The Wonders of Romania (where tourists are few and far between) "Going to Church in Marumures, Transylvania" How would you like to visit a country which is still unspoilt by tourism and where traditional costumes are still worn in the villages and it's not even festival time? Where families go to work in the fields on their horse drawn carts, where water comes from the well in the village square and little old ladies give you the warmest smiles (even though they haven't a tooth in their heads)? Then Romania is for you. The Lonely Planet describes Romania as a country of "superstitions and legends, dramatic castles and medieval towns, horses and carts and farmers. Tourism means you". How true these words are. (It omitted to mention all the churches and museums which are ranked fairly highly on the list of priorities in the villages.) This is definitely a country to experience personally and not one that you can read about and predict. I had read about the Calusari, never thinking for a moment that I would ever see them, so you can imagine my total surprise when I saw a group of Calusari riding towards us on horseback. Quite an emotional experience to say the least. But back to the beginning where I had just spent a month in England visiting Andrew (my son) who was completing his final year Law at Oxford University as part of the ANU exchange program. Having travelled all that distance to visit Andrew and relatives (some of whom I hadn't seen for 30 years), I decided I needed to make the most of the trip whilst in the northern hemisphere, so Romania and Holland were put on the agenda. Holland, (for the next newsletter) because since André van de Plas' first trip to Australia in 1983, I had been threatening to get my own back and visit him one day, and Romania, because very few Australian folkies seem to go there, Bulgaria being more of a draw card instead.

...continued from the left column Lesley Rose, who had a 97 year old aunt in Scotland she wished to visit, thought she had better not wait much longer otherwise it might be too late, decided to meet me for the Romanian and Dutch part of the tour. Whilst we were based in Holland she flew to Scotland for a few days to see her aunt together with Lesley's husband who surprised us all by turning up in Holland unannounced. (Ain't love grand). (...Where was my Jim?) The trip to Romania was organised by Silviu and Andrea Ciuciumis of The Doina Foundation. Over the past few years, I had received information in the mail from The Doina Foundation about Romanian tours and often thought how much I would like to participate in one of these tours. Having made a number of enquiries with overseas contacts and the Romanian Embassy in Canberra, I decided to take the plunge. Any fears I had were immediately allayed as soon as I met Silviu at Bucharest Airport and later his wife and from then on it was a matter of dance, sing and be merry with the other fifty participants from Holland, Belgium, Israel, England, USA, Germany and Finland. (Some on their 10th and 14th trips to Romania). Transylvania was our destination for the first week of our tour, staying at a town called Targu Mures. This entailed taking the train from Bucharest to Targu Mures, (an adventure in itself). Most mornings we had dance classes taught by two members of the Muresul performing ensemble - one teacher taught Romanian dances and the other teacher taught Hungarian dances. Live music was the order of the day and, surprisingly, some of the tunes were recognisable from our music at home. Fortunately for us, we have videos and music of the dances taught so in time we hope to be able to teach them to our classes in Canberra. We also had excursions to villages where we joined the locals who were very friendly and wanted to show us their village (including their church), their crafts, costumes and of course their village performing group. They must have thought we needed fattening up judging by the copious quantities of food we consumed and, just to make sure we enjoyed ourselves, kept our glasses topped up with Tuica (RRP $2.50 per bottle and guaranteed to unblock drains). In Transylvania, Dracula plays a major role in several towns but I guess Romania needs something to attract the tourists other than Nadia Comaneci. "Another late night"

"On the way to work" Week 2 of our tour consisted of Lesley and I hiring a car with driver and guide to travel north towards the Ukrainian border through Maramures, the Carpathian Mountains and Bukovina which is very spectacular countryside with snow capped mountains (even in May). The Prislop Pass was a test for the poor old Romanian Dacia car but we made it safely (have another drink of Tuica - it makes all the difference). Accommodation was varied for the week - the guide's house with her lovely family in Bistrita/Nasaud, a Priest's B & B in Botiza, Maramures, actually listed in the Lonely Planet - quite an enterprising Priest! And Silviu's "house" in Bukovina. When I say house I really mean a wonderland castle. Now if you really want to experience life in Fantasy Land (think of Disney Land) then Silviu's house is not to be missed. He can cater for up to approximately 20 people and can organise a tailor-made program specifically for any group who is interested in visiting Romania. For example, two weeks after we left a group of English folk dancers were going to his house for a week of dancing, partying and visiting villages, etc. "Sylviu's House" - 4 single rooms, 4 double rooms, 1 room for 4 people, 1 room for 5 people continued top of next column =>

Bucharest was very different from the villages of course but there are some great museums with fantastic folk costumes on display and where you can purchase blouses, scarves, aprons, etc. The People's Houses of Parliament (Ceausescu's Palace) is incredible. Seeing is believing. It is the second largest building in the world, the Pentagon being the biggest. There are some lovely ornate buildings in Bucharest but unfortunately there seems to be very little money available for maintaining them. As we were told many times, "Romania is still in transition". Personally I think it's going to be in transition for many years to come. Romania is like being in another world. You simply can't believe that a country can be so different from the rest of Europe. It's definitely worth visiting (with an open mind, if you know what that means). Which brings me to my next point. We're already planning another trip to Romania during the September/October school holidays next year (2002). The program would be for 8 days and would be designed especially for us. A minimum number of 15 people would be required with a maximum of 21. We already have approximately 10 people interested (and we only arrived home in June). Some of us are also planning to include one other country, eg, Holland or Greece for a further week (to make the trip more worthwhile). So what I'm saying is, if you're interested, you can contact me either by phone/fax on (02) 6241 3563 or email ja.cvbat@austarmetro.com.au La revedere! ? Christine Battisson (ACT) Bank Interest! A woman walks into a bank in New York City and asks for the loan officer. She says she's going to Europe on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000. The bank officer says the bank will need some kind of security for the loan, so the woman hands over the keys to a new Rolls Royce. The car is parked on the street in front of the bank, she has the registration and everything checks out. The bank agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan. The bank's president and its officers all enjoy a good laugh at the woman for using a $250,000 Rolls as collateral against a $5,000 loan. An employee of the bank then proceeds to drive the Rolls into the bank's underground garage and parks it there. Two weeks later, the woman returns, repays the $5,000 and the interest, which comes to $28.84. The loan officer says, "Miss, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multimillionaire. What puzzles us is, why would you bother to borrow $5,000?". The woman replies....."Where else in New York City can I park my car for two weeks for only $28.84 and expect it to be there when I return?".

Overseas Odyssey I've recently returned from nearly 4 months in Europe, during which I managed to do Balkan dancing in several countries, as well as hear some live folk music, so here are a few impressions. In Berlin basically you can do Balkan dancing any night of the week, and there are many groups of varying standards and focus. One group I particularly liked dancing with is called the Freitagsgruppe (Friday Group). This group concentrates on dancing rather than formal teaching, although there is about 45 minutes of teaching at the beginning of each class. This is followed by about 3 hours of almost non-stop dancing, with a theme (Pontian, Bulgarian, Turkish, etc) each night. The people are very friendly and many speak English, the standard was high and the enthusiasm very infectious. They also have regular weekend workshops with visiting experts throughout the year in eg Romanian, Greek or Armenian dancing, and I was able to attend the first two and had a great time. I'm sure they'd welcome any visiting Australians to their weekly group or their workshops. Their website is www.freitagsgruppe-berlin.de and email freitagsgruppe@web.de. There are lots of other groups in Berlin doing Balkan and also many other dance styles. I'm also aware that there is a great deal of Balkan and other international dancing in other German cities, particularly Frankfurt and Munich. In Hamburg I went to a class at a Greek Dance Centre, where there are regular Greek dance classes several nights of the week. My friend and I then went to an event, similar to our Melbourne dance camp, over a long weekend in a youth hostel in a small town called Luebbarstedt in the vicinity of Bremen. Here, about 30 of us danced day and night to live music, while, to keep costs down, everyone pitched in to help with cooking (and eating!). This was a lovely friendly group without any ostentation or showing off – instead everyone just had a relaxing time dancing and listening to the music. The teaching was done by experienced dancers from various parts of the country, but not necessarily professionals. There didn't seem to be unfortunately much live Balkan music in Berlin. The one band I did hear is called Yerewan, which I did enjoy, but they played performance arrangements rather than dance versions of familiar numbers. However, the Klezmer scene in Berlin is very active with many bands, as well as people singing Jewish songs. The thing that surprised me is that, as far as I'm aware, none of the band musicians are Jewish nor are many of the singers. What's more, they perform overwhelmingly to a general audience, with little or no connection the Jewish community. Some of these musicians have seriously studied the genre, learnt Yiddish, etc. Examples include Karsten Troyke and the band Aufwind, and their performances have, in my opinion, a genuine quality. But there are others, including some of the most popular, where what is called Klezmer is often actually a group's own arrangements of Klezmer/Jewish tunes as well as Balkan and other music. continued top of next column =>

I don't mind where people take their tunes from and I'm not a purist. There are plenty of examples of popular forms influencing traditional styles - Bulgarian wedding bands come to mind. But if what you play is your own arrangements then you should say so - I think it's bad faith to present yourself as playing within a musical tradition when you're not. It seems to me there are two issues: Firstly, relevant to all who perform traditional music or dance, whether it be Klezmer or Balkan, is the responsibility we have to that tradition, if we claim publicly to be presenting it. When I perform Greek or Bulgarian dance, I try to present the dances as close to the traditional style as possible. If I simply were using elements in a dance of my own composition, I wouldn't call it Greek or Bulgarian. What do you all think? Secondly, there is the specific issue of the relationship between Jews and non-Jews in Germany. Jewish music today is popular and attracts audiences. There are also Germans who perform Jewish music because they want to contribute to its recovery and promotion, and this is only to be encouraged. For those who are interested in this subject, there is a very interesting article (in English) by Heiko Lehmann at www.sukk.de/lecture.html. Material in German can be found at www.klezmer.de/D_Klezmer/d_klezmer.html and www.klezmer.de/index.htlml Apart from Germany, I also visited Israel and Greece. In Israel I danced at the regular weekly group in Haifa led by Avi Nir (some people might remember him from his stay in Melbourne a couple of years ago). Avi's group do only Balkan and everyone speaks English, so the evening was a lot of fun. There is also regular dancing in Tel Aviv, international I believe. (Naturally there is plenty of Israeli dancing in Israel, but this isn't a style I personally enjoy). And, in some ways, the highlight of my dance experiences in Europe, was dancing in Greece – at the Pontian and Cretan clubs in Thessaloniki, and in a little taverna in the mountains of Epirus at Easter. Particularly the at the Pontian Club, where the music was non-stop and the dancing that night had a fantastic united group feel, I enjoyed again that magic sense of being at one in rhythm with a group of people. And in the taverna, where everyone ate as much lamb, drank as much ouzo, danced as intensely and sang as drunkenly as they could while it rained and snowed (!) outside, I almost felt myself to be Greek. That was until the drunken singing, in Greek of course, suddenly was clearly to the tune of "She'll be coming round the mountain"! Then I gave up and just decided to be international. ? Janey Stone (VIC) Loz Halawa (Middle Eastern Fruit Balls) 150 g blanched almonds, roasted and finely chopped. 200 g each dried apricots, figs & dates, finely chopped grated rind of 1 lemon 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Process or finely chop all ingredients. Roll into walnut-size balls.

FOLK ON THE WEB Name: Geetanjali Music Society From: Greetings from INDIA! Date: 28 May 2001 Subject: Introduction of our Dance Organisation. Ours is a cultural institute by the name of Geetanjali Music Society, striving to obtain people's patronage for Indian Classical Dance – Kathak as well as  Traditional Folk Dances of Rajasthan (India). To achieve this, besides its academic arena the institute through its production unit has been staging presentations of enduring fascination for the past twenty years. Its cultural troupe has performed all over the country and abroad (U.K., France, Germany, Switzerland, etc.), with its regimnett of the Folk and the Classical. We have to come to know about your organisation through the Internet, and that you sponsor / promote and also invite artists from all over the world. We would be very grateful to know if there are any future possibilities of working together in the form of workshops / lec-dems / solo and group performances, etc. Hoping to hear from you on a positive note. With warm regards, Shashi Sankhla (Honorary Secretary) From: Fwd from maddocksdance@optusnet.com.au Date: 31 May 2001 Subject: Re teacher USA I'm a choreographer/researcher of Armenian regional dance and have my own orchestra here in Los Angeles. For years I've wanted to come to Australia to present my Armenian program. Do you know if there is any interest in Armenian dance in Australia or New Zealand? Would your group be interested in organizing a teaching visit for me and my wife in December? In addition, would you have other contacts with email or telephone numbers with addresses of other sponsoring organizations in Australia or N.Z.? I know there are Armenian communities in both countries especially Melbourne and Sydney, but I've never pursued searching them out. I have travelled throughout most of the continents of the world to present my seminars. My name and address is: Tom Bozigian, 14615 Greenworth Dr. La Mirada, Ca. 90638-2918, 562-941-0845. We will be in Armenia until June 10 then in July we're off to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Best wishes, Tom Bozigian. From: "Folk" folk@sp.ru Subject: Folk Music Association of Russia presents Date: 22 Jun 2001 Dear Colleagues, let us invite you to the Russki Color Theatre of St.Petersburg! The content of The Russki Color Theatre's programs is a combination of various kinds of Russian traditional art: singing of songs, playing on balalaikas and many other instruments, dancing. This natural folklore complex along with a dramatic action turns into the real scenes of ancient rituals, celebrations, games and weddings. This performance can be determined as a multimedia folk show where all songs and dances as well as the powerful visual means based upon Russian ornamentation are interconnected with each other giving rise to the increasing of spectators' interest. Continued top of next column =>

...continued from left column During the presentation you can appreciate the world-famous melodies performed by the virtuoso musicians, get pleasure from the best Russian songs hearing brilliant voices, enjoy vivid dances and colorful national dresses. The Theatre's performances take place at the Concert Hall of Gaza Palace located in St Petersburg, one of the most wonderful cities in the world. Website. The Russki Color Theatre demo video cassette/CD-ROM is also available on request from the FMA. Looking forward to make contact for further collaboration, Alexander Ivanov, Executive Director Name: Borislav Arapchev, From: Plovdiv, Bulgaria Date: 23 Jun 2001 Comments: Hello! I'm the manager of some Bulgarian folk and other artists so if you want we could work together. Check website. Name: "Chris Green, Sheree Hill" From: Brisbane Date: 12 Jul 2001 Subject: English Dance, Brisbane "Sellenger's Round" will be presenting their annual Playford Ball on the 1st September from 7pm. It will be in the Masonic Hall, Vulture St, South Brisbane. Cost, $30 (concession $20) including refreshments. There will be two opportunities to practice the dances on Sunday 19th and 26th August, 2pm-5pm, St Phillips Hall, Annerley. Free. There will be no charge for the practices. Please contact Chris or Sheree, 07 3806 1343, or email. Xenos New CD launched "Tutti Frutti" is finally here. The long awaited 4th CD by the Australian /Roma /Maco /Gypsy band, "Xenos", was launched on Friday 6th July in Melbourne as part of the Boite Winter Festival ). Not sure if you'll like it????? Of course you will!! Go to http://www.geocities.com/xenosgypsy/promo.html and listen to some of the tracks in "RealAudio". Monaro Folk Music Society Dance News (MFMS) On Saturday 11 August at 8pm, a Supper Dance will be held at St John's Church Hall, Reid, ACT. Please bring a plate to add to the supper table. All dances are open to the public and are fun nights for everyone. You don't have to dress up; you don't need to come with a partner, all the dances are taught; and from 8pm till midnight you will be treated to music from top local and interstate bands. There is no need to book, just turn up at the dance in casual dress and comfortable shoes for a great night out Admission to bush dances and supper dances is $12, $10 concession, $8 MFMS members, youth 14-18 $6, children under 14 free. Please see http://www.travellertv.com.au/MFMS/monthly.html for a summary of more dates and events.

...continued from previous page Dance Workshops with John Garden Well-known ACT dance teacher and musician, John Garden, will be travelling through NSW and south QLD in late September, 2001. John and his wife, Aylwen, will teach and demonstrate many styles of social dance from the last 500 years. If you would like to arrange dance workshops with them, please contact Aylwen at garden@earthlydelights.com.au . More info on their website; http://www.earthlydelights.com.au (courtesy of Folk Fed of NSW newsletter, "Cornstalk", July 2001) Another Armenian Perspective For another, lively, almost irreverent, comment on Armenia, try the "Lonely Planet" website: www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/armenia/index.htm Dancing in New Zealand? If you are interested in where to dance in NZ, then try www.nzdances.co.nz . This website is used by groups to advertise their classes and events. "Dancing Australia" - newsletter For information and reviews of dance events in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as feature articles (such as a profile of Australian Heritage dance in the June issue), go to Dancing Australia's website: www.dancingaustralia.com Messianic Dance Workshop This special workshop in Messianic Dance will feature Toni Tate and a team of Messianic dancers direct from the USA. Toni will teach dances to your favourite Messianic songs and music danced by Messianic Jews world wide! Some of these dances can also be used with contemporary Christian worship songs. When: 2 pm - 5pm, Sunday 5th August 2001 Where: Seaforth Baptist Church, cnr Frenchs Forest Road & Macmillan St (NSW) Cost: $10.00 Adult; $5 Student/Pensioner (includes light refreshments) Teacher: Toni Tate has taught in the USA and Jerusalem. Dress: Layered clothes and your favourite X-trainers or jazz ballet shoes Ages: Mature teen to seniors For more information: call 02 9949-6390 or email messianic_dance@hotmail.com ADVERTISING ON FDA WEBSITE Links are currently provided free of charge to websites of non-profit clubs and organisations related to dance and folk and this will continue. We have now set up a page specifically for displaying links to the websites of businesses and other "for-profit" organisations. The annual (ie, Jan – Dec) cost of FDA providing a link to your website will be $40. Businesses or organisations who have at least one FDA member will be entitled to a discount of $20 pa. People wishing their business website to be linked from FDA's website, please email your details to Ashley: kitka@start.com.au. Payment is by cheque to "Folk Dance Australia Inc", The Treasurer, FDA, 4 Old Station Rd, HELENSBURGH 2508.

...continued from left column CIFDA's 25th Birthday Party This, the event of the year, took place on 4 July. It was organized by the committee headed by Carol McNally, Ailsa Lawton, and Margaret Weedon, with invitations designed and executed by Margaret Flanagan. What an exciting night it was! A wonderful reunion of old friends, many of whom had not met for years. Parents of babies have become parents of teenagers and, although many have changed little, some are definitely a little more curvaceous and sport a little more of the distinguished grey around the temples. A definite highlight was the attendance of Sue Miller, who was responsible for the formation of the group in 1976, and for a number of years the only teacher. She taught a dance from the early days, Djurdjevica, which had fallen by the wayside long ago (not the version taught by Yves Moreau). Another star appearance was Janet and Richard who met , married and left CIFDA 17 years ago and dropped in to party with us from Nova Scotia where they now live. We danced from 7.45 until we scurried out like many Cinderellas before midnight, when the alarm system would register our, by then, illegal presence. . But we were danced out and had eaten a great deal of supper, and cut the candle adorned cake. Where will we all be in another 25 years? Or even another 10, as folk dancers seem to be an aging population. Whatever the future holds we know we lived well and danced well on July 4, 2001. ? Margaret Porter (ACT) ADVERTISING IN FOOTNOTES Advertising; For non-members: Full page $40; cost for other sizes are available on a pro-rata basis. For members: This service is available free for members in the interest of promoting folk dancing. Inserts: Brochures / Flyers (maximum size: 1 x A4 page) to be included in Footnotes mailout: For non-members $40 per 100; For members' events: $20 per 100; For FDA-sponsored events: free. Anyone wishing to advertise in Footnotes or have inserts included in the mailout, please contact the Editor on 02 4724 0837 or email: liz@pnc.com.au. Success is ...... At age 4, not wetting your underwear. At age 12, having friends. At age 16, having a driver's license. At age 20, having sex. At age 35, having money. At age 50, having money. At age 60, having sex. At age 70, having a driver's license. At age 75, having friends. At age 80, not wetting your underwear.

ARMENIAN DANCE by Laura Shannon (laura@dance.demon.co.uk). www.dance.demon.co.uk/AGC/Articles/ArmenianDance.html Many people feel something special in Armenian dances, and in the passion, subtlety, and eloquence which they embody. I hope this article will serve as an introduction to some of the factors that make Armenian dances unique. Armenian Territory and History The present-day Armenian republic is a small and extremely mountainous area about the size of Belgium, with a population of approximately 3.5 million. Formerly, Armenia covered a huge territory, including the mountains of what are now Georgia and Azerbaijan, and the vast plateau which extends from eastern Anatolia in Turkey to the southern Caucasus and partly into Iran, Iraq and Syria. This great plateau is home to Mount Ararat, the symbol of the Armenian nation and also a symbol of exile: its breast-shaped profile dominates the view from Yerevan, Armenia's capital, but the mountain itself is now in Turkish territory. The Anatolian plain is one of the world's oldest centres of civilisation. The Armenians, descendants of a branch of Indo-Europeans, settled after the fifth century B.C.E. and established the first Christian state in 301 C.E. A strong cultural identity was established early on, largely thanks to the invention of the Armenian alphabet in 406 C.E. Other inhabitants included Persians, Byzantines, Arabs, Assyrians and Turks. While this resulted in an extremely rich and varied folklore, there was also constant strife among the various peoples. During the first World War, the long history of pogroms and persecution by the Ottoman Turks erupted in a campaign which led to the mass murder of over one and a half million Armenians between 1915 and 1922.

These events were officially recognised as genocide by the United Nations in 1985 and 1986, and by the European Parliament in 1987. Turkey, however, still refuses to recognise the genocide. Those Armenians who survived the massacres and deportations were forced to flee from the Anatolian region. In this Diaspora, some went south to Syria and other Arab countries, some north to what became Soviet Armenia in 1920, some east to Asia, some west to Greece and the rest of Europe, and hundreds of thousands across the Atlantic to North America, where there are significant expatriate communities in Los Angeles, Fresno, Washington, and other cities. Armenian Dance As in other immigrant communities, the exiled Armenians sought to reaffirm their ethnic identity through dance and music. Traditional dancing is still popular among expatriate Armenians, and has also been very successfully `exported' to international folk dance groups and circle dance groups all over the world. Generally, I place Armenian dances into four categories: dances from Eastern Caucasian Armenia, from Western Anatolian Armenia, from Greater Armenia, and Diaspora dances. These categories may overlap somewhat, but they give a broad picture of the landscape of Armenian dance as I understand it. A general differentiation could also be made between village folk dances and those which have been arranged or choreographed by professional ensembles, as well as between the dances found in Armenia today and those now danced mainly in expatriate communities. Dances from Eastern Caucasian Armenia Eastern Caucasian Armenia is now the area of the tiny landlocked present-day republic of Armenia. The energetic men's dance Jo Jon (a.k.a. Zhora Bar) comes from Speetak in the north. Mom Bar, meaning `candle dance', comes from the village of Maroon by Lake Sevan, and is traditionally the last dance done at wedding parties. The candles are blown out at the end of the dance, indicating to the guests that it is time to go home. Different versions of Harsaneek, also originally a `mom' or candle dance, come from various parts of the east, as do many exquisite forms of the women's solo improvisational style known as `naz bar', or `grace dance', on which are based the choreographed movements of dances such as Archka Yerezanke. Dances from Western Anatolian Armenia Many Armenian dances from Western Anatolia, territory which is now in Turkey, now thrive in other parts of the world, passed on by those who fled the massacres. Sepastia Bar, from the region of Sepastia, is well known in many versions among Sepastaree communities in the USA. Ooska Gookas (a.k.a Hooshig Mooshig) and its musical sibling Shavalee come from the city of Erzeroom in the Kareen region, as do Tamzara, Medax Tashginag and Erzroomi Shoror. Laz Bar is from Sev Tsov on the Black Sea coast. continued next page...

As with other dances of people who fish the Black Sea, the shoulder shimmy that is sometimes done is said to represent the movements of the fish. The Anatolian region of Daron or Taron, which gives us Pompooreeg and of course the well-loved and enigmatic Daronee, was one of the most cruelly devastated by the Turkish deportations and massacres. Most of the Armenians living there were killed, a few escaped, and a few remained, saving their lives by successfully passing as Turkish. Some half a century later, in the late 1960's, Azat Gharibian, choreographer of the Armenian State Song and Dance Ensemble, ventured back into Daron to find the `disguised' Armenians and to collect what they remembered of their pre-diaspora dance and music traditions. The dance we know as Daronee was put together by Azat from fragments he collected in Daron. The haunting song was collected in its entirety and recorded by the ensemble's orchestra. My teacher Tom Bozigian, who worked closely with Azat, told me in 1987 that no translation was available because `unfortunately the lyrics are immersed in a variety of archaic dialectical subtleties', but my friend and colleague, Shakeh Avanessian, succeeded with a partial translation in 1996. The lyrics apparently refer to the tragic historical events that took place in Daron in this century. Like a poem, the meaning is encoded in images and word play, and as in so many Armenian songs, the loss of one's homeland is equated with the loss of one's beloved. Here the singer speaks of losing both: Daronee Love is like a field that has worn away There is a little breath that is a breath In the place of my lover May God curse... I love a little one, I am told to leave that one too Ah, Lashghert, death, tears Once happy and sweet-smelling My beautiful fair-haired lover Go ahead and take my lover! Oh, sweet-smelling... I know of a lover who misses you terribly (chorus:) Gorani, Gorani, my beloved Gorani... `Lashghert' is probably the name of a place in Daron, and `Gorani', which is sung in the chorus, apparently refers to a particular mountain range, home of the deity of war. This association gives the sense of `fighting the battle of life' to the dance and the song. Tom Bozigian also describes the movements of Daronee as `emotional gestures stemming from wars and suffering.' According to Tineke van Geel, Gorani is the dance on which Daronee is based, and it is still found in Daron, Sassoon and Shatag. In the Middle Ages, Gorani was a love song. Now, different versions of Gorani all usually refer to sad events such as a poor harvest or lost love. Daronee is still in the State Ensemble's repertoire - now followed by a fast bit to make more interesting viewing. In the Armenian capital of Yerevan, choreographic schools and state song and dance ensembles aim to preserve folk dance traditions in a format suitable for stage presentation. continued top of next column =>

The stage versions can be quite different from the original village dance forms, and state ensembles are sometimes blamed as agents of destruction of the `real' traditional dancing. While dances do change when adapted for performance, it is worth bearing in mind that because so much Armenian traditional dance and music was tragically obliterated as a result of the massacres and Diaspora, the survival of these arts in any form is something to celebrate. In any case, like all folk dance, Armenian folk dance is part of a living tradition which has changed a great deal and will continue to change, absorbing new influences and itself influencing others. Dances of Greater Armenia There are other dances, mainly danced closely linked together, which I think of as being from `Greater Armenia', that is, from the territory which used to be Armenian and where dances and music reveal an Armenian influence, even though the dances might be called Turkish, Kurdish, or Assyrian. Examples include Agir Govenk from Bitlis, the Kurdish Bablakhans and Halays from Van and parts of Kurdistan, Tulum Havasi from the Eastern Caucasus, and the Assyrian dance Zaroura. Kurds were a strong minority in the former Armenian territory, and there are a number of dances identified as Armenian, in which Kurdish influence is particularly apparent: Khumkhuma, Papooree, Teen and Halay, for example. Danced in close linked-arm formation, these are known as `pert' (`fortress') or `bahd' type dances. `Bahd', meaning `wall' in Armenian, is linked linguistically to `bahr', meaning `dance'. And `Halay' comes from the word `alay', meaning `many people'. These close-together dances could be said to reflect the defensive nature of a constantly subjugated people, as well as the community solidarity which the dancing relies upon and reinforces. Bianca de Jong suggests that dances belong to a place as well as to a people, and that as civilisations and cultures come and go, something of the dances remains in the land that nurtured them. My own experience - of all folk dance really, but Armenian dance in particular - is that what happens in the feet, how the feet feel the ground they dance upon, is very important. The dances of Greater Armenia speak to my feet the way the Armenian ones do, telling a story of lost land and enduring life. Zaroura, for example, is an Assyrian dance which feels quintessentially Armenian, although the steps don't resemble Armenian steps. We dance it linked tightly in a line. With each repetition of the dance sequence, we travel only the distance of the width of one foot. With each beat, we touch or step on the ground right beneath us, affirming again and again that where we stand right now, in the body and in the present moment, is home. The Assyrians haven't had a homeland for many centuries, but they have preserved their ethnic identity without one - perhaps because in dances like these, the homeland can exist beneath the feet of the dancer, even if nowhere else.

Diaspora Dances In the 1940s and 50s, second- and third-generation Armenian-Americans began to create a whole new repertoire of dances to replace what had been lost in the Diaspora, by combining traditional and newly choreographed steps with older folk melodies and songs. A good example is Eench Eemanaee, also known as the Armenian Misirlou. It evolved from a combination of the Greek Misirlou which was enormously popular in the USA in the 1950s, and the traditional Armenian dance Lorke Lorke (a.k.a. Sirdes, `my heart'), which was brought from Daron, near Lake Van. The words to Eench Eemanaee, like many Armenian songs, tell a story of lost love as a metaphor for the lost homeland: `From the very day that you left, I became bitter toward life / And even the flowers cried and were sad with me / If only, my love, you had returned...' The music to these `new' dances is often characteristically `bright' as a result of having been recorded in recent decades by Armenian-American orchestras, and they nearly always go to the right, a sign that they are dances of celebration. (Dances that move principally to the left tend to be more melancholy, according to Tineke van Geel.) Siroon Aghchig ( Sweet Girl), Ambee Dageets (Armenian Turn), and Guhneega are some popular dances recreated in the Diaspora. A creative flexibility remains in the dancing at Armenian community gatherings in the U.S.A. today. Typically, the orchestra plays a tune, and people form many crowded lines, with each line dancing whatever steps they feel like! So different lines might be dancing Siroon Aghchig, Halay, Sirdes or steps with no particular name, to the music for Ambee Dageets, for instance. These now-familiar dances have a particularly poignant message about the endurance and importance of dance traditions. I find it profoundly inspiring that even when a people, culture, and homeland is as comprehensively devastated as was Armenia, what was destroyed can be put back together by its survivors - not as it was, but in a new way... Armenian language, culture, dance, music, art, learning, and religion are alive and well today in many, many more places than can ever be destroyed. It is ironic, yet miraculous, that the actions intended to obliterate Armenian existence, eighty years later have thus helped to guarantee its survival. War and suffering continue to plague the Armenian republic, parts of which remain devastated by the massive earthquake of 1988, but the Armenian people have ensured their survival in the strong roots they have put down in all the places the winds of change have carried them. Continually nurtured by living artistic and cultural traditions, the vibrancy and resilience of these roots are a lesson to us all, and we are lucky to have these beautiful dances as our tools and our teachers. continued top of next column =>   ?** The views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FDA. Events publicised in this magazine are not necessarily sponsored by FDA**

Further reading and resources A History of the Armenian People, vol. I: Pre-History to 1500 AD. George A. Bournoutian, Mazda Publishers 1993. The History of the Armenian Genocide. Vahakn Dadrian, Berghahn Books 1995. The Road from Home: the Story of an Armenian Girl. David Kherdian, Greenwillow 1979. The Crossing Place. Philip Marsden, HarperCollins Flamingo 1994. Armenie. Tineke van Geel, In Dutch only! The Forty Days of Musa Dagh. Franz Werfel. See also The Hidden Holocaust, BBC documentary film. The Oratorium in Memory of the Victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 , by Khachatoor Avedissian (SYNCOOP 5749 CD 106) is available from Syncoop Produkties, Slot Assumburgpad 54, 3123 RR Schiedam, The Netherlands, or from Laura Shannon in the UK. Proceeds from the sale of the compact disc go to the Committee to Assist Victims of the Earthquake in Armenia. My grateful thanks go to Tineke van Geel, Bianca de Jong, Tom Bozigian, Erik Bendix, Gayane Afrikian and all those from whom I have learned Armenian dances, for valuable information received in personal conversation and correspondence and in their dance notes. I especially wish to thank Shakeh Avanessian for her insight and encouragement, her sensitive and diligent translations and skill as a dancer and teacher. The reader is humbly requested to bear in mind that writing about a continually changing tradition, such as folk dance, is a tricky business; the best information available at present is, by definition, liable to change in time. Any factual errors are fully my own responsibility and not that of my sources. Laura Shannon FDA CONTACTS President:  Chris Wild, (02) 9560 2910, 12 Burfitt St, LEICHHARDT 2040 Vice-President:  Helmut Aimann, (02) 6552 5142 23 Fotheringham St, TAREE NSW 2430 Secretary:  Jo Wall, (02) 9857 1382, 39 Searl St, PETERSHAM 2049 Treasurer:  Deborah Hotchkis, (02) 4294 1363 4 Old Station Rd, HELENSBURGH 2508 Workshop Co-ordinator:  Sandra Bassetti, (02) 6552 5142, 23 Fotheringham St, TAREE NSW 2430. Publicity Officer:  Fiona Clark, (02) 9548 0508, 18 Tecoma St, HEATHCOTE 2233 Website Administrator:  Ashley Oates Resource Manager  Kaye Laurendet, (02) 9528 4813, 127 Woronora Cres, COMO WEST 2226 Footnotes Editor:  Maureen Petherick, (02) 4736 3529, 18 Bayley Rd, PENRITH 2750

*** CONTRA-LINES *** Dear Readers, An enjoyable week in Queensland confirmed that the FDA's list of folk dance groups (see website or Footnotes magazine) is an indispensable reference for dancers travelling within Australia. After visiting the International Dance group on the 2nd Friday of July in Yeronga, I arrived in Morningside for the 2nd Sat of the month Bush Dance with Champion Moreton Bay Band. The programme included a dances from a delightful variety of origins including classic Colonial dances (eg Maxina, Gypsy Tap, Evening Three step, Gay Gordons, Waltz Country Dance), Scottish, Danish, English (including Grendon Roundabout (for 3 couples), Belgian Waltz, Bebington Capers. I called a couple of 'New England Chestnuts', namely Good Girl and Chorus Jig which were well received. A musician contact whom I had not seen for some 15 years described dance group's interest was in enjoying the dancing and continuing the tradition of bush dancing established in the 1950's. For the remainder of this issue I now hand over to Sydney contra caller Julie Bishop, (whose contact details are ph: (02) 9524 0247 or jlsbish@ozemail.com.au  "At Gary's request, I'll tell you how I came to contra dancing. In '77, I loved Kaye Laurendet's international dance class. The Bush Music Club came one night, and I started bush dancing. Then Sydney Playford Dancers came - and English dance and Alex Bishop won my heart. In 1984 (two daughters later), Sutherland Shire Folk Dancer, Basil Butler asked me to form and teach a local bush dance group. When Alex's work took us to California (1988-9), we happily danced with the English country dancers. They mentioned contras, but with no real excitement until Massachusetts band, Wild Asparagus, was visiting. We went along to that Palo Alto contra dance. And have never regretted it! Contras, coming from English longways dances, blended the feel of that with the liveliness of 'bush'. But because it was all walking (no polkas etc), I could have danced all night. And the dances only went for three hours! Thereafter, we danced fortnightly; and occasionally in San Francisco. (On the corner of 43rd and Judah, with Charlie Fenton one of the callers - for those who know his dance Judah Jig. If you don't, it's in John Garden's 'Country Dance Companion'.) As our return to Australia approached, I would wake grieving from dreams about leaving contras. Back here, Alex, a member of Ryebuck Bush Band since 1978, introduced contra tunes, and Pastrami on Ryebuck played for contras. I began teaching various groups, and at folk festivals. We were thrilled when those daughters joined Alex, as my band at the National. At this year's we had Susie on fiddle, with Ryebuck's George Bolliger replacing our pianist Laura (too busy with music studies now): and a couple of hundred eager dancers, making exciting contras! People from many dance traditions can't help loving the way contras are so social (as you move up and down the set), and flirty, and fun, and - most of all - flowing. Supported by the Folk Federation of NSW, I ran a Halloween Contra in '91 - and then four contras a year, for four years.  continued top of next column =>

After a long break, two keen fund raisers for the Royal Flying Doctor Service started an annual dance. This year's contra on 30 June was their fifth - and the first to feature a real live American caller, with Jerry Epstein calling some dances. Next, there's a Contra with Pastrami on Ryebucks (and me), on Saturday 22 September, 8-12pm, at East Gosford Progress Hall, Henry Parry Drive and Wells St, $12/$10 (enq, Robyn, 02 4344 6484). We look forward to seeing some of you there!" ***** Gary: (03) 9481 3386 or shenanigans@labyrinth.net.au   RESOURCES for SALE by FDA By Jim Battisson: Book "Glossary of Dance Terms" $15 (with P & P) or $12 at workshops, etc. By André van de Plas: International Folk Dances for Adults. Book & cassette 1989 - 1998 tours $12 set. 1999 - 2001 tours $25 set. Book & CD 2000 - 2001 tours  $30 set Videos. 1989 - 2001 tours. $35 each. International Folk Dances for Children. Book & cassette. 1986, 89, 91, 94, 97, 99 & 2000 tours. $30 set Book & CD 2000 tour  $35 set Videos of Children's Dances: 2000 tour  $35 each Easy Dances Cassette and booklet  $12 set By Gary & Carol Crees Off the Wall dances (Vol One) (for 2-8 year olds) Book & CD   $45 set Off The Wall Dances (Vol Two) (for 2-8 year olds) Book & CD   $45 set By Yves Moreau: Balkan & International Folk Dances. Book & cassette 1993 tour. $25 set. 'Ajde Na Horo' 20 Bulgarian Folk Dance Favourites. Recorded in Bulgaria under the supervision of Jaap Leegwater and Yves. Book & cassette $25 set. 'Folk Dances from Bulgaria and Elsewhere' - selection of 24 dances from Bulgaria, the Balkans, and other countries – from Yves' 2001 Australian tour. Book & CD $30 set. Video $35 By Nevofoon: 'Easy Dances for Adults & Beginners' CD & booklet $35 set Music Cassette & booklet $30 set Video of dances (taken at workshop) $20 Add $5 to above prices for postage. Please Note: Prices quoted above are for FDA members. Non-members please add $5 to cost of each item. All resources available through Kaye Laurendet, 127 Woronora Cres, COMO WEST, NSW 2226

LOCAL EVENTS André's Easy Dance Workshop 2 Aug 2001 Suitable for beginners, older folk and teachers, this one-day workshop presented by André van de Plas on Thursday, 2nd August, will be held at: Place: Gymea Scout Hall, June Place, GYMEA, NSW Time 10am – 2.30pm: Cost: $10 BYO lunch Contact Kaye, 02 9528 4813 or email okaye@optusnet.com.au for more information. Bowral Residential Folkdance Weekend, 3 - 5 August Avdp World Dance, featuring André van de Plas as teacher, will again present a Folk Dance Weekend at Bowral. Accommodation will be at the Golf View Lodge and dancing as usual at the Bowral High School. Accommodation at the Golfview Lodge is filling up fast so send your application form in now. If you have made alternate arrangements for accommodation, but would like to have lunches, Saturday night dinner etc. with us, please ring Kaye on 95284813 or email: okaye@optusnet.com.au for an application form. CIFDA Workshop with André, 8 Aug 2001 Come and join CIFDA for this evening workshop presented by André van de Plas on Wednesday, 8th August, to be held at: Place: Hughes Community Centre Wisdom St, Hughes ACT Time Warm-up 7.30pm Workshop 8 - 10pm. Cost: $12 – with supper Contact Carol 02 6251 3096 a.h. or Ailsa 02 62815101 or Margaret 02 6251 1802 for more information. FDA Children's Dance Workshop, 9 Aug This workshop with André van de Plas will focus on the teaching of folk dances to children. People working with children, or looking for fun, easy dances to present to beginners will find this workshop very appropriate. Place: Riverwood Public School, Union St. Riverwood Time Thursday 9th August. 4pm – 6.30pm André will be teaching from his Children's 2000 program. Cassette, booklet, and video available. Please ring Kaye on 02 9528 4813 or email okaye@optusnet.com.au for application form. Discount for FDA members applies. Gentle Exercise Workshops, 25 Aug, 2001 FDA is promoting two workshops in Wollongong on Saturday August 25th at the Migrant Resource Centre, 70 Kembla St. Wollongong. The workshops will be led by Kaye Laurendet and Margaret Connor, both FDA trained folkdance teachers. Their workshops have been accredited by N.A.G.E (National Assoc. of Gentle Exercise Leaders) and the Australian Fitness Accreditation Council. Workshop One, 9.30am to 12.30pm – Folkdance for Fun, Fitness and Flexibility, is for gentle exercise

...continued from left column leaders and those who teach dance in the community. A selection of easy, fun dances suitable for beginners. Workshop Two, 1.15pm to 4pm – Recreational Folkdance, including Sit Dances, is for Therapists and those working with the elderly. Dances will be taught in their original form, and also modified as 'sit dances' for those who work with the less mobile members of our community. Cost is to be confirmed. Discount applies for FDA members. Resources will be available for both sessions. Please ring Kaye 02 9528 4813 or Margaret 02 4861 2294 for application forms (bookings are essential). Tineke's Armenian Workshop, 20 October Tineke Van Geel, from Holland, has agreed to visit the "land down under" in October, thanks to the efforts of John Whaite (from Perth). Tineke is world-renowned as an authority on Armenian dance and will be presenting an Armenian folk dance workshop during Carnivale for FDA.Details for this not-to-be-missed workshop are: Place: BD Building, UWS Nepean Werrington South Campus O'Connell St, Kingswood, Western Sydney Time Saturday, 20 October, 2001 10am - 4pm Cost: $20 full day, $12 half day. (Concession applies for FDA members and students) If you are interested in Tineke presenting a workshop for your group, please contact John on (08) 9444 4736 or email: john.whaite@wpcorp.com.au. Gulgong Folk Festival Saturday 29 Dec 2001 – Tuesday 1 Jan 2002 *Blues Music *Family Bush Dance *Irish Sessions *Blackboard Concerts *New Years street Dance *Concerts *Dances *Yarn Spinning *Kids Festival *Chorus Cup *and more ……… Performer / Dance registrations: closing date 31st August 2001 For more information, contact Noel and Virginia at 02 6374 1734 or ncompton@hwy.com.au or PO Box 340, GULGONG NSW 2850

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tineke van Geel~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
presents the

FDA Armenian Folk Dance Workshop
on
Saturday, 20^th October, 2001
from 10am – 4pm 

Morning Session: 10am – 12.30pm (easy – medium dances)
Afternoon session: 1.30pm – 4pm (medium / advanced dances)

at the

BD Building
UWS Nepean Centre for Contemporary Performance
Werrington South Campus
O'Connell St, Kingswood, Western Sydney.

$20 full day; $12 half-day;
(Concession for FDA members and students)

Video and Cassette of Workshop Dances will be for sale or can be ordered on the day.

BYO lunch - morning & afternoon teas provided.

* The venue for this workshop is used only for dance, and has a beautiful sprung wooden floor (easy on the feet and leg muscles). To protect the surface of the floor, you are asked to wear shoes with soft or leather soles that will not mark the floor.

To get to Building BD, Werrington South Campus:

By Public Transport: Catch No. 790 bus from either St Marys or Penrith railway stations. Either way, get off the bus in O'Connell St (near the State Archives), walk up O'Connell St, past the TAFE, until you come to a big, blue sign "Centre for Contemporary Performance", turn left through entrance, go along road for about 500m, the first building on the right is Building BD or Get off the train at Werrington railway station and walk up the hill and across the overhead bridge (over the Great Western Highway) to Building BD or Get off the train at Kingswood station and walk across the park to the UWS Kingswood Campus and catch the University shuttle bus (or walk) across to Werrington South Campus.

By Car (from Sydney heading west): Exit the M4 at Mamre Rd exit, turn right into Mamre Rd; Continue along Mamre Rd until you come to the Great Western Highway (GWH), then turn left; Continue along GWH until you come to O'Connell Street, then turn left; Go past the TAFE until you come to gates with a big blue sign, "Centre for Contemporary Performance", turn left; The first building on the right is the Centre for Contemporary Performance and Building BD.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

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