AUTHENTIC DANCES OF RROMA PEOPLE
"When I’m talking about « authentic » rroma dances, it’s not in purit sense. These dances represent a mix of different traditions adopted and enriched by Rroma, who went and settled around the world. The result is a quite specific and unique style which characterizes all the rromany music and dances. « Authentic » here means that the dances presented correspond to these actually performed by the Rroma today. The important thing is to represent the music and dances of the Rroma with respect, taking into account their lifestyle, their art and their traditions. It’s difficult to classify them, they can be different from country to country and in each region there are lots of variants. Si this is only a global classification and it doesn’t pretend to be exhaustive... "
Simona Jovic
Nomad dance from Rajasthan
North-West of India
In Northern India, especially in Punjab and Rajasthan, live a lot of different nomad tribes, the Banjaras, Manganyars, Langas, Kalbelyas...They are not Rroma, but are considered being at the origin of today's Rroms. Some of them, like Manganyars or Langas are professionnal musicians, some like Kalbelya, are snake charmers, others like Banjaras are mostly smiths. For all of them, dancing is part of everyday's life. For the Banjaras, dancing is a religious rituel and they dance without the music. Female dancers accompany themselves with the sound of the ankle bells and the bracelets. In the Thar desert, the kalbelya caste of snake charmers, also known as Sapera, play the pungi to seduce the cobra, and the young dancers imitates the cobra trying to transmit the seducive mystery of it. The kalbelya dancers turn and move a lot, with an important matter of softness, their movements are gracefull and jerky at the same time.
IMPORTANT : "In a recent discussion that I had with Mr Marcel Courtiade in "E Rroma si Evropa" congress in Ohrid, Macedonia, we talked about the origins of the Rroma people. He is one these that do not consider Rajasthan and Punjab as a place of the Rrom origins. Other linguists and historians do. But they all agree at one point : these nomad are not Rroma. So whether Rroma really come from Rajasthan or another part of India, stays a polemic and we should be very carreful when we talk about it." Simona Jovic
Music that we recommend : Suva Devi Kalbelya, Gypsies of Rajasthan, Musafir, Divana, Gulabo, The Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan...
Dances from Central Asia
Central Asian countries were the first countries that the Rroma crossed when they left India in 10th century. Today, there are not much Rroma left there, compare to some european countries. The life of these Rroma is very difficult. In Afghanistan they are not alowed to live near the cities, so they are mostly nomad and they work in the country, making all kind of things, some even the musical instruments. In Iran (former Persia), the Rroma's life is not much easier. Also nomad, some of them are musicians and dancers, living near Teheran. Only a few can live of it. Their dancing, especially the hand and head movements, as well as the costumes decorated with the small mirors and the embroidery, are very similar to the north indian traditionnal dances. As for all Rroma from all around the world, any small event is importan enough to have fun, to play music and dance!
Music that I recommend : Ensemble Kaboul
Rroma dance from the Upper Egypt
Rroma arrived to Egypt in 11th century. They settled in Cairo first and then in South of Egypt. It is near Louxor that the rroma "tribes" can still be found. We call them Ghawazee and they are part of the Nawwar tribe. They show their talent in the streets, faires and weddings. The rroma egyptian dancers are mostly females and they present a very lively and joyefull dance. The woman who dances, does so with musicians, uses special little cymbals called sagat. Mostly moving the belly, with the strong and various shymmies, she often stops, make the public activate in the show. She shakes her feet, which is a very typical movement for the Rroma dances. The dancers, male as much as female, use sometimes a wooden stick as an accessory.
Music that we recommend : Musicians of the Nile, "Music of the Ghawazee" (produced by Aisha Ali)
Rroma dances from Turkey
The turkish rroma music uses two types of rythms. There is, on the first side, the regular rythm 8/8, fast or slow (ciftetelli) and, on the other side, the irregular rythm 9/8 (karsilama). Turkish rroma dance is very deep and passionate and it is danced by both women and men. The dancer uses her body to emphazise the Karsilama accents, with a great deal of preciseness. These accents can vary greatly from a musical sentence to another. The dancer "plays" a lot with her hands that she uses to tell a story or translate the music. The use of Zills, which are the turkish equivalent of the Egyptian Sagats is very frequent, as well as Kasyklar (wooden spoons).
Music that we recommend : Selim Sesler, Mustafa Kandirali, Istanbul Oriental Ensemble, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Roman Oyun Havalari...
Rroma dances from southern Balkans
South of Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania...
In the south of the Balkan area, Rroma dance mostly the cocek dance. It's very lively, light and gracious, but very deep and it can be danced either individually, or together men and women. It remains Oriental because of the 5 centuries of Turkish occupation. The dancer does precise and quiet moves with the very small steps.
In the Central Serbia, we dance in cercle, the dance called the "kolo". The kolos are part of traditionnal dances of the Balkans and Romania. Some of them, the simplest ones, are danced by the local Rroma. The hand position and the steps, always simple and repetitif, change from one area to another and from one rhythm to another. In the South of the Balkans, the rroma kolo (called ORO) remains very oriental, with the small hip accents. In Central Serbia, as well as in Romania, the influence of Central Europe dances is evident : the rapidity of the steps is impressive, and the dancing very proud! Men and women dance together, hand in hand.
Music that we recommend :
Serbia : Simona Jovic & Demiran Cerimovic, Fejat Sejdic, Saban Bajramovic, Bakija Bakic
Macedonia : Esma Redzepova, Ferus Mustafov,Dzansever
Bulgaria : Jony Illiev
Albania : Rromano Dives
For dancing the kolos : Najlepsa kola Srbije
Rroma dances from Romania and Hungary
There are more then 2 millions of Rroma living in Romania today and inspide of the great migrations to Western Europe after the slavery abolition, it remains the european country with the biggest rromany population. A little part of Romanian Rroma is still nomad and some of them are musicians. In Romania and Hungary, dance can change from one area to another, depending also on the rythme that is used. In some parts it stays influenced by the balkanian rythmes and movements (manela). In Transylvania, men's dancing is very impressive. With the impressively fast steps, they shake hands and feet in an extraordinary way (çingerica), while women clap the fingers and move their aprons! For both, the footwork is very impressive while they follow the 2/2 fast rhythm!
Music that we recommend :
Romania : Tarafs de Haidouks, Gabi Lunca, Romica Puceanu, "Transylvania", "Gadjo dilo"...
Hungary : Ando drom, Kek Lang, Kalyi Jag...
Rroma dance from Eastern Europe
Photo by Florence Gania
It is mostly known as "russian gypsy dance", but it is also danced in other east-european countries. In its masculin form, it stays the same like in Central Europe. But in its feminin form, with the skirt and schawl movements, it became the less authentic of all rromani dances, adapted for the scene and contrary to all the others, not danced by the Rroma in their festivities.
Music that we recommend :
Russia : Loyko, music of the film « Gypsies are found near heaven »
"Gypsy" dance from Andalusia in Spain
(Simona Jovic doesn't teach or perform flamenco!)
The Flamencas where Gypsy families settled down for a very long time. The developped a very special and wide culture in wich the dance ( El Baile ) and the singing ( El canto ), are like a single character. Very alike the Central Europe rroma dance,the Flamenca dance can be defined as a mixing of grace and rage. Both men and women dance it, using the shaking of hands ( las palmas) and feet (Zapateado / Zapata = shoe in spanish). According to the type of song (el Palo) the emotions can express a very strong pain, very deep. This is called the Canto hondo in spanish, meaning deep chant. The real joy can be also expressed. The dancers use sometimes the castanets as an accessory.
Music that we recommend : Camaron de la Isla, La Macanita, Terremoto de Jerez, El Lebrijano
IMPORTANT : Simona Jovic does not perform or teach flamenco. She recommends the flamenco classes of Patricio Martin in Centre de danse du Marais in Paris.