Rusa - Руса (Bulgaria)

Rusa

Руса

Pirin, Bulgaria

These notes ©2016, Andrew Carnie. The dance was taught by Iliana Bozhanova on her 2016 tour. This is a woman's dance from Kočan village in Pirin.

Music: Bozhanova, Iliana and Todor Yankov (2016) Sharenia. IBTY15

Meter: 2/4

Formation: Open circle, hands down in V Position. The dance starts with every other dancer in the circle facing LOD (the odd numbered dancers), and the other dancers facing RLOD (the even numbered dancers)

Introduction: 20 bars of instrumental, start with the singing.

In bars 1-10, the even numbered dancers back up in LOD and the odd numbered dancers dance forward in LOD.

Bar 1: Step R (1), L (2) in LOD   

Bar 2: Step R in LOD (1), Čukče on R (2)

Bars 3-4: Repeat bars 1-2 with opposite footwork

Bars 5-8: Repeat bars 1-4

Bars 9-10: Repeat bars 1-2

Bar 11: Turning to face center, step L (1), R (2)

Bar 12: Step back out of center on L, bending body slightly forward (1). Čukče on L (2)

Bar 13: Step forward on R, straightening up (1). Čukče on R (2)

Bar 14: repeat bar 12

Bar 15: Odd numbered dancers dance forward into the center (still holding hands with neighbors) R (1), L (2). Even numbered dancers step R (1), L (2) away from center

Bar 16: Step on R (in for odd numbered dancers, out for even numbered dancers) (1)l Čukče on R (2)

Bar 17: Odd numbered dancers step L (1), R (2) away from the center. Even numbered dancers step L (1), R (2) into the center

Bar 18: Odd numbered dancers step out of center on L (1) then čukče on L (2); Even numbered dancers do the same but into the center

Bar 19: Step R (1), L (2) turning to face the opposite direction where you started (Odd numbered dancers end facing RLOD. Even numbered dancers face LOD).

Bar 20: Close R next to L, no weight (1), pause (2)

Now repeat bars 1-20 but facing the opposite direction (Odd facing RLOD, Even facing LOD) but still moving in LOD.  On the repeat during bars 11-20, the odd numbered dancers start by going out and the even numbered dancers dance in. 

Repeat entire dance from the beginning two more times

Lyrics

The Cyrillic transcription and the translation are from Iliana's booklet "Sharenia" and she retains copyright. In that booklet, she also provides a Latin alphabet transcription and sheet music. Please purchase the booklet from from her directly.

//Руса въз роса вървеше//
и лудо – младо по нея. Русо, моме ле!

//Повдигай, Русо, шалии//
да ги не роса йороси! Русо, моме ле!

//Да ги не роса йороси, //
че ще им падне боята. Русо, моме ле!

//Пукай са, лудо, трескай са, //
за момините шалии! Русо, моме ле!

//За момините шалии - //
боиса от роса не падат. Русо, моме ле!


Rusa ( a girl) walks on dewy grass
and a young lad follows her.

“Pick up your jacket, Rusa!”
he says “So, the dew does not wet it.”

If it gets wet, the colors will fade.” 

“Make yourself as crazy as you want
over girl’s jacket! What do you know

about it? Dew can not affect the colors
of my jacket!!!!!”

Sources

• Bozhanova, Iliana and Todor Yankov (2016) Sharenia. IBTY15. (CD, DVD, Data Disk, and PDF notes), includes sheet music for the tune used in the recording.