.

For example, the basic Paidushko(Baiduska,Pajdusko,Pajduska,Payduska)(5/8) dance consists of a series of four hop-steps (actually, lift-steps) to the right, followed by a series of four steps to the left where the right foot crosses in front of the left foot on the quick beat, then weight is transferred onto the right foot, which pushes the dancer to the left on the slow beat. Finally the line moves backwards using four hop-steps, and the dance is repeated. Variations might consist of alternating the right foot in front of and behind the left foot, forming a basic grapevine dance step. Another variation might be that instead of hop-steps backwards, a dancer might use a series of scissor steps and end with a pas-de-bas step.

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