Taniec w parach (ang)

Set couple dance form

Throughout history the latest dance fashions are introduced to the local dance repertoire at social functions. These are adapted into the village context taking aspects of the local dance style, step patterns, figures or music.

In Romanian dance terms, this category includes all otherwise not included couple dance types, most of which have arrived or developed after the early 19th century.

This "classic" Romanian ethnologist classification gives a few, rather open, distinguishing features;

• a set order, or commanded order of predetermined figures
• couples in a circle

Possibly due to the large fund of older types of dance, these newer couple dances are not so often included in stage choreographies or taught to those studying Romanian dance.

The more recent dance fashions of Waltz and Tango are deeply imbedded in the social dance repertoire, although not normally included in 'traditional dance' studies. For example the Vlaşa region village of Răsuceni in southern Muntenia includes the dances Ceardaşul (Romanian spelling for 'Csardas') and Poloneza.

Set couple dance types

A list of included couple dance types;

• Polca, Polcuţa (Polka) - The polka now has many variants in Moldavia although these look very different to the original lively Czech Polka, and are now believed to be Romanian dances by the villagers.
• Germanic dances such as the Seven Steps (Siebenschritt) are found in Transylvania and Moldavia where Germans were employed in the mining industry - e.g. Roata de şapt paşi (Baia Mare), Porka and Hétlépés (Szek).
• Jurelul quadrille dance form reached Maramures via the Ukraine.
• 'Walking and turning' - for example Ciobănaşul.
• Muşamaua 'Change by command' - found throughout Romania as Spic de Grâu,  hop şi alta, Kecsketánc Csango of Moldavia), and with the Bulgarians living along the Danube. Couples move round a circle and at the call of the leader change direction or move on to the next partner.

Couple dances

Set dances

change by command

Turning
Polka

Germanic
 

walking & turning

Quadrille

Muşamaua

Polca, Polcuţa
 

Ciobănaşul
 

 Jurelul 

Choreographic form, motifs, & music

type	names	form	structure	motifs	music
change by command	Muşamaua
Turning Polka	Polca, Polcuţa
Germanic	Roata de şapt paşi, Porka and Hétlépés (Szek)
walking & turning	Ciobănaşul, Foricica
Quadrille	Jurelul