Dance of the Week
B Moreto Lodka
and Ratevka
(Music from Macedonia)
Choreographed by Jim Gold
Dear Dancers and Travelers,
Welcome to our folk dance family!
B Moreto Lodka is the Dance of the Week.
Music is from Macedonia.
(Same steps as te Macedonian dance Ratevka.
I created it to practice Ratevka.)
Click on the links below.
See A Treasury of International Folk Dances
Written instructions: p 14.
(or see “Read More” below.)
B Moreto Lodka and Ratevka danced by Jim Gold
Read a leaf from Jim’s New Leaf Journal: Next Stage
Then explore our exciting folk dance and adventure trips at Folk Tours
All content created by Jim Gold.
More information contact Jim
Blog history: blog archives
For written instructions click on “Read More”
B MORETO LODKA and RATEVKA . . . MACEDONIA
Ratevka
( Eastern Macedonia )
Pronunciation: RAH – tef – kah
Background: from the village of Ratevo, near the town of Berovo.
Recordings: Folkraft LP-25 cut B-2 (village-style kaval & tupan), Folkdancer MH 45-3040 (nice long piece for dancing). Yugoton LSY-61392 cut 2-4 (Pece’s version – short). RTM’93 Folklorni Biseri ot Pirinska Mak.(tape) A-8 “Ranilo mome” Nevofoon 15006 Voklsdansen Uit Macedonia cut 2-13
Meter: 7/16 = 3 + 2 + 2 = SLOW-quick-quick = Sqq
Youtube video (Jim Gold dancing) http://bit.ly/2oP41Lc
Formation: Lines
Hold: Belt hold. Left over Right.
MEAS CT PATTERN
Facing slightly & moving right, quick “grace-note” hop on L
1 S Step forward (LOD) on R.
qq Step forward (LOD) on L.
2 S Step forward (LOD) on R.
q Step forward (LOD) on L.
q Step forward (LOD) on R.
3 S Step forward (LOD) on L, bending knee emphatically.
q Turning to face center, step sideward right on R.
q Cross & step on L in back of R.
4 S Step sideward right on R.
q Cross & step on L in front of R.
q Step back on R in place.
5 S Step on L in place.
q Hop on L, swinging R around in back.
q Cross & step on R in back of L.
6 S Step sideward left on L.
qq Hop on L, swinging R around in back.
7 S Cross & step on R in back of L.
q Cross & step on L in back of R.
q Close & step on R beside L.
8 S Step forward on L.
qq Hop on L, swinging R foot across in front.
Presented by Michael Kuharski
2013 Door County Folk Festival
Dear Folk Dancers,
Do you know much about Ratevka.
Indeed I do. I love this dance which I learned as an undergrad here in 1969, play the music on accordion, have found the melody recorded as a song on the Pirin side of the border, and have always paid special attention to this one. By a nice coincidence, I yesterday prepared materials for teaching “Ratevka” at next month’s Door County Folk Festival, one of the largest IFD gatherings in the Midwest (organized by Paul Collins of Chicago). Checking festival archives, I see I also taught it at Door County in 1992, but I’d forgotten that episode. So many decades of teaching!
Are there are dance written dance instructions anywhere?
You’ll find them attached to this message.
Who introduced it?
This would be the perfect question for you to put to Ron Houston of The Society of Folkdance Historians. John Kuo of Chicago could probably also contribute details of this story. Here is most of what I know. According to Kete Ilievski, in about 1958 the Technical Commission of Ensemble TANEC invited one woman from village Ratevo and one from neighboring village Berovo to present local material to the ensemble. The dances Ratevka and Berovka entered the TANEC repertoire from this episode, and it was later also in repertoire of the Orce Nikolov ensemble (you’ll find it on the Orce Nikolov album which Elsie Dunin helped produce). I think it likely that Dennis Boxell first introduced Ratevka to American folkdancers. It’s on his Folkraft LP-25 and is of course described in the accompanying booklet in the distinctive format he and Rickey Holden developed. Another early recording is on Michael Herman’s Folkdancer label and is especially clear rhythmically and nicely paced for teaching purposes. Over the years teachers other than Dennis may also have helped the dance move from the ensemble to the recreational world and become rooted there. Kete has taught it. I’ll bet that George Tomov had his dancers perform it. Pece Atanasovski certainly arranged and recorded music for it, so he may also have taught the dance.
Atanas once gave me some personal styling tips on Ratevka, but I do not know that he taught this one. Dennis helped Atanas teach across the US way back when Atanas had practically no English.
Michael Kuharski June 10, 2013