26.-Paidushka

PAIDUŠHKA : Bulgarian (originally)
PRONUNCIATION: pai-DOOSH-kah
TRANSLATION: Strangely enough, for all its immense popularity and diffusion, the
derivation of its name is still a mystery. It has no other meaning in
Bulgarian and Macedonian than the name of a dance called Pajduška. Some
say it comes from a Turkish word for limping.
BACKGROUND: Pajduška is one of the most popular dances throughout Bulgaria.
Almost every village or town in the country has its own version of the
dance. The dance motif described below is a basic Pajduška. It is also
known as Sarakina in the Voden region, after a local mountain.
MUSIC: Many available
FORMATION: Open cir of mixed M and W with hands joined and held down in “V”
pos. End dancers may flourish a handkerchief or place free hand on
hip.
METER/RHYTHM: 5/8 (5/16). The rhythm is quick-slow (2 + 3 = 5) and is counted
below as two dancer’s beats with the second being longer.
STEPS/STYLE:

HOP: This is actually a low hop (or “Lift”) where the ball of the
ft does not leave the floor. The dance is composed of hop-steps and
step-steps. Alternating between the two, first dance 4 hop-steps, 3
step-steps, 2 hop-steps, and 1 step-step. This pattern is sometimes
referred to as the “4-3-2-1” pajdu┼íka.

HANDS AND ARMS: The hands and arms, which are kept extended and not
bent at the elbows, swing bwd about 35 degrees on the second beat of
each odd-numbered meas (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) and fwd about 35 degrees on the
second beat of each even-numbered meas (2, 4, 6, 8, 10).

During meas 5, 6, 7, many dancers lean slightly fwd from the
hips.
MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION
INTRODUCTION – None. Leader starts with any musical phrase.
THE DANCE
1 Facing slightly R of ctr, low hop L with R extended out and down to
R in preparation for next bt (bt 1); step R swd (bt 2);
2 Low hop R (bt 1); step L across in front of R (bt 2);
3-4 Repeat action of meas 1-2.
5 Facing ctr, and with a very quick motion of the R leg, step R in
front of L twd ctr (bt 1); step L slightly swd (bt 2);
6 Step R in front of L (bt 1); step L slightly swd (bt 2);
7 Step R in front of L (bt 1); step L slightly swd (bt 2);
8 Facing ctr, low hop L (bt 1); step R bwd (bt 2);
9 Low hop R (bt 1); step L bwd (bt 2);
10 Facing ctr, step R in front of L (bt 1); step L in place (bt
2).
Repeat entire dance from beg.
Copyright © 2007 by Dick Oakes
(with minor modifications by John Pappas)