Bulgarian folk dance regions: Dobrudza

Courtesy of www.eliznik.co.uk

Dobrudzans dance with their knees always bent and their backs hollow. They all seem to be of short stature and solid. To get the feel of Dobrudzan dancing stand with your feet apart and bend your knees as far as you can comfortably with your feet flat on the floor, push your ribs forward while keeping your back straight and stay there throughout the dance!

The story told is that life is hard for the Dobrud_an farmer as he has to struggle with nature in order to survive, so his dancing, with strong downward movements, expresses his struggle with the land.

When a Dobrudzan dances he uses his whole body. Hands are joined crossed in front, in belt hold, in "W" hold or placed with back of hand on hips palms open and facing outwards. They are also used for strong, firm, positive arm movements. Reka, which means hand, is one of the characteristic dances of this area.

Men and women dance together, though there are some dances for men or women only. Women's movements are simpler and lighter with slight shoulder twists.