This a popular melody and dance which is distributed across the former “Yugoslavia” (Croatia, Serbia, Vojvodina, Bosnia) that can also be found danced by Romanians in the Banat mountains and in one location in northeast Transylvania. In Banat, choreographer Marius Ursu learnt a version entitled as Plocoanele or Complimentul in his native Almăj valley.
The Serbian melody and dance title is taken from various song words to the same melody. Once titled the Cigancice malena (little Gypsy girl), the lyrics were changed to Seljancice malena (little village girl) giving Seljančica Kolo (Сељанчица коло), and about students of Karlovac, Croatia giving Djačko Kolo (Ðačko Kolo Ђачко коло).[1] In Tito’s Yugoslavia the melody was given new patriotic lyrics, Pioniri maleni (little pioneers)[2], and from this it can be found under the title pionirsko kolo.[3]
In the simplest form, the dance is walking, and this is included in research publications on dances in the Vojvodina region. Firstly, research in the communities of Dinaric Serbs that relocated to Vojvodina who dance Seljančica starting to the left[4], and secondly from the Serbs living in the region along the Mureș between Szeged and Arad.[5]
The version in the Romanian repertoire is closest in melody and dance structure to the “popular” version which travelled to the US with emigrants from ex-Yugoslavia. The notations and recordings in the USA provide a history of its past. The first documentary source is in Louis Chalif’s “Folk dances of Different Nations volume 2″ in 1914.[2] The versions that were introduced to the American folk dancers were from Michael Herman and Vyts Beliajus in the 1940s. Vyts Beliajus’ version is notated in the sleeve notes for the Folkcraft 1401 record[6] and in the Folk Dance Federation of California online archive.[7] This version can be seen here https://youtu.be/8a5CW970QTo.
In the US folk dancer groups the name Seljančica became the standard, whereas in the UK the name used was Djatcko Kolo. This was part of the early international folk dance repertoire probably from the late 1940s published on the “National Dances” records series[8] and dance description in 1966 in the SIFD series of books.[9]
The dance is also known in the region of Șieuț in northeast Transylvania as Șteoapa from Sebiș[10] or Știoapa from Șieuț town.[11] The name is a local dialect form of Șchioapa meaning limping, but is unrelated to the other dances under this title.
The form of this dance is very like a Banat Brâul, and is unlike any other dances from the region in Transylvania. The Almăj valley is quite remote which leads to the idea that this dance was popular in the past in contexts where both the Almăj people and migrant Transylvanians were in contact. This connection can potentially be traced to the 1970s to 1980 when people from Șieuț region went to work as agricultural labourers in the Banat region who also brought Banat style costumes mane in Caransebeș back to the Șieuț region.[12]
Dance form
Melody
The music and dance comprises three parts, each part has a repeated melody totalling A = 8 measures, B = 4 measures, C = 8 measures.
The basic (simplified) melody is:
For example a 1950s recording by the Banat Tamburitza Orchestra in the USA:
Dance structure
The dance comprises three parts, each repeated in “mirror” with opposite footwork and direction.
| Part A | Part B | Part C |
|---|---|---|
| 8 measures | 4 measures | 8 measures |
| side to side | in place | travelling |
| 3 steps x4 | 1 step x4 | 7 steps x2 |
Part A is a 2 measure motif, mirrored and repeated totalling 8 measures, part B is a 1 measure motif, mirrored and repeated totalling 4 measures, and part C is a 4 measure pattern, mirrored totalling 8 measures.
The simplest walking version:[13]
The version in the immigrant communities in the USA includes variations to parts A and B. Part A: first count becomes “hop-step” and last count becomes “hop”. Part B: the first count of each travelling step is replaced with a “hop (with opposite heel touching in front) step”.
The version from Almăj valley in Banat, Plocoanele or Complimentul, retains the basic part A, part B is simplified, and part C is changed to “step-hop-step” which is a very common motif in Brâul from Banat.
The version from Șieuț in northeast Transylvania called Șteoapa has a different part A, part B has typical Banat Brâul triple step to replace the step-close, and part C is the same as Plocoanele or Complimentul.
References
- Houston, Ron (2011). Seljančica. Folk Dance Problem Solver, pp.52-55. The Society of Folk Dance Historians.
- Laušević, Mirjana (2007). Balkan fascination : creating an alternative music culture in America. New York, Oxford University Press.
- For example: Etuška Poljaković, Milica Manojlović – Narodne Igre Jugoslavije, Vinyl, 7", EP, 33 ⅓ RPM, Book 1973, record 2.
- Karin, Vesna (2014). Dance practice of Dinarian people in Vojvodina [Плесна Пракса Динараца У Војводини]. PhD, University of Arts. Belgrade: University of Arts, Department of Ethnomusicology.
- Rakočević, Selena (2011). Igre Plesnih Struktura: Traditionalna igre i muzika za igru Srba u Banatu u svetlu uzajamnih uticaja [Dance structures: Traditional dance and music for the dance of the Serbs in Banat in the light of mutual influences]. Beograd, Fakultet Muzicke Umetnosti.
- Holden, Ricky (>1950). Seljančica and Nebesko kolo. 1401. Folkcraft. (7" record sleeve notes.)
- Beliajus, Vyts (>1950). Seljancica. Online at: https://socalfolkdance.org/dances/S/Seljancica_(Beliajus).pdf
- National Folk Dance Players (1962). National Dances 4, His Master’s Voice, 7EG 8753
- Society for International Folk Dancing (1966) A Selection of European Folk Dances. 3. Pergamon.
- Botoș, Corneliu (1991) . Dance seminar with choreographer Corneliu Botoș held in Bitstrița in 1991.
- Mureșan, Patricia Smaranda (2021.) Jocuri și strigături din Șieuț (Județul Bistrița-Năsăud). Memoria Ethnologica, nr. 80–81 (an XXI), pp. 88-113. Baia Mare: Centrul județean pentru conservarea și promovarea culturii tradiționale Maramureș.
- Mureșan, Patricia-Smaranda (2019). Influențe din Caransebeș în portul popular din satul Șieuț (județul Bistrița-Năsăud). Tibiscum, pp.335-348. Cluj: Editura Mega.
- I have previously refrained from adding dance notation to our website, but after consideration I have decided to use Romanotation, which anyone researching Romanian dancing should learn to read, and not Labanotation which is used in academic writing. Romanotation is optimised for the features of Romanian dances, clearly shows the step rhythm, is very quick to learn, and fits better across a webpage.